What does ὀλίγος (olígos) mean in the Bible?
Ὀλίγος (olígos) means few, little, small, or brief in number, quantity, degree, distance, or time. Jesus says few find the narrow way to life.
Greek · G3641
ὀλίγος
Little/few
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ὀλίγος G3641
Pronunciation olígos
What does ὀλίγος (olígos) mean in the Bible?
Ὀλίγος (olígos) means few, little, small, or brief in number, quantity, degree, distance, or time. Jesus says few find the narrow way to life.
Reader summary
Full entry for ὀλίγος (G3641) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3641?
The BSB source-word alignment has 42 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a few (5), a few things (3), little (3), [are] few (2), a little (2).
Where does ὀλίγος (olígos) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 7:14. Its strongest book concentrations include Acts (10), Luke (7), Matthew (6), 1 Peter (4).
What This Word Actually Means
Ὀλίγος (olígos) means few, little, small, or brief in number, quantity, degree, distance, or time. Jesus says few find the narrow way to life. He asks Simon to move the boat a little from shore before teaching. Acts reports that not a few prominent Greek women and men believe, an idiom meaning a substantial number. Hebrews contrasts parental discipline for a short time with God's discipline directed toward holiness.
Revelation says a coming king remains only a little while. Smallness is therefore relative to what is counted or measured. It may describe a minority, short distance, considerable number through negation, limited duration, or a brief appointed reign. The word does not imply insignificance to God, weak evidence, or an exact numerical threshold. Grammar, comparison, and narrative setting determine the scale.
How the Bible Uses It
Ὀλίγος marks small number, distance, or duration. Few find the narrow way, a boat moves a little offshore, “not a few” believe, human discipline lasts briefly, and a king remains for a little while.
- Matt.7.14
But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Jesus says the gate is narrow and few find the way to life, warning hearers not to treat majority preference as the measure of faithful discipleship.
- Luke.5.3
Jesus got into the boat belonging to Simon and asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down, He taught the people from the boat.
The boat moves a little from shore, a modest spatial adjustment that gives Jesus room to sit and teach the gathered crowd.
- Acts.17.12
As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.
Luke's phrase “not a few” reports a meaningful number of prominent Greek women and men believing, using negated smallness as an emphatic idiom.
- Heb.12.10
Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.
Earthly parents discipline for a short time according to limited judgment, while God disciplines for believers' true good and participation in His holiness.
- Rev.17.10
There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. But when he does come, he must remain for only a little while.
The final king remains only a little while, placing his tenure within the vision's bounded succession rather than granting lasting sovereignty.
Passage contextBook context
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 a few 5× Matthew 15:34, Mark 8:7, Acts 17:4, Acts 17:12
a few things 3× Matthew 25:21, Matthew 25:23, Revelation 2:14
little 3× Luke 7:47, 2 Corinthians 8:15
[are] few 2× Matthew 9:37, Luke 10:2
a little 2× Luke 5:3, 1 Timothy 5:23
briefly 2× Ephesians 3:3, 1 Peter 5:12
for a little while 2× 1 Peter 1:6, 1 Peter 5:10
only a few 2× Matthew 7:14, Luke 13:23
[the great] 1× Acts 27:20
[who are] just 1× 2 Peter 2:18
a few [people] 1× 1 Peter 3:20
a great 1× Acts 19:23
a little [farther] 1× Mark 1:19
a long 1× Acts 14:28
a short 1× Hebrews 12:10
few [are] 1× Matthew 22:14
few [blows] 1× Luke 12:48
for a little [while] 1× James 4:14
for a while 1× Mark 6:31
for only a little while 1× Revelation 17:10
in sharp 1× Acts 15:2
limited 1× 1 Timothy 4:8
much 1× Acts 19:24
on a few 1× Mark 6:5
only a short 1× Revelation 12:12
Short [time] 1× Acts 26:29
small 1× Acts 12:18
such a short [time] 1× Acts 26:28
thing 1× Luke 10:42
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 7:14 ὀλίγοι to only a few Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural Matthew 9:37 ὀλίγοι to [are] few Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural Matthew 15:34 ὀλίγα to a few Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 22:14 ὀλίγοι to few [are] Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural Matthew 25:21 ὀλίγα to a few things Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural Matthew 25:23 ὀλίγα to a few things Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural Mark 1:19 ὀλίγον to a little [farther] Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular Mark 6:5 ὀλίγοις to on a few Adjective - Dative Masculine Plural Mark 6:31 ὀλίγον to for a while Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular Mark 8:7 ὀλίγα to a few Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 7:14
Aligned rows 42
Books represented 12
Matthew 6 Mark 4 Luke 7 Acts 10 2 Corinthians 1 Ephesians 1 1 Timothy 2 Hebrews 1 James 1 1 Peter 4 2 Peter 1 Revelation 4
Source forms
ὀλίγον 13x oligon Mark 1:19, Mark 6:31, Luke 5:3, Luke 7:47
ὀλίγοι 7x oligoi Matthew 7:14, Matthew 9:37, Matthew 22:14, Luke 10:2
ὀλίγα 6x oliga Matthew 15:34, Matthew 25:21, Matthew 25:23, Mark 8:7
ὀλίγῳ 4x oligō Acts 26:28, Acts 26:29, Ephesians 3:3, 1 Timothy 5:23
ὀλίγας 2x oligas Luke 12:48, Hebrews 12:10
ὀλίγος 2x oligos Acts 12:18, Acts 19:23
ὀλίγων 2x oligōn Luke 10:42, 1 Peter 5:12
ὀλίγαι 1x oligai Acts 17:4
Parsing patterns
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular 9x Mark 1:19, Mark 6:31, Luke 5:3, Luke 7:47
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural 7x Matthew 7:14, Matthew 9:37, Matthew 22:14, Luke 10:2
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural 6x Matthew 15:34, Matthew 25:21, Matthew 25:23, Mark 8:7
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular 3x Acts 14:28, 1 Timothy 4:8, Revelation 12:12
Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular 3x Acts 26:28, Acts 26:29, Ephesians 3:3
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural 2x Luke 12:48, Hebrews 12:10
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular 2x Acts 12:18, Acts 19:23
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular 1x Acts 19:24
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Do not turn “few find it” into a calculation of the number saved or use it to celebrate sectarian smallness apart from obedience to Jesus.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not translate “not a few” as though Luke meant only a tiny response; the idiom stresses a considerable number.
