Word study
Little
13 Hebrew and 9 Greek words behind this English word
The original-language words that the Berean Standard Bible translates with “little”. English often uses one word where Hebrew or Greek has several, each with its own shade of meaning. Under each word are verses where it is translated this way; choose the word itself for its full study: every verse, how else it is translated, the forms it takes and what the dictionaries say.
At a glance
How often each original word is translated “little” or one of its forms.
Compare the Hebrew words side by side Compare the Greek words side by side
Hebrew and Aramaic words (Old Testament)
- מְעַט meaṭa little, fewness, a fewtranslated this way 39 times of its 92 uses · Strong’s H4592Adjective · Translated: little 35, few 18, enough 10, soon 3Full study and all 85 verses →
Genesis 18:4 Let a little water be brought, that you may wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree.
Exodus 23:30 Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.
- טַף ṭaphchildrentranslated this way 11 times of its 42 uses · Strong’s H2945Noun · Translated: children 21, little 11, young children 2Full study and all 41 verses →
Genesis 50:21 Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.
Exodus 10:10 Then Pharaoh told them, “May the LORD be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones. Clearly you are bent on evil.
- קָטָן qâṭânsmall, young, unimportanttranslated this way 5 times of its 99 uses · Strong’s H6996Adjective · Translated: small 28, younger 14, youngest 13, least 13Full study and all 98 verses →
1 Samuel 2:19 Each year his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him when she went with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice.
1 Kings 3:7 And now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in my father David’s place. But I am only a little child, not knowing how to go out or come in.
- זְעֵיר zeêra littletranslated this way 5 times of its 5 uses · Strong’s H2191Noun · Translated: little 4, little longer 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Job 36:2 “Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is more to be said on God’s behalf.
Isaiah 28:10 For they hear: “Order on order, order on order, line on line, line on line; a little here, a little there.”
- צָעִיר tsâîrlittle, insignificant, youngtranslated this way 4 times of its 23 uses · Strong’s H6810Adjective · Translated: younger 6, youngest 4, little 4Full study and all 23 verses →
Jeremiah 48:4 Moab will be shattered; her little ones will cry out.
Daniel 8:9 From one of these horns a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the Beautiful Land.
- עוֹד ôda going round, continuancetranslated this way 3 times of its 390 uses · Strong’s H5750Adverb · Translated: longer 80, still 63, again 52, more 38Full study and all 372 verses →
Exodus 17:4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What should I do with these people? A little more and they will stone me!”
Psalm 37:10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.
- עוֹלֵל ôlêlchildtranslated this way 3 times of its 20 uses · Strong’s H5768Noun · Translated: children 11, infants 4Full study and all 20 verses →
2 Kings 8:12 “Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael. “Because I know the evil you will do to the Israelites,” Elisha replied. “You will set fire to their fortresses, kill their young men with the sword, dash their little ones to pieces, and rip open their pregnant women.”
Lamentations 4:4 The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.
- נַעַר naara shaking, scatteringtranslated this way 2 times of its 227 uses · Strong’s H5288Noun · Translated: boy 48, young men 30, young man 27, servant 25Full study and all 214 verses →
Exodus 2:6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”
Isaiah 11:6 The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them.
- כּוֹס kôscuptranslated this way 2 times of its 32 uses · Strong’s H3563Noun · Translated: cup 28, little owl 2, like an owl 1, and 1Full study and all 27 verses →
Leviticus 11:17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,
Deuteronomy 14:16 the little owl, the great owl, the white owl,
- קֹטֶן qôṭenlittle (finger)translated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s H6995Noun · Translated: little finger 2Full study and all 2 verses →
1 Kings 12:10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
2 Chronicles 10:10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “This is how you should answer these people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you must make it lighter.’ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!
- עֲוִיל ăvîlyoung boytranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s H5759Noun · Translated: unjust men 1, little boys 1, little 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Job 19:18 Even little boys scorn me; when I appear, they deride me.
