What does βραχύς (brachýs) mean in the Bible?
Short or little can describe a time, distance, amount or brief expression. John records Philip saying that the available money would not buy enough bread for each person to receive a little.
Greek · G1024
βραχύς
Short or little can describe a time, distance, amount or brief expression. John records Philip saying that the available money would not buy enough bread for each person to receive a little.
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
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βραχύςG1024
Pronunciationbrachýs
What does βραχύς (brachýs) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for βραχύς (G1024) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G1024?
The BSB source-word alignment has 7 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (1), a little farther (1), A short time (1), briefly (1), for a short time (1).
Where does βραχύς (brachýs) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Luke 22:58. Its strongest book concentrations include Hebrews (3), Acts (2), John (1), Luke (1).
What This Word Actually Means
Short or little can describe a time, distance, amount or brief expression. John records Philip saying that the available money would not buy enough bread for each person to receive a little. Acts describes the voyagers moving a little farther before another depth measurement. Hebrews calls its exhortation brief, and other passages mention a short interval. The word also occurs in Hebrews' description of being a little lower than the angels, where the full quotation and its application to Jesus must be read.
The adjective does not make everything it describes unimportant or worthless. Ask what dimension is being limited and what the sentence compares. A small amount of bread, a short distance and a brief exhortation require different explanations.
How the Bible Uses It
A small bread portion, a little additional distance and a brief exhortation show different dimensions of little without a single judgment about value or significance.
- John.6.7
Philip answered, “Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to have a small piece.”
Philip considers whether the money could provide even a little bread for each person; the estimate occurs before Jesus' narrated provision for the crowd.
- Acts.27.28
They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms.
The sailors move a little farther between depth measurements, so the word modifies distance within navigation rather than moral value.
- Heb.13.22
I urge you, brothers, to bear with my word of exhortation, for I have only written to you briefly.
The writer asks the brothers to bear with the exhortation and describes the writing as brief; brevity does not mean the exhortation lacks significance.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It. . .1×Hebrews 2:7
a little farther1×Acts 27:28
A short time1×Luke 22:58
briefly1×Hebrews 13:22
for a short time1×Acts 5:34
small [piece]1×John 6:7
vvv1×Hebrews 2:9
Show sample aligned rows
Luke 22:58βραχὺtoA short timeAdjective - Accusative Neuter SingularJohn 6:7βραχύtosmall [piece]Adjective - Accusative Neuter SingularActs 5:34βραχὺtofor a short timeAdjective - Accusative Neuter SingularActs 27:28βραχὺtoa little fartherAdjective - Accusative Neuter SingularHebrews 2:7βραχύto. . .AdverbHebrews 2:9βραχύtovvvAdverbHebrews 13:22βραχέωνtobrieflyAdjective - Genitive Masculine Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowLuke 22:58
Aligned rows7
Books represented4
Luke1John1Acts2Hebrews3
Source forms
βραχύ3xbrachyJohn 6:7, Hebrews 2:7, Hebrews 2:9
βραχὺ3xbrachyLuke 22:58, Acts 5:34, Acts 27:28
βραχέων1xbracheōnHebrews 13:22
Parsing patterns
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular4xLuke 22:58, John 6:7, Acts 5:34, Acts 27:28
Adverb2xHebrews 2:7, Hebrews 2:9
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Plural1xHebrews 13:22
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not dismiss a brief exhortation merely because its wording is short.
- Avoid using the adjective alone to make a claim about Jesus' identity or saving significance.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim little means worthless; Hebrews asks readers to receive its brief exhortation.
- Do not claim the adjective settles every Hebrews two question; its comparison is interpreted within the full quotation and account of Jesus.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. short (of time, place, quantity, or number)
Strong'sG1024
Lexical occurrences5 versesGreek text appearances7 timesWord forms2 forms5 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Source Gloss
short (of time, place, quantity, or number)
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpusGreek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
7 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Luke 22:58Adjective Accusative Singular Neuter
βραχὺbracu
short, little
Read verseJohn 6:7Adjective Accusative Singular Neuter
βραχύbracu
short, little
Read verseActs 5:34Adjective Accusative Singular Neuter
βραχύbracu
short, little
Read verseActs 27:28Adjective Accusative Singular Neuter
βραχὺbracu
short, little
Read verseHebrews 2:7Adjective Accusative Singular Neuter
βραχύbracu
short, little
Read verseHebrews 2:9Adjective Accusative Singular Neuter
βραχύbracu
short, little
Read verseHebrews 13:22Adjective Genitive Plural Neuter
βραχέωνbracewn
short, little
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
This word appears as a noun across 2 case and number patterns. The form changes show how the word functions in a sentence; they do not change the basic lexical meaning by themselves.
Form patterns2Aligned forms5Case patternAccusative (4)Number patternSingular (4)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Genitive · Plural · MasculineHeb 13:221×
Accusative · Singular · NeuterLuke 22:58 · John 6:7 · Acts 5:34 · Acts 27:284×
Word Origins
βραχύς is of uncertain origin - no further derivation.
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Philip's small bread portion and the sailors' short additional distance have different measures. One concerns how much each person could receive; the other marks progress between soundings. Hebrews' brief exhortation concerns the length of what is written, while its request to bear with the message preserves the message's weight. These examples discourage treating little as a verdict that something does not matter.
Hebrews 2 introduces a more demanding comparison, applied to Jesus within an account of suffering, glory and honor. The supplied comparison includes duration and degree possibilities, so a dictionary gloss alone cannot resolve the whole statement. Begin with what is limited or compared, and let the passage's argument establish its significance rather than building a doctrine from smallness vocabulary.
Anchor passage
Heb.13.22
Doctrinal connections
- John 6:7 places a little bread portion within Philip's estimate before the crowd is fed.
- Acts 27:28 uses a little additional distance between two depth measurements.
- Hebrews 13:22 joins the brief exhortation to a request that the brothers bear with it.
- Luke 22:58 marks a short interval within the sequence of Peter's denials.
- Acts 5:34 describes the apostles being put outside for a short time during deliberation.
- Hebrews 2:9 places the comparison concerning Jesus beside His suffering and crowning with glory and honor.
The licensed Greek range distinguishes short time, distance and small quantity, and notes duration or degree readings in Hebrews two. The BSB's a little lower comparison should remain with its full argument rather than being resolved by the adjective alone.
From Old to New Testament
Hebrews 2 places quoted words about being lower than the angels within its account of Jesus' suffering, glory and saving work. That connection comes from the quotation and exposition together; the adjective alone does not identify a new Old Testament word meaning or settle the comparison's duration and degree.