Mâʻaṭ — H4591

Definition

verb

properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective)

1. to be or become small, be few, be diminished
1. (Qal)
1. to diminish
2. to be too small
2. (Piel) to become few
3. (Hiphil)
1. to make small, make few, diminish
2. to give less

Usually translated as

few, less, little, diminish, suffer to decrease, fewness, gather least, be minished, bring to nothing, be

Origin

a primitive root

Greek equivalents

• ekleípō (G1587)
• elássōn (G1640)
• elattonéō (G1641)
• elattóō (G1642)
• mikrós (G3398)
• olígos (G3641)

Occurrences

Mâʻaṭ occurs 22 times in 21 verses of the King James.

Distribution of the word across the Bible: Exodus (4), Leviticus (2), Numbers (4), 2 Kings (1), Nehemiah (1), Psalms (2), Proverbs (1), Ecclesiastes (1), Isaiah (1), Jeremiah (3), Ezekiel (1)

• Exodus 12:4 — And if the household be too little (יִמְעַ֣ט) 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.
• Exodus 16:17 — And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less (וְהַמַּמְעִֽיט).
• Exodus 16:18 — And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little (וְהַמַּמְעִ֖יט) had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
• Exodus 30:15 — The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less (יַמְעִ֔יט) than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
• Leviticus 25:16 — According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness (מְעֹ֣ט) 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.
• Leviticus 25:16 — According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish (תַּמְעִ֖יט) the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.
• Leviticus 26:22 — 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 (וְהִמְעִ֖יטָה); and your high ways shall be desolate.
• Numbers 11:32 — And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least (הַמַּמְעִ֕יט) gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.
• Numbers 26:54 — To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less (תַּמְעִ֖יט) inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those that were numbered of him.
• Numbers 33:54 — 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 (תַּמְעִ֣יט) inheritance: every man’s inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.
• Numbers 35:8 — 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 (תַּמְעִ֑יטוּ): every one shall give of his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth.
• 2 Kings 4:3 — Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few (תַּמְעִֽיטִי).
• Nehemiah 9:32 — Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little (יִמְעַ֣ט) before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.
• Psalms 107:38 — He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease (יַמְעִֽיט).
• Psalms 107:39 — Again, they are minished (וַיִּמְעֲט֥וּ) and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
• Proverbs 13:11 — Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished (יִמְעָ֑ט): but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.
• Ecclesiastes 12:3 — 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 (מִעֵ֔טוּ), and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
• Isaiah 21:17 — And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished (יִמְעָ֑טוּ): for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.
• Jeremiah 10:24 — O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing (תַּמְעִטֵֽנִי).
• Jeremiah 29:6 — 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 (תִּמְעָֽטוּ).
• Jeremiah 30:19 — 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 (יִמְעָ֔טוּ); I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.
• Ezekiel 29:15 — It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish (וְהִ֨מְעַטְתִּ֔ים) them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.