Job 21:11 They send forth their little ones like a flock; their children skip about,
- לֹא lônottranslated this way 2 times of its 4,657 uses · Strong’s H3808Adverb · Translated: no 309, not 269, never 218, will not 156Full study and all 3,775 verses →
- קָלַל qâlalbe slight, swift, triflingtranslated this way 2 times of its 82 uses · Strong’s H7043Verb · Translated: curse 15, cursed 8, curses 5, swifter 5Full study and all 79 verses →
Jeremiah 6:14 They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
Jeremiah 8:11 They dress the wound of the daughter of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace at all.
Greek words (New Testament)
- μικρός mikróslittle, smalltranslated this way 28 times of its 45 uses · Strong’s G3398Adjective · Translated: little 27, small 8, least 5, smallest 2Full study and all 42 verses →
Matthew 10:42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
Mark 9:42 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea.
- παιδίον paidíona little child, an infanttranslated this way 15 times of its 50 uses · Strong’s G3813Noun · Translated: child 20, children 10, little child 8, little children 7Full study and all 47 verses →
Matthew 18:2 Jesus invited a little child to stand among them.
Mark 9:36 Then He had a little child stand among them. Taking the child in His arms, He said to them,
- ὀλίγος olígossmall, brief, few, soontranslated this way 10 times of its 41 uses · Strong’s G3641Adjective · Translated: few 13, little 10, short 4, few things 3Full study and all 40 verses →
Mark 1:19 Going on a little farther, He saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat, mending their nets.
Luke 5:3 Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.
- τεκνίον tekníona little childtranslated this way 8 times of its 8 uses · Strong’s G5040Noun · Translated: Little children 8Full study and all 8 verses →
John 13:33 Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
- ὀλιγόπιστος oligópistosof little faithtranslated this way 4 times of its 6 uses · Strong’s G3640Adjective · Translated: little faith 4, o 2Full study and all 6 verses →
Matthew 8:26 “You of little faith,” Jesus replied, “why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was perfectly calm.
Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and took hold of Peter. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt?”
- νήπιος nḗpiosan infant, child, unlearnedtranslated this way 2 times of its 15 uses · Strong’s G3516Adjective · Translated: child 5, infants 3, little children 2, children 2Full study and all 11 verses →
Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.
Luke 10:21 At that time Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight.
- θυγάτριον thygátriona little daughtertranslated this way 2 times of its 2 uses · Strong’s G2365Noun · Translated: little daughter 2Full study and all 2 verses →
Mark 5:23 and pleaded with Him urgently, “My little daughter is near death. Please come and place Your hands on her, so that she will be healed and live.”
Mark 7:25 Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet.
- ἐλάχιστος eláchistosleast, smallest, very littletranslated this way 2 times of its 12 uses · Strong’s G1646Adjective · Translated: least 6, little 2, small thing 1, small matter 1Full study and all 10 verses →
Luke 16:10 Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
- ἐλαττόω elattóōI make less, make inferiortranslated this way 2 times of its 3 uses · Strong’s G1642Verb · Translated: decrease 1, made him a little lower 1, made a little lower 1Full study and all 3 verses →
Hebrews 2:7 You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
How to study a word well
- Start from the verse, not the dictionary. Find which Hebrew or Greek word stands in the verse you are studying. One English word often translates several different original words.
- Read every place the word is used. A word means what its writers used it to mean. The list of verses and the count by book show its range, and who uses it most.
- Look at how it is translated. A word rendered five different ways has a wider meaning than any one English word can carry.
- Notice the form. A command is not a statement, and a passive verb is something done to the subject. The form in your verse is part of the meaning.
- See what it keeps company with. The words that appear beside it again and again show how the Bible itself connects ideas.
- Then read the dictionaries. They give the considered view of scholars, with their evidence.
- Come back to the verse. Context decides. A word does not carry every one of its meanings into every verse, and where a word came from does not settle what it means in a sentence written centuries later.
Scripture text and translation counts: Berean Standard Bible. Full entry: Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906, public domain), in the digital edition Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced by unfoldingWord (Joel Ruark, J. de Joode), based on data by Eliran Wong and Stephen Ku; its additions are used under CC BY 4.0. Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew-to-English verse numbering: original work of the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible available at https://github.com/openscriptures/morphhb, CC BY 4.0. We reformatted the data, linked the references to this site’s Bible text and left out words in other scripts that the source holds only as images. These are historical reference works; an entry gives its authors’ view, and a word’s meaning in any verse depends on how it is used there.