What does מָעַט mean in the Bible?
e. lessen ; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make ) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective )".
Hebrew · H4591
מָעַט
Properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen ; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make ) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective )
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מָעַט H4591
What does מָעַט mean in the Bible?
מָעַט is a Hebrew word meaning "properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen ; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make ) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective )".
Full entry for מָעַט (H4591) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4591?
The BSB source-word alignment has 22 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a lesser (1), and a smaller (1), and decrease (1), and he who gathered little (1), and less from (1).
Where does מָעַט appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 12:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (4), Numbers (4), Jeremiah (3), Leviticus (3).
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 lesser 1× Leviticus 25:16
and a smaller 1× Numbers 33:54
and decrease 1× Numbers 26:54
and he who gathered little 1× Exodus 16:18
and less from 1× Numbers 35:8
and reduce 1× Leviticus 26:22
and some less 1× Exodus 16:17
be decreased 1× Jeremiah 30:19
decrease 1× Jeremiah 29:6
diminish 1× Psalms 107:38
For I will diminish [Egypt] 1× Ezekiel 29:15
gather just a few 1× 2 Kings 4:3
give less 1× Exodus 30:15
is too small 1× Exodus 12:4
less than 1× Numbers 11:32
or decrease 1× Leviticus 25:16
they are few 1× Ecclesiastes 12:3
view lightly 1× Nehemiah 9:32
When they are decreased 1× Psalms 107:39
will be few 1× Isaiah 21:17
will dwindle 1× Proverbs 13:11
You will bring me to nothing 1× Jeremiah 10:24
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 12:4 יִמְעַ֣ט to is too small Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Exodus 16:17 וְהַמַּמְעִֽיט׃ to and some less Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular Exodus 16:18 וְהַמַּמְעִ֖יט to and he who gathered little Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular Exodus 30:15 יַמְעִ֔יט to give less Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Leviticus 25:16 מְעֹ֣ט to or decrease Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct Leviticus 25:16 תַּמְעִ֖יט to a lesser Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Leviticus 26:22 וְהִמְעִ֖יטָה to and reduce Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular Numbers 11:32 הַמַּמְעִ֕יט to less than Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular Numbers 26:54 תַּמְעִ֖יט to and decrease Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Numbers 33:54 תַּמְעִ֣יט to and a smaller Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 12:4
Aligned rows 22
Books represented 11
Exodus 4 Leviticus 3 Numbers 4 2 Kings 1 Nehemiah 1 Psalms 2 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 3 Ezekiel 1
Source forms
יִמְעַ֣ט 2x yim·‘aṭ Exodus 12:4, Nehemiah 9:32
תַּמְעִ֖יט 2x tam·‘îṭ Leviticus 25:16, Numbers 26:54
הַמַּמְעִ֕יט 1x ham·mam·‘îṭ Numbers 11:32
וְהַמַּמְעִ֖יט 1x wə·ham·mam·‘îṭ Exodus 16:18
וְהַמַּמְעִֽיט׃ 1x wə·ham·mam·‘îṭ Exodus 16:17
וְהִ֨מְעַטְתִּ֔ים 1x wə·him·‘aṭ·tîm Ezekiel 29:15
וְהִמְעִ֖יטָה 1x wə·him·‘î·ṭāh Leviticus 26:22
וַיִּמְעֲט֥וּ 1x way·yim·‘ă·ṭū Psalms 107:39
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 3x Leviticus 25:16, Numbers 26:54, Numbers 33:54
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Exodus 12:4, Nehemiah 9:32, Proverbs 13:11
Conjunctive waw, Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular 2x Exodus 16:17, Exodus 16:18
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Exodus 30:15, Psalms 107:38
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Isaiah 21:17, Jeremiah 30:19
Article | Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular 1x Numbers 11:32
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular | third person masculine plural 1x Ezekiel 29:15
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular 1x Leviticus 26:22
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen ; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make ) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective )
Source Gloss
properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen ; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make ) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
properly, to pare off, i.e. lessen; intransitively, to be (or causatively, to make) small or few (or figuratively, ineffective) Usage: suffer to decrease, diminish, (be, × borrow a, give, make) few (in number, -ness), gather least (little), be (seem) little, (× give the) less, be minished, bring to nothing.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 15
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 7×
Imperfect Lev 25:16 · Num 26:54 · Num 33:54 · Exod 30:15 · Ps 107:38 · Num 35:8 6×
Jussive 2Kgs 4:3 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 7×
Imperfect Exod 12:4 · Prov 13:11 · Isa 21:17 · Jer 30:19 4×
Jussive Jer 29:6 · Neh 9:32 2×
Infinitive construct Lev 25:16 1×
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 1×
Perfect Eccl 12:3 1×
Word Origins
מָעַט is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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