Lexical Summary
qatan: Small, little, insignificant, young, least
Original Word:קָטָן
Part of Speech:Adjective
Transliteration:qatan
Pronunciation:kah-TAHN
Phonetic Spelling:(kaw-tawn')
KJV: least, less(-er), little (one), small(-est, one, quantity, thing), young(-er, -est)
Word Origin:[fromH6962 (קוּט - To loathe)]
1. abbreviated, i.e. diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
least, lesser, little one, smallest, one, quantity, thing, younger,
Or qaton {kaw-tone'}; fromquwt; abbreviated, i.e. Diminutive, literally (in quantity, size or number) or figuratively (in age or importance) -- least, less(-er), little (one), small(-est, one, quantity, thing), young(-er, -est).
see HEBREWquwt
Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. ; — absolute
Genesis 9:24 +; suffix (Kö
ii.l,74)
Jeremiah 6:13 +; feminine singular
Genesis 29:16 +; masculine plural
2 Kings 18:24 +; construct
1 Samuel 9:21 (see Dr; We conjectures -, old construct, cf, HPS),
Proverbs 30:24; feminine plural
Ezekiel 16:61 +; —
small; especially
=young,Genesis 44:20 (J)2 Samuel 9:12;1 Kings 11:17;2 Kings 2:23;2 Kings 5:2, of sisterSongs 8:8; =younger, of two children (often opposed to ),Genesis 9:24;Genesis 27:15,42 (all J),Genesis 29:16,18 (E),1 Samuel 14:49 (feminine; opposed to ); ofyounger sisterJudges 15:2, so (figurative)Ezekiel 16:46 and (+ compare)Ezekiel 16:61; brother1 Chronicles 24:31;youngest son (of several)1 Samuel 16:11;1 Samuel 17:14; =young and old (see )Jeremiah 16:6 compare 2 Chronicles 31:15; 34:30.
Numbers 22:18 (E), weightDeuteronomy 25:13,14, vessels 2Chronicles 36:18, animalsPsalm 104:25 (all opposed to ); compare also2 Samuel 12:3;1 Kings 2:20;1 Kings 17:13;1 Kings 18:44;2 Kings 4:10;Ezekiel 43:14 (opposed to ),Proverbs 30:24;Songs 2:15, + probablyEzekiel 46:22 (see II. [ ]);Isaiah 22:24 the vesselsof small size (figurative).
small;
2 Kings 18:24=Isaiah 36:9, cityEcclesiastes 9:14.
=insignificant, (I) tribe1 Samuel 9:21; (2) person (+; = all persons)Jeremiah 6:13;Jeremiah 31:34;Jonah 3:5;Psalm 115:13;Esther 1:5,20, cf .1 Chronicles 12:14 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:13); (3) in General,Zechariah 4:10day of small things. — See also .
54 ; — absolute1 Samuel 2:19 +; construct 2Chronicles 21:17; — f., plural and suffix supplied by ; —
small: especially
of youth =young,1 Samuel 20:35;1 Kings 3:7;2 Kings 5:14;Isaiah 11:6; =younger of two brothers,Genesis 48:19 (E)Judges 1:13;Judges 3:9 (+ compare);youngest brotherGenesis 42:13 10t. Genesis (JE), sonJudges 9:5; 2Chronicles 22:1, so 2Chronicles 21:17; + =young and old (see ), i.e. everybodtyGenesis 19:11 (J),1 Samuel 5:9;1 Samuel 30:2 #NAME?1 Samuel 30:19.
1 Samuel 2:19;1 Kings 8:64 (+ compare),Amos 6:11;Isaiah 54:7; opposed to1 Samuel 22:15;1 Samuel 25:36;Genesis 1:16 (P).
=unimportant, things,Exodus 18:22,26 (E),1 Samuel 20:2 (all opposed to ); person,=feebleAmos 7:2,5; =insignificantJeremiah 49:15; Obadiah 2 (both "" ),Isaiah 60:22 ("" );1 Samuel 15:17; especially + = low and high, + everybody,Deuteronomy 1:17;1 Kings 22:31 2Chronicles 18:30;Jeremiah 8:10;Job 3:19, +8 t. — See also .
