Topical Encyclopedia
In biblical literature, the term "drop" is often used metaphorically to convey ideas of smallness, insignificance, or the gentle nature of God's provision and judgment. The imagery of a drop can be found in various contexts throughout the Scriptures, illustrating both the power and the subtlety of divine action.
1.
Divine Provision and Blessing: The concept of a drop is used to describe the gentle and life-giving nature of God's blessings. In
Deuteronomy 32:2, Moses declares, "Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants." Here, the imagery of dew and rain as drops signifies the nurturing and sustaining power of God's word and instruction.
2.
Judgment and Power: Drops can also symbolize the overwhelming power of God's judgment. In
Isaiah 40:15, the prophet states, "Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; He weighs the islands as though they were fine dust." This verse emphasizes the insignificance of the nations in comparison to God's majesty and power, illustrating how even the mightiest of human endeavors are but a drop in the vastness of God's creation.
3.
Human Frailty and Insignificance: The metaphor of a drop is used to highlight human frailty and the transient nature of life. In
Job 36:27-28, Elihu speaks of God's control over the natural world: "For He draws up the drops of water; they distill the rain from the mist, which the clouds pour out and shower abundantly on mankind." This passage reflects the delicate balance of life and the dependence of humanity on God's provision.
4.
Wisdom and Understanding: The imagery of drops is also employed in the context of wisdom and understanding.
Proverbs 19:13 mentions, "A foolish son is his father’s ruin, and a quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping." Here, the persistent and irritating nature of a dripping drop is used to describe the impact of folly and discord within a household.
5.
Symbol of Hope and Restoration: In
Joel 3:18, the prophet envisions a time of restoration and abundance: "And in that day the mountains will drip with new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the house of the LORD and will water the valley of acacias." The imagery of mountains dripping with new wine symbolizes the hope and prosperity that will come with God's restoration of His people.
The use of "drop" in the Bible serves as a powerful metaphor to convey various aspects of God's interaction with the world, from His gentle provision to His overwhelming power, and from human frailty to divine wisdom. Through these images, the Scriptures communicate profound truths about the nature of God and His relationship with creation.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The quantity of fluid which falls in one small spherical mass; a liquid globule; a minim; hence, also, the smallest easily measured portion of a fluid; a small quantity; as, a drop of water.
2. (n.) That which resembles, or that which hangs like, a liquid drop; as a hanging diamond ornament, an earring, a glass pendant on a chandelier, a sugarplum (sometimes medicated), or a kind of shot or slug.
3. (n.) Same as Gutta.
4. (n.) Any small pendent ornament.
5. (n.) Whatever is arranged to drop, hang, or fall from an elevated position; also, a contrivance for lowering something
6. (n.) A door or platform opening downward; a trap door; that part of the gallows on which a culprit stands when he is to be hanged; hence, the gallows itself.
7. (n.) A machine for lowering heavy weights, as packages, coal wagons, etc., to a ship's deck.
8. (n.) A contrivance for temporarily lowering a gas jet.
9. (n.) A curtain which drops or falls in front of the stage of a theater, etc.
10. (n.) A drop press or drop hammer.
11. (n.) The distance of the axis of a shaft below the base of a hanger.
12. (n.) Any medicine the dose of which is measured by drops; as, lavender drops.
13. (n.) The depth of a square sail; -- generally applied to the courses only.
14. (n.) Act of dropping; sudden fall or descent.
15. (n.) To pour or let fall in drops; to pour in small globules; to distill.
16. (n.) To cause to fall in one portion, or by one motion, like a drop; to let fall; as, to drop a line in fishing; to drop a courtesy.
17. (n.) To let go; to dismiss; to set aside; to have done with; to discontinue; to forsake; to give up; to omit.
18. (n.) To bestow or communicate by a suggestion; to let fall in an indirect, cautious, or gentle manner; as, to drop hint, a word of counsel, etc.
19. (n.) To lower, as a curtain, or the muzzle of a gun, etc.
20. (n.) To send, as a letter; as, please drop me a line, a letter, word.
21. (n.) To give birth to; as, to drop a lamb.
22. (n.) To cover with drops; to variegate; to bedrop.
23. (v. i.) To fall in drops.
24. (v. i.) To fall, in general, literally or figuratively; as, ripe fruit drops from a tree; wise words drop from the lips.
25. (v. i.) To let drops fall; to discharge itself in drops.
26. (v. i.) To fall dead, or to fall in death.
27. (v. i.) To come to an end; to cease; to pass out of mind; as, the affair dropped.
28. (v. i.) To come unexpectedly; -- with in or into; as, my old friend dropped in a moment.
29. (v. i.) To fall or be depressed; to lower; as, the point of the spear dropped a little.
30. (v. i.) To fall short of a mark.
31. (v. i.) To be deep in extent; to descend perpendicularly; as, her main topsail drops seventeen yards.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
DROP, DROPPING"To drop" expresses a "distilling" or "dripping" of a fluid (Judges 5:4Proverbs 3:20Songs 5:5, 13Joel 3:18Amos 9:13; compare1 Samuel 14:26, "the honey dropped" (margin "a stream of honey"));Job 29:22 andIsaiah 45:8 read "distil" (the King James Version "drop"). The continuous "droppings" of rain through a leaking roof (roofs were usually made of clay in Palestine, and always liable to cracks and leakage) on a "very rainy day" is compared to a contentious wife (Proverbs 19:13;Proverbs 27:15); "What is described is the irritating, unceasing, sound of the fall, drop after drop, of water through the chinks in the roof" (Plumptre, in the place cited); compare also the King James VersionEcclesiastes 10:18 (the Revised Version (British and American) "leaketh").
Greek
1601b. ekpipto -- todrop away, fig. to lose, become inefficient... 1601a, 1601b. ekpipto. 1602 . to
drop away, fig. to lose
... aground. Word
Origin from ek and pipto Definition to
drop away, fig. to
...2361. thrombos -- a lump
... a lump. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: thrombos Phonetic Spelling:
(throm'-bos) Short Definition: a clot, largedrop Definition: a clot, large...
906. ballo -- to throw, cast
... to throw, cast. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: ballo Phonetic Spelling:
(bal'-lo) Short Definition: I cast, throw, rush, put, place,drop Definition: (a...
2602. katabole -- a laying down
... all people can Him. This was laid down before the first ray of sunshine or
drop of water touched the earth. Word Origin from kataballo...
1601. ekpipto -- to leap out
... From ek and pipto; todrop away; specially, be driven out of one's course; figuratively,
to lose, become inefficient -- be cast, fail, fall (away, off), take...
879. aphupnoo -- to fall asleep
... fall asleep. From a compound of apo and hupnos; properly, to become awake, ie (by
implication) todrop (off) in slumber -- fall asleep. see GREEK apo....
2869. kopazo -- to grow weary
... to grow weary. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: kopazo Phonetic Spelling:
(kop-ad'-zo) Short Definition: I cease,drop Definition: I abate, cease raging...
1145. dakruo -- to weep
... shed tears, weep. 1145 (from 1144 , "tear-drop") -- properly, to shed quiet
(actual) ; to weep silently ( tears). Word Origin from...
5202. hudropoteo -- to drink water
... to drink water. Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: hudropoteo Phonetic Spelling:
(hoo-drop-ot-eh'-o) Short Definition: I am a water drinker Definition: I am...
Strong's Hebrew
6201. araph -- to drip,drop... to drip,
drop. Transliteration: araph Phonetic Spelling: (aw-raf') Short Definition:
drop.
... root Definition to drip,
drop NASB Word Usage
drop (1),
drop down (1).
...4752. mar -- adrop
... adrop. Transliteration: mar Phonetic Spelling: (mar) Short Definition:drop. Word
Origin from an unused word Definition adrop NASB Word Usagedrop (1).drop....
5198. nataph -- adrop
... 5197, 5198. nataph. 5198a . adrop. Transliteration: nataph Phonetic Spelling:
(naw-tawf') Short Definition:drop.drop From nataph...
96. egel -- adrop
... adrop. Transliteration: egel Phonetic Spelling: (eh'-ghel) Short Definition: drops.
Word Origin from an unused word Definition adrop NASB Word Usage drops (1)...
7447. raciyc -- adrop (of dew)
... 7446, 7447. raciyc. 7447a . adrop (of dew). Transliteration: raciyc Phonetic
Spelling: (raw-sees') Short Definition: breach. breach,drop...
1811. dalaph -- to drip,drop
... to drip,drop. Transliteration: dalaph Phonetic Spelling: (daw-laf') Short Definition:
weeps.... root Definition to drip,drop NASB Word Usage leaks (1), weeps (2)....
5140. nazal -- to flow, trickle,drop, distill
... 5139, 5140. nazal. 5141 . to flow, trickle,drop, distill. Transliteration:
nazal Phonetic Spelling: (naw-zal') Short Definition: flow. Word Origin a prim....
5394. nashal -- to slip ordrop off, draw off, clear away
... nashal. 5395 . to slip ordrop off, draw off, clear away. Transliteration: nashal
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-shal') Short Definition: remove. Word Origin a prim....
