In biblical times, the term "clip" is not directly referenced in the Scriptures; however, the concept of clipping or cutting can be related to various practices and symbolic actions found throughout the Bible. The act of clipping, in a broader sense, can be associated with trimming, cutting, or shaping, which holds both practical and metaphorical significance in biblical narratives.

Clipping in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry

In the agrarian society of ancient Israel, clipping or cutting was a common practice in agriculture and animal husbandry. For instance, the pruning of vines and trees was essential for maintaining healthy growth and ensuring a fruitful harvest. In John 15:2 , Jesus uses the metaphor of pruning to describe God's work in the lives of believers: "He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful."

Similarly, the shearing of sheep, which involves clipping the wool, is a practice mentioned in the Bible. In 1 Samuel 25:4 , David hears that Nabal is shearing his sheep, which was a time of festivity and celebration in the community.

Symbolic Clipping and Cutting

The act of cutting or clipping can also carry symbolic meanings in the Scriptures. For example, the cutting of hair is often associated with vows and consecration. In Numbers 6:5 , the Nazirite vow includes a prohibition against cutting one's hair: "For the entire period of his vow of separation, no razor shall pass over his head. He must be holy until the time of his consecration to the LORD is complete; he must let the hair of his head grow long."

Conversely, the cutting of hair can symbolize the end of a vow or a change in status. In Judges 16:19 , Samson's hair is cut, leading to the loss of his strength: "And having lulled him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his head. In this way she began to subdue him, and his strength left him."

Clipping as a Metaphor for Judgment and Discipline

The concept of clipping or cutting can also be metaphorically related to divine judgment and discipline. In Jeremiah 6:9 , the Lord speaks of judgment using the imagery of gleaning: "This is what the LORD of Hosts says: 'Glean the remnant of Israel as thoroughly as a vine; pass your hand over the branches again, like one gathering grapes.'"

This metaphor highlights the thoroughness of God's judgment, akin to the careful clipping and gathering of grapes during harvest.

Conclusion

While the specific term "clip" is not found in the Bible, the related concepts of cutting, trimming, and shaping are prevalent throughout the Scriptures. These actions hold both practical and symbolic significance, reflecting themes of growth, consecration, judgment, and divine care.1. (v. t.) To embrace, hence; to encompass.

2. (v. t.) To cut off; as with shears or scissors; as, to clip the hair; to clip coin.

3. (v. t.) To curtail; to cut short.

4. (v. i.) To move swiftly; -- usually with indefinite it.

5. (n.) An embrace.

6. (n.) A cutting; a shearing.

7. (n.) The product of a single shearing of sheep; a season's crop of wool.

8. (n.) A clasp or holder for letters, papers, etc.

9. (n.) An embracing strap for holding parts together; the iron strap, with loop, at the ends of a whiffletree.

10. (n.) A projecting flange on the upper edge of a horseshoe, turned up so as to embrace the lower part of the hoof; -- called also toe clip and beak.

11. (n.) A blow or stroke with the hand; as, he hit him a clip.

3697. kasam -- to shear, clip
... to shear, clip. Transliteration: kasam Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-sam') Short Definition:
trim. ... root Definition to shear, clip NASB Word Usage only trim (1). ...
/hebrew/3697.htm - 6k

1639. gara -- to diminish, restrain, withdraw
... abate, clip, diminish, do take away, keep back, restrain, make small, withdraw.
A primitive root; to scrape off; by implication, to ...
/hebrew/1639.htm - 6k

1219. batsar -- to cut off, make inaccessible, enclose
... A primitive root; to clip off; specifically (as denominative from batsiyr) to gather
grapes; also to be isolated (ie Inaccessible by height or fortification ...
/hebrew/1219.htm - 6k

6990. qatat -- be cut off
... Word Origin see qot. be cut off A primitive root; to clip off, ie (figuratively)
destroy -- be cut off. 6989, 6990. qatat. 6991 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/6990.htm - 5k

7094. qatsab -- to cut off, shear
... cut down, shorn. A primitive root; to clip, or (generally) chop -- cut down,
shorn. 7093, 7094. qatsab. 7095 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/7094.htm - 5k

6972. quts -- summer
... Word Origin see qits. summer A primitive root; to clip off; used only as denominative
from qayits; to spend the harvest season -- summer. see HEBREW qayits. ...
/hebrew/6972.htm - 5k