- Do not claim that God's discipline is insignificant because earthly discipline lasts only a short time; Hebrews contrasts purpose and source.
Evidence Summary
Greek word. Few in number or quantity; often contrasts with πολλοί (many) to emphasize scarcity or insufficiency.
Strong's G3641
Lexical occurrences 41 verses Greek text appearances 43 times 16 shown below Word forms 10 forms 41 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Luke 12:35-48 Source Gloss
little/few
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 43 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
Matthew 7:14 Adjective Nominative Plural Masculine
ὀλίγοι oligoi
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Matthew 9:37 Adjective Nominative Plural Masculine
ὀλίγοι· oligoi
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Matthew 15:34 Adjective Accusative Plural Neuter
ὀλίγα oliga
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Matthew 20:16 Adjective Nominative Plural Masculine
ὀλίγοι oligoi
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Matthew 22:14 Adjective Nominative Plural Masculine
ὀλίγοι oligoi
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Matthew 25:21 Adjective Accusative Plural Neuter
ὀλίγα oliga
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Matthew 25:23 Adjective Accusative Plural Neuter
ὀλίγα oliga
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Mark 1:19 Adverb
ὀλίγον, oligon
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Mark 6:5 Adjective Dative Plural Masculine
ὀλίγοις oligoiv
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Mark 6:31 Adverb
ὀλίγον. oligon
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Mark 8:7 Adjective Accusative Plural Neuter
ὀλίγα· oliga
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Luke 5:3 Adverb
ὀλίγον. oligon
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Luke 7:47 Adjective Nominative Singular Neuter
ὀλίγον oligon
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Luke 7:47 Adverb
ὀλίγον oligon
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Luke 10:2 Adjective Nominative Plural Masculine
ὀλίγοι· oligoi
small, brief, few, soon
Read verse Luke 12:48 Adjective Accusative Plural Feminine
ὀλίγας. oligav
small, brief, few, soon
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 10 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 patterns 10 Aligned forms 41 Case pattern Nominative (11) Number pattern Plural (11)
Verse guides are not available for this word yet, so verse references remain plain evidence markers.
Nominative · Plural · Masculine Matt 7:14 · Matt 9:37 · Matt 22:14 · Luke 10:2 · Luke 13:23 · Acts 17:12 · 1 Pet 3:20 7×
Nominative · Singular · Masculine Acts 12:18 · Acts 19:23 2×
Nominative · Singular · Neuter Luke 7:47 1×
Nominative · Plural · Feminine Acts 17:4 1×
Genitive · Plural · Neuter Luke 10:42 1×
Genitive · Singular · Feminine Acts 15:2 1×
Genitive · Singular · Masculine Acts 27:20 1×
Genitive · Plural · Masculine 1 Pet 5:12 1×
Dative · Singular · Neuter Acts 26:28 · Acts 26:29 · Eph 3:3 3×
Dative · Plural · Masculine Mark 6:5 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
few blows or strokes in contrast with many, quantifying severity
small number of people entering through the narrow door to salvation
small quantity of possessions valued above great wealth with turmoil
small amount of honest gain preferred over abundance gained unjustly
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 41 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
ὀλίγος 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
Smallness is not the same as triviality. Jesus' few on the narrow way expose the unreliability of popularity as a guide to life. A little movement offshore becomes the practical space from which a whole crowd hears Him teach. Acts uses the negated phrase “not a few” to emphasize that the gospel gained substantial hearing among socially prominent people. Hebrews places shortness within a moral comparison: earthly discipline is temporary and imperfect, while God's fatherly discipline serves His children's participation in holiness.
Revelation limits a ruler's tenure to a little while, reminding readers that threatening power occupies only the span allowed within God's purpose. Ὀλίγος helps teachers speak proportionately. It calls for neither romanticizing minorities nor despising modest means, and it refuses to mistake temporary hardship or temporary rule for the final horizon.
Anchor passage
Matt.7.14
Doctrinal connections
- Matthew 7:13-23, the narrow way found by few
- Luke 5:1-11, a small movement that serves Jesus' teaching
- Acts 17:10-15, not a few believing in Berea
- Hebrews 12:3-11, brief human discipline and God's holy purpose
- Revelation 17:9-14, a ruler remaining a little while
- Zechariah 4:6-10, refusing to despise the day of small things
Ὀλίγος is an adjective and adverb for smallness in number, amount, degree, or time. Agreement identifies what is few; adverbial uses mark a little distance or duration. With negation, “not few” commonly means many or considerable.
From Old to New Testament
God often works through a remnant, warns against despising small beginnings, and limits the days of oppressive powers. Scripture judges fewness and brevity by faithfulness and divine purpose rather than appearance.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain