Lexical Summary
little, few
Original Word:מְעַט
Part of Speech:substantive
Transliteration:m`at
Pronunciation:mah-ah-KAHL
Phonetic Spelling:(meh-at')
KJV: almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, X very
NASB:little, few, little while, smaller, enough, small, soon
Word Origin:[fromH4591 (מָעַט - decrease)]
1. a little or few (often adverbial or compar.)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
almost some, very fewer lightly, little while, very small matter, thing, some, soon, very
Or miat {meh-awt'}; fromma'at; a little or few (often adverbial or compar.) -- almost (some, very) few(-er, -est), lightly, little (while), (very) small (matter, thing), some, soon, X very.
see HEBREWma'at
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
maatDefinitiona little, fewness, a few
NASB Translationalmost (2), brief (1), close (1), diminish (1), easily (1), enough (3), few (20), fewest (1), little (44), little while (8), many* (1), merely (1), quickly (1), scarcely (1), slight a thing (2), small (3), small matter (1), smaller (4), so small (1), some (1), soon (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
101 ; — absolute and construct,
Isaiah 10:7 +, plural
Psalm 109:8;
Ecclesiastes 5:1; —
Genesis 30:30the little that thou hadst,Genesis 47:9few and evil,Leviticus 25:52;Numbers 26:54 (compareNumbers 33:54) andto the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance,Numbers 33:56;Numbers 35:8 ,Deuteronomy 7:7 ye arethe fewest out of all peoples,1 Samuel 14:6 ,Jeremiah 42:2 we are leftas few out of many,Ezekiel 5:3 ,Haggai 1:6 (compareHaggai 1:9),Psalm 8:6 ,Psalm 37:16 (compareProverbs 15:16;Proverbs 16:8), 2Chronicles 29:34 ; as predicateNumbers 13:18 ,Joshua 7:3 ,Job 10:20;Ruth 2:7;Nehemiah 7:4;Isaiah 16:14 . —Hosea 8:10 and they beginas littleness ( =to be minished) because of, &c.; but read probably () and they shall ceasefor a little (
)
as substantive with following Genitive,Genesis 18:4a little of water,Genesis 24:17,43,Genesis 43:2;Genesis 44:25;1 Samuel 14:43;1 Samuel 17:28 literallythe fewness of those sheep,Proverbs 6:10 +; as Genitive to a previous substantive, menof fewnessDeuteronomy 26:5;Deuteronomy 28:62; in apposition,Isaiah 10:7 ,Ezra 9:8 ,Nehemiah 2:12 ,Ecclesiastes 9:4; either Genitive or appositive,Ecclesiastes 10:1;Daniel 11:34 with a helpof smallness.
,Psalm 109:8 ,Ecclesiastes 5:1 .
,2 Samuel 16:1 ; of time,Job 10:20 b; of degree,2 Kings 10:18 ,Ezekiel 11:16 and have been to them for a sanctuarybut little,Zechariah 1:15; repeatedby little, by little = gradually,Exodus 23:30;Deuteronomy 7:22.
—a. with the interr. ,Genesis 30:15 was thy taking my husband (too) little? and (wilt thou be) for taking also my son's love-apples?Numbers 16:9-10 is ittoo little for you that J. hath separated, etc., ... and do ye seek, etc.?Numbers 16:13 ,Joshua 22:17f. ,Isaiah 7:13 is wearying mentoo little for you, that you will weary also my God?Ezekiel 34:18 (as Ew Co AV RV),Job 15:11 . ButEzekiel 16:20 (si vera lectio) was it (too) littlebecause of thy whoredom? (was that insufficient for thee? Kö iii. 406 m).b. ,Exodus 17:4yet a little, and they will stone me,Jeremiah 51:33;Hosea 1:4;Psalm 37:10;Isaiah 10:25;Isaiah 29:17; compareHaggai 2:6;Job 24:24.
like a little: hence
within a little, almost (compare ),Genesis 26:10almost had lain ...,Psalm 73:2 Qr,Psalm 94:17;Psalm 119:87;Proverbs 5:14 (all followed by perfect);Ezekiel 16:47like a little, and thou hadst done more corruptly than they;Songs 3:4 =hardly had I passed.
with imperfect,just,2 Samuel 19:37just would thy servant pass over;lightly, easily, quickly (compare ),Psalm 2:12 ,Psalm 81:15;Job 32:22.
=shortly, 2 Chronicles 12:7.
=little worth,Proverbs 10:20 .e. pleonastic for ,Isaiah 1:9 (accents) alittle remnant,Psalm 105:12 (=1 Chronicles 16:19) ;like the littleness of a moment =for a little moment,Isaiah 26:20;Ezra 9:8.
Topical Lexicon
Conceptual RangeThe term embraces smallness in size, quantity, number, and time, as well as the idea of “almost” or “scarcely.” It functions both literally (“a little flour,” “a few survivors”) and figuratively (“in a little while,” “a little anger”).
Occurrences and Distribution
Appearing about 102 times, the word spans the narrative books (Genesis, Exodus, Kings), the poetry and wisdom corpus (Psalms, Proverbs, Job), and the prophets (especially Isaiah, Jeremiah, Haggai, Zechariah). Its versatility allows it to speak into daily life, covenant history, and eschatological promise.
Primary Spheres of Usage
Quantity—Material Resources
•Genesis 18:4 “Let a little water be brought…”
•Exodus 16:17-18 “He who gathered little had no shortage.”