7112. qatsats -- cut off
... Word Origin a prim. root Definition cut off NASB Word Usage clip (1), cut (4), cut
in pieces (1), cut in two (1), cut off (6), cuts the in two (1), pieces (1). ...
/hebrew/7112.htm - 6k

The Light of God
... This is a noble text, a royal text; one of those texts which forbid us to clip and
cramp Scripture to suit any narrow notions of our own; which open before us ...
/.../kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon xii the light of.htm

Degrees of Sin
... Some sins have a blacker aspect than others; to clip the king's coin is treason;
but to strike his person is a higher degree of treason. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/the ten commandments/3 2 degrees of sin.htm

Faith in Perfection
... spot or wrinkle, or any such thing." Well soul, if thou hast a concern about the
things of God, this is thy promise, and let not Master Clip-promise take it ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/faith in perfection.htm

Distinguishing Grace
... But surely if these prevail not to clip the pinions of our high soaring pride, the
Christian man may at least bind its wings with arguments derived from the ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/distinguishing grace.htm

The Summer Fields
... "Thus should a man with earnest care turn over the soil of his heart, and clip and
prune the trees of his outward senses, and root out from the soil all ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xxiii the summer fields.htm

A New Years Sermon to the Young
... Christianity looks with complacency on your gladness, and does not mean to clip
the wing of one white-winged pleasure, or to breathe one glimmer of blackness ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/a new years sermon to.htm

"All was Closed, and I Saw no More. " "For the Folly of Feeling a ...
... Bradley's Dictionary of Middle English -- thun(?)wange = temple, evesed p.
ple of efesian = to clip the edges (cf. eaves). The Paris MS. ...
/.../julian/revelations of divine love/chapter lxvi all was closed.htm

Simeon's Swan-Song
... If you clip the Greek termination off it, it is the English word 'despot,' and it
conveys all that that word conveys to us, not only a lord in the sense of a ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/simeons swan-song.htm

Contrasted Services
... The choice is to chain the beast in us or to clip the wings of the angel in us,
and he is a fool who conceits himself free because he lets his inferior self ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/contrasted services.htm

The Struggle in America, 1762-1857.
... Thus again, precisely as in Great Britain, did the Brethren clip their own wings;
thus again did they sternly refuse admission to hundreds of applicants for ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter vi the struggle in.htm

Clip (2 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To cut off; as with shears or scissors; as, to clip the hair; to clip coin. ...
11. (n.) A blow or stroke with the hand; as, he hit him a clip. ...
/c/clip.htm - 7k

Beak (2 Occurrences)
... 10. (n.) Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or
other parts of a plant. 11. (n.) A toe clip. See Clip, n. (Far.). 12. ...
/b/beak.htm - 8k

Shear (5 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (vt) To cut, clip, or sever anything from with shears
or a like instrument; as, to shear sheep; to shear cloth. ...
/s/shear.htm - 9k

Clings (6 Occurrences)

/c/clings.htm - 8k

Nip (1 Occurrence)
... close in upon. 3. (vt) To remove by pinching, biting, or cutting with
two meeting edges of anything; to clip. 4. (vt) Hence: To ...
/n/nip.htm - 7k

Off (5363 Occurrences)
... 3. (adv.) Denoting the action of removing or separating; separation; as, to take
off the hat or cloak; to cut off, to pare off, to clip off, to peel off, to ...
/o/off.htm - 8k

Lip (20 Occurrences)
... 7. (vt) To touch with the lips; to put the lips to; hence, to kiss. 8. (vt) To utter;
to speak. 9. (vt) To clip; to trim. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. LIP. ...
/l/lip.htm - 18k

Temples (17 Occurrences)
... He is clean. (See RSV). Leviticus 19:27 "'You shall not cut the hair on the sides
of your heads, neither shall you clip off the edge of your beard. (See RSV). ...
/t/temples.htm - 13k

Trim (4 Occurrences)
... hat. 3. (vt) To make ready or right by cutting or shortening; to clip or
lop; to curtail; as, to trim the hair; to trim a tree. 4 ...
/t/trim.htm - 9k

Edges (28 Occurrences)
... (BBE NIV). Leviticus 19:27 "'You shall not cut the hair on the sides of your heads,
neither shall you clip off the edge of your beard. (See NAS RSV NIV). ...
/e/edges.htm - 14k

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