5197. nataph -- todrop, drip, discourse
... 5196, 5197. nataph. 5198 . todrop, drip, discourse. Transliteration: nataph
Phonetic Spelling: (naw-taf') Short Definition: speak. Word Origin a prim....
7447a. rasis -- adrop (of dew)
... rasis. 7447b . adrop (of dew). Transliteration: rasis Short Definition: damp.
Word Origin from rasas Definition adrop (of dew) NASB Word Usage damp (1)....
Library
Thy Lips, O My Spouse,Drop as the Honeycomb; Honey and Milk are...
... CHAPTER IV. 11. Thy lips, O my Spouse,drop as the honeycomb; honey and milk are
under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon....
The Sun is but a Little Spark of his Infinite Love: the Sea is but...
... THE SECOND CENTURY 14 The Sun is but a little spark of His infinite love:
the Sea is but onedrop of His goodness. The Sun is but...
Look Now at Warring Christendom, what SmallestDrop of Pity...
... Address 201: Look now at warring Christendom, what smallestdrop of pity
towards sinners is to be? Look now at warring Christendom...
And I Heard, O Lord My God, and Drank up aDrop of Sweetness Out.....
... Book XIII Chapter XXX And I heard, O Lord my God, and drank up adrop
of sweetness out? And I heard, O Lord my God, and drank...
April 25, 1893
... of the gardens, a carefully-tended Rose"; but, "I am the Flower of the fields and
the Lily of the valleys." [218] Well, you must be always as adrop of dew...
Joy and Peace in Believing
... You can take a porous pottery vessel, wrap it up in waxcloth, pitch it all over,
and thendrop it into mid-Atlantic, and not adrop will find its way in....
Turn Away Thine Eyes from Me, Because they have Made Me to Flee...
... of the creature and the Creator which brings them into unity, so to speak, though
with such an infinite disproportion as exists between a singledrop of water...
The Bible
... God, the mighty Creator, has forgotten me; I am a despicabledrop in the ocean of
creation, a sear leaf in the forest of beings, an atom in the mountain of...
How to Work God's Joy-Machine
... "Why, it seems it does not work this morning!". "Of course not," answered Brother
Littlejoy, "you have todrop a penny in the slot before it will act."....
Why Men do not Attain Quickly to the Perfect Love of God. Of Four...
... to us. May it be the good pleasure of our Lord to give it usdrop bydrop,
though it may cost us all the trials in the world. 6. He...
Thesaurus
Drop (32 Occurrences)... in one small spherical mass; a liquid globule; a minim; hence, also, the smallest
easily measured portion of a fluid; a small quantity; as, a
drop of water.
...Dropping (33 Occurrences)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) ofDrop. 2. (n.) The action of causing todrop or of letting
drop; falling.... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.DROP, DROPPING....
Weep (97 Occurrences)
... 4. (vi) To lament; to complain. 5. (vi) To flow in drops; to run in drops.
6. (vi) Todrop water, or the like; to drip; to be soaked....
Tear (97 Occurrences)
... 1. (n.) Adrop of the limpid, saline fluid secreted, normally in small amount, by
the lachrymal gland, and diffused between the eye and the eyelids to moisten...
Distil (5 Occurrences)
... 32:2 Job 36:27), in both cases in its original meaning of "to fall in drops," as
dew or rain (derived through French from Latin de, "down," stillo, "todrop")....
Distill (3 Occurrences)
... 2. (n. & v) Todrop; to fall in drops; to trickle. 3... NIV). Job 36:28 Which
the clouds dodrop and distill upon man abundantly. (WBS)....
Sweat (3 Occurrences)
... Many old writers take this to mean that the perspiration dropped in the same manner
as clots of blooddrop from a wound, regarding the Greek word prefixed as...
Fall (522 Occurrences)
... 1. (vt) To Descend, either suddenly or gradually; particularly, to descend by the
force of gravity; todrop; to sink; as, the apple falls; the tide falls; the...
Dew (35 Occurrences)
... desert in Anti-Lebanon, beyond Jordan and in Sinai, a considerable vegetation of
a certain kind flourishes in the summer, although there is not adrop of rain...
Flowers (42 Occurrences)
... James 1:11 The sun rises with his scorching heat and dries up the herbage, so that
its flowersdrop off and the beauty of its appearance perishes, and in the...
Resources
What are some idioms in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is monophysitism? What is Eutychianism? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean to be still and know that I am God? | GotQuestions.orgDrop: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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