•1 Kings 17:12 “Only a little flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug.”
•Psalm 37:16 “Better the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked.”
Number—People and Remnant
•Isaiah 1:9 “If the LORD of Hosts had not left us a few survivors…”
•Jeremiah 42:2 “Now only a few of us remain.”
•Judges 4:19 “Give me a little water to drink.”
Time—A Little While
•Psalm 37:10 “In a little while, the wicked will be no more.”
•Isaiah 26:20 “Hide yourselves for a little while until wrath has passed.”
•Haggai 2:6 “In a little while, I will once more shake the heavens and the earth.”
•Isaiah 54:7 “For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will bring you back.”
Degree—Emotion and Action
•Zechariah 1:15 “I was only a little angry, but they added to the calamity.”
•Psalm 73:2 “My feet had almost slipped.”
•Song of Solomon 3:4 “Scarcely had I passed them…”
Theological Themes
Small Beginnings, Divine Increase
Jacob’s “little” flock (Genesis 30:30), the widow’s scant provisions (1 Kings 17:12-16), and later the five loaves in the Gospels all underscore that God delights to magnify what appears insignificant.
Contentment and True Wealth
Proverbs 15:16;Proverbs 16:8 combine “little” with the fear of the LORD or righteousness, teaching that holiness outweighs abundance.
The Remnant Principle
A “few survivors” (Isaiah 1:9) preserve covenant continuity. The very smallness magnifies sovereign grace.
Imminent Judgment and Hope
“Yet a little while” balances menace (Isaiah 29:17) with comfort (Haggai 2:6), assuring that oppression is temporary and salvation near.
Human Frailty vs. Divine Permanence
Job 24:24 notes the fleeting success of the wicked. The word invites reflection on mortality and the pursuit of enduring treasure.
Historical Observations
Ancient households often functioned on slender margins; “a little oil” or “a little water” could mean survival. Post-exilic prophets employed the temporal sense to keep hope alive under foreign rule, promising that present hardship was momentary.
Ministry Application
• Encourage stewardship and faith in small resources; God can multiply them.
• Cultivate contentment; “little with righteousness” is richer than ill-gotten plenty.
• Sustain hope during trials; suffering is “for a little while” (1 Peter 1:6 echoes the theme).
• Energize mission; a faithful remnant can spark wide-reaching renewal.
Christological and Eschatological Trajectory
Hebrews 10:37 cites Isaiah’s “little while” to anchor expectancy in the imminent return of Christ. Kingdom parables of mustard seed and leaven mirror the me’at principle—great outcomes from tiny origins. The promised cosmic shaking (Haggai 2:6) finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Messiah’s advent and the coming new creation.
Devotional Reflection
Living with “a little” teaches reliance on the Lord who transforms scarcity into sufficiency and fleeting trials into eternal glory.
Forms and Transliterations
בִּמְעַט־ בִמְעָֽט׃ במעט־ במעט׃ הַמְעַ֖ט הַמְעַ֗ט הַמְעַ֣ט הַמְעַ֤ט הַמְעַ֥ט הַמְעַט֙ הַמְעַט־ המעט המעט־ וְלַמְעַ֕ט וְלַמְעַט֙ וּמְעַ֣ט וּמְעַט־ ולמעט ומעט ומעט־ כִּ֝מְעַ֗ט כִּ֠מְעַט כִּ֭מְעַט כִּמְעַ֓ט ׀ כִּמְעַ֖ט כִּמְעַ֞ט כִּמְעַ֣ט כִּמְעַט֙ כִּמְעַט־ כִּמְעָ֑ט כִּמְעָֽט׃ כִמְעַט־ כמעט כמעט־ כמעט׃ לִמְעָ֔ט לִמְעָֽט׃ למעט למעט׃ מְ֭עַט מְּ֭עַט מְּעַ֨ט ׀ מְּעָ֔ט מְּעָֽט׃ מְעַ֓ט ׀ מְעַ֔ט מְעַ֖ט מְעַ֗ט מְעַ֛ט מְעַ֞ט מְעַ֣ט מְעַ֤ט מְעַ֥ט מְעַ֨ט מְעַט֙ מְעַט֩ מְעַט֮ מְעַטִּ֑ים מְעַטִּֽים׃ מְעַט־ מְעָ֑ט מְעָ֔ט מְעָ֗ט מְעָֽט׃ מִעֵ֔טוּ מעט מעט־ מעט׃ מעטו מעטים מעטים׃ ḇim‘āṭ bim‘aṭ- ḇim·‘āṭ bim·‘aṭ- bimat chimat ham‘aṭ ham‘aṭ- ham·‘aṭ ham·‘aṭ- hamAt kim‘aṭ kim‘āṭ kim‘aṭ- ḵim‘aṭ- kim·‘aṭ kim·‘āṭ kim·‘aṭ- ḵim·‘aṭ- Kimat lim‘āṭ lim·‘āṭ limAt mə‘aṭ mə‘āṭ mə‘aṭ- mə‘aṭṭîm mə·‘aṭ mə·‘āṭ mə·‘aṭ- mə·‘aṭ·ṭîm meat meatTim mi‘êṭū mi·‘ê·ṭū miEtu ū·mə·‘aṭ ū·mə·‘aṭ- ūmə‘aṭ ūmə‘aṭ- umeAt velamAt vimAt wə·lam·‘aṭ wəlam‘aṭ
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