Topical Lexicon
Word Scope and Usageקָטָן (qāṭān) is the common Old Testament descriptor for what is “small,” “little,” or “younger.” It can mark physical size, numerical amount, social standing, age, or comparative importance. Its opposite is גָּדוֹל (gādōl, “great”). The term appears in narratives, legal material, poetry, and prophecy, giving a rich portrait of “littleness” in Israel’s life and faith.
Frequency and Distribution
Approximately one-hundred-one occurrences span the canon: 27 in the Pentateuch, 31 in the Former Prophets, 17 in the Writings, and 26 in the Latter Prophets. Its broad spread allows the theme of “small yet significant” to echo from Genesis to Malachi.
Literal Smallness
1. Personal stature or quantity: “If the household is too small for a lamb” (Exodus 12:4).
2. Objects: “You shall not carry two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light” (Deuteronomy 25:13, qāṭān describing the deceptively lighter stone).
3. Settlements: Bethlehem is “small among the clans of Judah” (Micah 5:2), yet becomes the birthplace of Messiah.
Relative Age: The Younger
When set beside an older sibling, qāṭān marks the child born later. Joseph’s brothers speak of Benjamin as “the youngest” (Genesis 42:13). Rebekah clothes “her younger son” Jacob (Genesis 27:15). In royal succession narratives the adjective often underscores the unlikely choice of a younger son for blessing or rule, pointing to divine sovereignty over human conventions.
Social Status and Legal Provisions
Israel’s jurisprudence protects the vulnerable “small”: “You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great” (Deuteronomy 1:17). Covenant gatherings include “your little ones” (Deuteronomy 29:11), affirming every family member’s stake in Yahweh’s pledge.
The Antithesis “Small and Great”
Twelve texts employ the idiom “small and great,” a merism embracing the whole community (e.g.,2 Kings 23:2;2 Chronicles 34:30). In warfare commands—“Do not fight with small or great, but only with the king of Israel” (1 Kings 22:31)—the phrase stresses indiscriminate scope. God’s judgments likewise sweep the spectrum: “From the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain” (Jeremiah 6:13).
Spiritual Reversals: God Values the Least
Israel’s account celebrates divine preference for what appears insignificant. Gideon protests, “my clan is the weakest” (Judges 6:15; implicit qāṭān), yet God empowers him. Little Samuel hears the word that seasoned priest Eli misses (1 Samuel 3:1–10). The pattern culminates inMicah 5:2, where small Bethlehem yields the eternal ruler.
Prophetic Hope: New Covenant Inclusion
Jeremiah 31:34 accents qāṭān in the promise of universal knowledge of the Lord: “For they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.” The same pairing appears inHebrews 8:11, linking the term to the inaugurated New Covenant in Christ. The least are not forgotten but are granted immediate access to God.
Worship and Community Life
Temple reforms under Josiah and Hezekiah gather “all the people, from small to great” (2 Kings 23:2;2 Chronicles 30:25). Corporate joy is incomplete unless the unnoticed and apparently unimportant stand in the assembly. Ezra’s returnees numbered both “men” and “their little ones” (Ezra 8:21), showing covenant renewal embraces children.
Pastoral and Ministry Implications
1. Impartiality: Leaders must heed every voice, refusing to favor the influential over the obscure.
2. Children’s discipleship: God involves the youngest; churches must teach and honor them.
3. Humility: Recognizing oneself as qāṭān before God drives dependence and service.
4. Hope for the overlooked: Those judged insignificant are often God’s chosen instruments.
Christological Trajectory
While qāṭān is Hebrew, its concept threads into the Greek ἐλάσσων/μικρός. Jesus blesses “little children” (Matthew 19:14) and warns against despising “one of these little ones” (Matthew 18:10), fulfilling the Old Testament valuation of the least. His kingdom commends mustard-seed faith—small yet potent (Luke 13:18-19)—and measures greatness by servanthood (Mark 9:35).
Representative References
Genesis 9:24; 27:15; 42:13.
Exodus 12:4.
Deuteronomy 1:17; 25:13; 29:11.
Judges 6:15.
1 Samuel 30:2.
2 Kings 23:2.
2 Chronicles 15:13; 34:30.
Ezra 8:21.
Job 3:19.
Psalm 115:13.
Proverbs 30:24.
Ecclesiastes 9:14-15.
Isaiah 60:22.
Jeremiah 6:13; 31:34.
Micah 5:2.
Zechariah 13:7.
