Strong's Lexicon

H4591

H4591 — מָעַט

Hebrew / Aramaic entry for Bible study and original-language reference.

Hebrewma`atverbOccurrences: 21TWOT: 1228

Definition / Gloss

Strong's Number:	H4591
Word:	מָעַט
Part of Speech:	verb
Etymology:	a primitive root
Language:	Hebrew
Occurrences:	21
Transliteration:	ma`at
Phonetic Spelling/Pronunciation:	maw-at'
Meaning:	1. (properly) to pare off, i.e. lessen 2. intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective)
KJV Renderings:	suffer to decrease, diminish, (be, X borrow a, give, make) few (in number, -ness), gather least (little), be (seem) little, (X give the) less, be minished, bring to nothing.

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Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced

BDB4757

[מָעַט] verb be or become small, diminished, few (Late Hebrew, Talmud, id.; Arabic [untranscribed source text 3056] is to be without hair on the body) —

Qal Imperfect יִמְעַט Exod 12:4, 2 masculine plural תִּמְעָ֑טוּ Jer 29:6, 3 masculine plural יִמְעָ֑טוּ Isa 21:17 +, וַיִּמְעֲטוּ Ps 107:39 Infinitive מְעֹט Lev 25:16 — Exod 12:4 אִסיִֿמְעַט הַבַּיִת מִהְיוֺת מִשֶּׂה if the house be too small for a lamb; Neh 9:32 אַליִֿמְעַט לְפָנֶיךָ אֵת כָּלהַֿתְּלָאָה (compare Ges^{«GKC:117l»§
117l}); of a people, Jer 29:6 וּרְבוּ שָׁם וְאַלתִּֿמְעָ֑טוּ and become not few, Jer 30:19 וְהִרְבִּתִים וְלֹא יִמְעָ֔טוּ, Isa 21:17; Ps 107:39; Prov 13:11 הוֺן מֵהֶבֶל יִמְעָ֑ט diminishes (opposed to יַרְבֶּה); Lev 25:16 וּלְפִי מְעֹט הַשָּׁנִים according to the fewness of the years.

Pi`el become few (Ges^{«GKC:52k»§ 52k}), Perfect 3 plural Eccl 12:3 וּבָֽטְלוּ הַטֹּחֲנוֺת כִּי מִעֵ֔טוּ.

Hiph`il Perfect 3 feminine singular consecutive וְהִמְעִ֫יטָה (Ges^{«GKC:49k»§ 49k}), Lev 26:22, 1 singular with suffix וְהִמְעַטְתִּים Ezek 29:15 Imperfect 2 masculine singular תַּמְעִיט Lev 25:16 , תַּמְעִטֵ֫נִי Jer 10:34 , 2 feminine singular תַּמְעִ֫יטִי 2Kgs 4:3, etc.; — make small or few, diminish:

a. Lev 26:22 (of the sword) וְהִמְעִ֫יטָה אֶתְכֶם, Ezek 29:15 וְהִמְעַטְתִּים, Jer 10:24 אַלבְּֿאַפְּךָ פֶּןֿ תַּמְעִטֵנִי lest thou make me (the people) small , Ps 107:38 וּבְהֶמְתָּם לֹא יַמְעִיט; Lev 25:16 וּלְפִי מְעֹט הַשָּׁנִים תַּמְעִיט מִקְנָתוֺ according to the smallness (fewness) of the years, thou shalt make small its price, Num 26:54 לָרַב תַּרְבֶּה נַחֲלָתוֺ וְלַמְעַט תַּמְעִיט נַחֲלָתוֺ and to the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance (so Num 33:54).

b. qualifying an action (sometimes to be understood from the context), Exod 16:17 וַיִּלְקְטוּ הַמַּרְבֶּה וְהַמַּמְעִיט and they gathered, he that made much, and he that made little (that is לִלְקֹט), Exod 16:18; Num 11:32 עשׂרה חמרים הממעיט אסף, 2Kgs 4:3 כֵּלִים רֵקִים אַלתַּֿמְעִיטִי empty vessels make not few (that is, in borrowing); Exod 30:15 הֶעָשִׁיר לֹא יַרְבֶּה וְהַדַּל לֹא יַמְעִיט מִמַּחֲצִית הַשָּׁ֑קֶל ׳ לָתֵת וגו shall not diminish from the half shekel to give, i.e. shall not give less, Num 35:8 מֵאֵת הָרַב תַּרְבּוּ וּמֵאֵת הַמְעַט תַּמְעִיטוּ and from the few ye shall make few (that is לָתֵת), i.e. ye shall give few (cities).

Other Resources

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke

Englishman's Hebrew Concordance

מעט (mah-zat')

Exodus 12:4

KJV: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

EHCC: if the houshold be too little

Exodus 3:107

EHCC: 89- Again, are minished and brought

Jeremiah 29:6

KJV: Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

EHCC: increased there, and not diminished,

Jeremiah 30:19

KJV: And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

EHCC: and they shall not be few ;

Ecclesiastes 12:3

KJV: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,the grinders…: or, the grinders fail, because they grind little

EHCC: the grinders cease because they are few,

Leviticus 26:22

KJV: I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

EHCC: and make you few tn number ;

Exodus 30:15

KJV: The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.give more: Heb. multiplygive less: Heb. diminish

EHCC: the poor shall not give less (marg. diminish)

Leviticus 25:16

KJV: According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.

EHCC: thou shalt diminish the price

Numbers 26:54

KJV: To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.give the more…: Heb. multiply his inheritancegive the less…: Heb. diminish his inheritance

EHCC: to few thou shalt give the less (marg.di-

Numbers 33:54

KJV: And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.give the more…: Heb. multiply his inheritancegive the less…: Heb. diminish his inheritance

EHCC: to the fewer ye shall give the less (marg.

Numbers 35:8

KJV: And the cities which ye shall give shall be of the possession of the children of Israel: from them that have many ye shall give many; but from them that have few ye shall give few: every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.he…: Heb. they inherit

EHCC: from (them that have) few ye shall give

2 Kings 4:3

KJV: Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.borrow not…: or, scant not

EHCC: borrow not a few. (marg. or, scant not)

Psalms 107:38

KJV: He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

EHCC: suffereth not their cattle to decrease.

Jeremiah 10:24

KJV: O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.bring…: Heb. diminish me

EHCC: leat thou bring me to nothing. (marg. di-

Exodus 16:17

KJV: And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.

EHCC: and gathered, some more, some less,

Numbers 11:82

EHCC: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: