to prevent
Ekkopto denotes cutting something down or off, including removing an opportunity or a branch from its setting.
The dominant usage depicts a thing being cut down or severed: unfruitful trees are removed, and a hand or foot is cast away. In Romans it describes being cut off from an olive tree, while 2 Corinthians 11:12 places the first-person aorist active subjunctive form in a purpose clause concerning the removal of an opportunity.
Senses in use
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Cutting down or severing a physical object · dominant
The tree clauses use the present passive form ἐκκόπτεται for a tree that does not produce good fruit and is then thrown into fire; in Matthew 3:10 the APB renders the clause "is cut down and thrown into fire." The second-person aorist active form ἔκκοψον occurs in directives concerning a hand or foot that causes stumbling, while Luke 13:7 and Luke 13:9 concern removing an unfruitful fig tree.
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Removing from a connection or opportunity · common
In Romans 11:22 the second-person future passive form occurs after the condition of continuing in kindness; the APB renders the outcome "you also will be cut off." Romans 11:24 describes the second-person aorist passive form in relation to being removed from a wild olive tree, while 2 Corinthians 11:12 uses ἐκκόψω in a purpose clause about removing others' opportunity.
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB commonly presents the action as "cut down" for trees and "cut it off" for a hand or foot; it also uses "cut off" for removal from the olive tree and from an opportunity. These are renderings of whole clauses.