Topical Encyclopedia
In the Bible, the term "few" is often used to describe a small number or a minority, whether in terms of people, resources, or occurrences. This concept is significant in various biblical contexts, illustrating themes of scarcity, selectiveness, and divine favor or judgment.
Old Testament UsageIn the Old Testament, "few" frequently describes the small number of people or resources, often highlighting God's power and provision. For instance, in
Deuteronomy 7:7, God reminds Israel that He chose them not because they were numerous, but because they were "the fewest of all peoples." This underscores the idea that God's election is based on His sovereign will rather than human merit or strength.
The term also appears in contexts of judgment and consequence. In
Leviticus 26:22, God warns Israel that if they disobey, He will send wild animals that will "leave you few in number." Here, "few" signifies the reduction of the population as a result of divine judgment.
New Testament UsageIn the New Testament, "few" often relates to the concept of selectiveness and the narrow path of righteousness. Jesus uses the term in
Matthew 7:14, saying, "But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it." This passage emphasizes the difficulty and exclusivity of the path to eternal life, suggesting that only a minority will choose to follow it.
Similarly, in
Matthew 9:37, Jesus observes, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." This highlights the need for more laborers in God's kingdom, indicating that while the opportunity for spiritual harvest is great, those willing to work for it are limited.
Theological ImplicationsThe use of "few" in Scripture often conveys the idea of divine selection and the remnant. Throughout biblical history, God frequently works through a faithful remnant, a small group of people who remain true to Him amidst widespread unbelief or disobedience. This is evident in the account of Noah, where only a few were saved from the flood (
1 Peter 3:20), and in the account of Gideon's army, where God reduces the number of soldiers to demonstrate His power (
Judges 7:2-7).
Theologically, the concept of "few" challenges believers to consider the cost of discipleship and the reality of living as part of a minority in a world that often opposes God's ways. It serves as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness and the assurance that God can accomplish His purposes through even a small number of committed individuals.
Practical ApplicationFor believers today, the biblical use of "few" encourages a focus on quality over quantity in spiritual matters. It calls Christians to be part of the faithful remnant, to strive for the narrow path, and to be diligent workers in the harvest, despite being few in number. This perspective fosters reliance on God's strength and wisdom rather than human resources or popularity.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
superl.) Not many; small, limited, or confined in number; -- indicating a small portion of units or individuals constituting a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a few people.
Greek
3641. oligos --few, little, small...few, little, small. Part of Speech: Adjective; Adverb Transliteration: oligos Phonetic
Spelling: (ol-ee'-gos) Short Definition: small, brief,
few, soon
...1024. brachus -- short, little
... short, little. Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: brachus Phonetic Spelling:
(brakh-ooce') Short Definition: short, little Definition: short, little,few...
2640. kataleimma -- remnant.
... Word Origin variant reading for hupoleimma, qv. remnant. From kataleipo; a remainder,
ie (by implication) afew -- remnant. see GREEK kataleipo....
3640. oligopistos -- little faith
... 11:6). [3640 () is derived from 3461 ("few, small in number"), which is
the opposite of 4183 ("many in ").]. of little faith. From...
3643. oligoreo -- to esteem lightly
... 3643 (from 3641 , "little in " and , "concern, care") -- properly, caring
too little ("in toofew places"); to esteem , (). 3643...
4935. suntomos -- briefly
... briefly. Adverb from a derivative of suntemno; concisely (briefly) -- afew words.
see GREEK suntemno. (suntomos) -- 2 Occurrences. 4934, 4935. suntomos. 4936...
3756. ou, ouk, ouch -- not, no
... not, no NASB Word Usage all* (1), any the less (2), before* (1), cannot (1), cannot*
(49), certainly* (1), ever* (3), except (1), failed (1),few* (1), great...
5100. tis -- a certain one, someone, anyone
... 90), anyone's (1), anyone's* (1), anyone...anything (1), anything (40),
anything...anyone (1), certain (6), certain man (1), certain men (2),few (1), in...
4183. polus -- much, many
... word Definition much, many NASB Word Usage all (3), better (1), deep (1), earnestly
(3), enough (1), even more (1),few* (1), freely (1), full (1), further (1...
Strong's Hebrew
4591. maat -- to be or become small, diminished, orfew... maat. 4592 . to be or become small, diminished, or
few. Transliteration: maat
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-at') Short Definition: decrease. Word Origin a prim.
...4592. meat -- a little, fewness, afew
meat or meat. 4591, 4592. meat or meat. 4593 . a little, fewness, afew.
Transliteration: meat or meat Phonetic Spelling: (meh-at') Short Definition: little...
4213. mizar -- a little, a trifle, afew
... 4212, 4213. mizar. 4214 . a little, a trifle, afew. Transliteration: mizar
Phonetic Spelling: (miz-awr') Short Definition: very....few, very....
4962. math -- male, man
... root Definition male, man NASB Word Usage associates (1),few (3),few men (1),
men (14), men beingfew (1), number (2).few, friends, men, persons, small....
4557. mispar -- number, tally
... the same as sepher Definition number, tally NASB Word Usage account (1), count
(1), count* (1), counted (1), countless* (1), enumeration (1),few (7), infinite...
259. echad -- one
... 1), certain (11), certain man (1), each (48), each one (4), each other (1), each*
(4), eleven* (9), eleventh* (4), every (1), everyone (1),few (3), first (38...
7116. qatser -- short
...few, hasty, small, soon. From qatsar; short (whether in size, number, life, strength
or temper) --few, hasty, small, soon. see HEBREW qatsar. 7115, 7116....
8147. shenayim -- two (a cardinal number)
... 62* (1), 62,700* (2), 642* (2), 652* (2), 72* (1), 72,000* (1), 822* (1), 832*
(1), both (62), both* (7), couple (2), double (7), each other (1),few (1), forty...
6810. tsair -- little, insignificant, young
... Or tsanowr {tsaw-ore'}; from tsa'ar; little; (in number)few; (in age) young, (in
value) ignoble -- least, little (one), small (one), + young(-er, -est)....
Library
The Upper Room: Being aFew Truths for the Times
The Upper Room: Being aFew Truths for the Times. <. The Upper Room: Being
aFew Truths for the Times John Charles Ryle. Table of Contents....
'Fit, ThoughFew'
... THE BOOK OF JUDGES 'FIT, THOUGHFEW'.... III. Note the final test. God required
butfew men, but He required that these should be fit....
AFew Sighs from Hell;
... AFew Sighs From Hell; or, The Groans of the Damned Soul: or, An Exposition of those
Words in the Sixteenth of Luke, Concerning the Rich Man and the Beggar....
The Eleventh Chapter:Few Love the Cross of Jesus
... BOOK TWO. THE INTERIOR LIFE The Eleventh Chapter:Few Love the Cross of Jesus. JESUS
has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, butfew who bear His cross....
Are ThereFew that Shall He Saved?
... VI. CAUTIONS. Hymn 77 Are therefew that shall he saved? John Newton 6,6,8,6.
Are therefew that shall he saved? Destruction's dangerous road....
Few Saved; Or, the Almost Christian, the Hypocrite, and Apostate.
... third lines of the stanza. Hymn 2:158.Few saved; or, The almost Christian,
the hypocrite, and apostate. 1 Broad is the road that...
Wherefore aFew Witnesses, which the Lord Deigns to Suggest to My...
... Section 32. Wherefore afew witnesses, which the Lord deigns to suggest
to my mind? 32. Wherefore afew witnesses, which the Lord...
And after aFew Years I was Again in Britain with My Parents...
... Section 23. And after afew years I was again in Britain with my parents
kinsfolk.? 23. And after afew years I was again in Britain...
The True and Chaste virginsFew; Chastity a Contest; Thekla
... Discourse XI."Arete. Chapter I."The True and Chaste VirginsFew; Chastity
a Contest; Thekla. Chief of Virgins. I do accept it...
Few Will Believe the Soul to be Infinite: yet Infinite* is the...
... THE SECOND CENTURY 81Few will believe the soul to be infinite: yet infinite*
is the first thing which is naturally known.Few will...
Thesaurus
Few (652 Occurrences)... small, limited, or confined in number; -- indicating a small portion of units or
individuals constituting a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a
few people.
...Crafts (2 Occurrences)
... A study of whatfew references there are leads us to believe that before the Israelites
came in contact with the people of Canaan and Phoenicia they had not...
Exploration
... concerning ancient Palestine, including its races, laws, languages, history and
manners, was obtained from Josephus and the Bible, with afew brief additional...
Diminish (22 Occurrences)
... Numbers 26:54 to the many thou shalt increase their inheritance, and to thefew
thou shalt diminish their inheritance; to every one shall his inheritance be...
Chosen (197 Occurrences)
... It is said with regard to those who do not profit by their opportunities that "many
are called, butfew are chosen" (Matthew 20:16). (see ELECTION.)....
Sojourners (37 Occurrences)
... word. (ASV). 1 Chronicles 16:19 When ye were but afew men in number, Yea,
veryfew, and sojourners in it; (See JPS ASV YLT RSV). 1...
Adonijah (28 Occurrences)
... There is no reason to think that it lasted more than afew weeks. Later in the year
afew weeks are enough time to allow for the campaign against Sheba....
Persian (4 Occurrences)
... The former is known to us from the inscriptions of the Achemenian kings, the latter
from the Avesta, and afew Median words preserved for us by Herodotus and...
Foreigners (76 Occurrences)
... word." (WEB). 1 Chronicles 16:19 when you were but afew men in number, yes,
veryfew, and foreigners were in it. (WEB). 1 Chronicles...
Choose (116 Occurrences)
... Corresponds to Experience The words denote an act of comparison of two or more objects
or persons, the preference and selection of one, or of afew out of a...
Resources
What does it mean that man is few of days and full of trouble (Job 14:1)? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does “Many are called but few are chosen” in Matthew 22:14 mean? | GotQuestions.orgWhy are there so few men in the church? | GotQuestions.orgFew: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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