See Also
gādōl (Strong’s 1419), “great” – antonym.
ṣaʿîr (Strong’s 6810), “younger, small,” often interchangeable in familial contexts.
Forms and Transliterations
הַ֝קְּטַנִּ֗ים הַקְּטַנִּ֑ים הַקְּטַנָּ֖ה הַקְּטַנָּ֜ה הַקְּטַנָּ֣ה הַקְּטַנָּֽה׃ הַקְּטַנָּה֙ הַקְּטַנּ֖וֹת הַקְטַנִּ֑ים הַקָּטָ֑ן הַקָּטָ֔ן הַקָּטָֽן׃ הַקָּטֹ֔ן הַקָּטֹ֖ן הַקָּטֹ֣ן הַקָּטֹ֤ן הַקָּטֹ֥ן הַקָּטֹ֨ן הַקָּטֹן֙ הַקָּטֹן֮ הקטן הקטן׃ הקטנה הקטנה׃ הקטנות הקטנים וְהַקְּטַנִּ֔ים וְהַקָּטֹ֥ן וּבַקָּטֹ֖ן וּקְטַנִּ֛ים וּקְטַנָּֽה׃ ובקטן והקטן והקטנים וקטנה׃ וקטנים כַּקָּטָֽן׃ כַּקָּטֹ֣ן כַּקָּטֹ֤ן כַּקָּטֹ֧ן כקטן כקטן׃ לְמִקְטַנָּ֤ם לְמִקָּטֹ֣ן לְמִקָּטֹ֥ן למקטן למקטנם מִקְּטַנָּם֙ מִקַּטַנֵּי֙ מִקָּטֹ֖ן מִקָּטֹ֣ן מִקָּטֹ֤ן מִקָּטֹ֥ן מִקָּטֹן֙ מקטן מקטני מקטנם קְ֝טַנּ֗וֹת קְטַנִּ֖ים קְטַנִּים֙ קְטַנֵּי־ קְטַנָּ֑ה קְטַנָּ֔ה קְטַנָּ֖ה קְטַנָּ֤ה קְטַנָּ֥ה קְטַנָּֽם׃ קְטַנָּה֙ קְטַנּוֹת֒ קְטֹ֥ן קָטָ֑ן קָטָ֖ן קָטָ֛ן קָטָֽן׃ קָטֹ֔ן קָטֹ֖ן קָטֹ֗ן קָטֹ֛ן קָטֹ֣ן קָטֹ֤ן קָטֹן֙ קטן קטן׃ קטנה קטנות קטני־ קטנים קטנם׃ hakkaTan hakkaTon hakketanNah hakketanNim hakketanNot haktanNim haq·qā·ṭān haq·qā·ṭōn haq·qə·ṭan·nāh haq·qə·ṭan·nîm haq·qə·ṭan·nō·wṯ haq·ṭan·nîm haqqāṭān haqqāṭōn haqqəṭannāh haqqəṭannîm haqqəṭannōwṯ haqṭannîm kakkaTan kakkaTon kaq·qā·ṭān kaq·qā·ṭōn kaqqāṭān kaqqāṭōn kaTan kaTon ketanNah ketanNam ketannei ketanNim ketanNot keTon lə·miq·qā·ṭōn lə·miq·ṭan·nām lemikkaTon lemiktanNam ləmiqqāṭōn ləmiqṭannām mikkatanNei mikkaTon mikketanNam miq·qa·ṭan·nê miq·qā·ṭōn miq·qə·ṭan·nām miqqaṭannê miqqāṭōn miqqəṭannām qā·ṭān qā·ṭōn qāṭān qāṭōn qə·ṭan·nāh qə·ṭan·nām qə·ṭan·nê- qə·ṭan·nîm qə·ṭan·nō·wṯ qə·ṭōn qəṭannāh qəṭannām qəṭannê- qəṭannîm qəṭannōwṯ qəṭōn ū·ḇaq·qā·ṭōn ū·qə·ṭan·nāh ū·qə·ṭan·nîm ūḇaqqāṭōn uketanNah uketanNim ūqəṭannāh ūqəṭannîm uvakkaTon vehakkaTon vehakketanNim wə·haq·qā·ṭōn wə·haq·qə·ṭan·nîm wəhaqqāṭōn wəhaqqəṭannîm
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