---
title: מָעַט — be small · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מָעַט (4591), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 22 times: be small. BDB 1906: vb. be or become small, diminished, few. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מָעַט

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«מָעַט» in the Tanakh dictionary: **be small** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 22 times · **Key:** 4591 · **BDB:** מָעַט

### Glosses

who\].made.little (3); you.will.make.small (3); I (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

be small [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4591/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. be or become small, diminished, few [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4591/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. be or become small, diminished, few (NH, Talm., id.; Arabic مَعِطَ is to be without hair on the body)— Impf. יִמְעַט Ex 12:4, 2 mpl. תִּמְעָ֑טוּ Je 29:6, 3 mpl. יִמְעָ֑טוּ Is 21:17 +, וַיִּמְעֲטוּ ψ 107:39; Inf. מְעֹם Lv 25:16;—Ex 12:4 אִם־יִמְעַט הַבַּיִת מִהְיוֹת מִשֶּׂה if the house be too small for a lamb; Ne 9:32 אַל־יִמְעַט לְפָנֶיךָ אֵת כָּל־הַתְּלָאָה (cf. Ges§ 117 l); of a people, Je 29:6 וּרְבוּ שָׁם וְאַל־תִּמְעָ֑טוּ and become not few, 30:19 וְהִרְבִּתִים וְלֹא יִמְעָ֔טוּ, Is 21:17 ψ 107:39; Pr 13:11 הוֹן מֵהֶבֶל יִמְעָ֑ט diminishes (opp. יַרְבֶּה); Lv 25:16 וּלְפִי מְעֹט הַשָּׁנִים according to the fewness of the years. become few (Ges§ 52 k), Pf. 3 pl. Ec 12:3 וּבָֽטְלוּ הַטֹּחֲנוֹת כִּי מִעֵ֔טוּ. Pf. 3 fs. consec. וְהִמְעִ֫יטָה (Ges§ 49 k), Lv 26:22, 1 s. with sf. וְהִמְעַטְתִּים Ez 29:15; Impf. 2 ms. תַּמְעִיט Lv 25:16, תַּמְעִטֵ֫נִי Je 10:24, 2 fs. תַּמְעִ֫יטִי 2 K 4:3, etc.;—make small or few, diminish: Lv 26:22 (of the sword) וְהִמְעִ֫יטָה אֶתְכֶם, Ez 29:15 וְהִמְעַטְתִּים, Je 10:24 אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ פֶּן־תַּמְעִטֵנִי lest thou make me (the people) small, ψ 107:38 וּבְהֶמְתָּם לֹא יַמְעִיט; Lv 25:16 וּלְפִי מְעֹט הַשָּׁנִים תַּמְעִיט מִקְנָתוֹ according to the smallness (fewness) of the years, thou shalt make small its price, Nu 26:54 לָרַב תַּרְבֶּה נַחֲלָתוֹ וְלַמְעַט תַּמְעִיט נַחֲלָתוֹ and to the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance (so 33:54). qualifying an action (sometimes to be understood from the context), Ex 16:17 וַיִּלְקְמוּ הַמַּרְבֶּה וְהַמַּמְעִיט and they gathered, he that made much, and he that made little (sc. לִלְקֹט), v 18 Nu 11:32 הממעיט אסף עשׂרה חמרים, 2 K 4:3 כֵּלִים רֵקִים אַל־תַּמְעִיטִי empty vessels make not few (sc. in borrowing); Ex 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, Nu 35:8 מֵאֵת הָרַב תַּרְבּוּ וּמֵאֵת הַמְעַט תַּמְעִיטוּ and from the few ye shall make few (sc. לָתֵת) i.e. ye shall give few (cities).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 21 of its verses cited, 3 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מָעַט» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4591/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 107:39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.107.39/)

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וַיִּמְעֲט֥וּ וַיָּשֹׁ֑חוּ מֵעֹ֖צֶר רָעָ֣ה וְיָגֽוֹן׃

*Word for word:* and they.became.few and they.were.bowed.down from.\[the\] oppression of.calamity and sorrow

*JPS 1917:* Again, they are minished and dwindle away through oppression of evil and sorrow.

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[Proverbs 13:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.13.11/)

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ה֭וֹן מֵהֶ֣בֶל יִמְעָ֑ט וְקֹבֵ֖ץ עַל־יָ֣ד יַרְבֶּֽה׃

*Word for word:* wealth from vanity it.will.become.small and \[one.who\].gathers on hand he.will.increase

*JPS 1917:* Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished; but he that gathereth little by little shall increase.

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