---
title: קָטֹן — small · The Tanakh dictionary
description: קָטֹן (lemma:קָטֹן), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 54 times: small. BDB 1906: adj. small, insignificant. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# קָטֹן

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«קָטֹן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **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:** 54 times · **Key:** lemma:קָטֹן · **BDB:** קָטֹן²

### Glosses

small (29); young (15); \[brother\] (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

small [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/lemma_3a_5e7_5b8_5d8_5b9_5df/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

adj. small, insignificant [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/lemma_3a_5e7_5b8_5d8_5b9_5df/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** adj. small, insignificant;—abs. ק׳ 1 S 2:19 +; cstr. קְטֹן 2 Ch 21:17;—f., pl. and sf. supplied by קָטָן;— small: especially of youth = young, נַעַר ק׳ 1 S 20:35; 1 K 3:7; 2 K 5:14; Is 11:6; = younger of two brothers, Gn 48:17 (E) Ju 1:13; 3:9 (+ מִן comp.); הַקּ׳ youngest brother Gn 42:13 + 10 times Gn (JE), son Ju 9:5 2 Ch 22:1, so קְטֹן בַּנָיו 21:17; + גדול = young and old (v. קָטָן 1), i.e. everybody Gn 19:11 (J), 1 S 5:9; 30:2 + (of pers. and things) v 19. of things 1 S 2:19; 1 K 8:64 (+ מִן comp.), Am 6:11 Is 54:7; opp. גָּדוֹל 1 S 22:15; 25:36; Gn 1:16 (P). = unimportant, things, Ex 18:22, 26 (E), 1 S 20:2 (all opp. גדול); pers., = feeble Am 7:2, 5; = insignificant Je 49:15 Ob 2 (both ‖ בָּזוּי), Is 60:22 (‖ צָעִיר); ק׳ בְּעֵינֶיךָ 1 S 15:17; especially + גָּדוֹל = low and high, = everybody, Dt 1:17; 1 K 22:31 = 2 Ch 18:30; Je 8:10; Jb 3:19, + 8 times—Vid. also קָטָן.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 35 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses (6 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (6 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «קָטֹן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1511/lemma_3a_5e7_5b8_5d8_5b9_5df/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Obadiah 1:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/OBA.1.2/)

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הִנֵּ֥ה קָטֹ֛ן נְתַתִּ֖יךָ בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם בָּז֥וּי אַתָּ֖ה מְאֹֽד׃

*Word for word:* here! small I will.make.you among the nations \[will.be\].despised you exceedingly

*JPS 1917:* Behold, I make thee small among the nations; thou art greatly despised.

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[Job 3:19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.3.19/)

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קָטֹ֣ן וְ֭גָדוֹל שָׁ֣ם ה֑וּא וְ֝עֶ֗בֶד חָפְשִׁ֥י מֵאֲדֹנָֽיו׃

*Word for word:* small and great \[is\].there he and a.slave \[is\].free from master(s) his

*JPS 1917:* The small and great are there alike; and the servant is free from his master.

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- next →: [קָטַף](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/6998.md)
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