H4592. meat

מְעַט‎₁₀₁ substantive a little, fewness, a few; — ׳מ‎ absolute and construct, מְעָ֑ט‎ Isaiah 10:7 +, plural מְעַטִּים‎ Psalm 109:8; Ecclesiastes 5:1; —

1. a. Genesis 30:30 לְפָנַי לך היה אשׁר מעט‎ the little that thou hadst, 47:9 חיי שׁני ימי היו ורעים מעט‎ few and evil, Leviticus 25:52; Numbers 26:54 (compare 33:54) נחלתו תמעיט וְלַמְעַט‎ and to the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance, 33:56; 35:8 תמעיטו ַהמְעַט וּמֵאֵת‎, Deuteronomy 7:7 העמים מכלֿ ַהמְעַט אתם וכי‎ ye are the fewest out of all peoples, 1 Samuel 14:6 בִמְעָ֑ט אוֺ בְּרַב לְהוֺשִׁיעַ‎, Jeremiah 42:2 מֵהַרְבֵּה מְעַט נִשְׁאַרְנוּ כִּי‎ we are left as few out of many, Ezekiel 5:3 בְּמִסְמָּר מְעַט מִשָּׁם וְלָקַחְתָּ‎, Haggai 1:6 מְעָ֑ט וְהָבֵא הַרְבֵּה זְרַעְתֶּם‎ (compare 1:9), Psalm 8:6 מאלהים מעט ותחסּרהו‎, 37:16 לַצַּדִּיק מְעַט טוֺב‎ (compare Proverbs 15:16; 16:8), 2 Chronicles 29:34 לִמְעָ֑ט הָיוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים רַק‎; as predicate Numbers 13:18 אִםרָֿ֑ב הוּא הַמְעַט‎, Joshua 7:3 הֵמָּה מְעַט כִּי‎, Job 10:20; Ruth 2:7; Nehemiah 7:4; Isaiah 16:14 מִזְעָר מְעַט וּשְׁאָר‎. — Hosea 8:10 מְעַט וַיָּחֵלּוּ‎ and they begin as littleness ( = to be minished) because of, &c.; but read probably (ᵐ5‎) מִמְּשֹׁחַ מְעַט וְיֶחְדְּלוּ‎ and they shall cease for a little (d) from anointing, etc.

b. as substantive with following Genitive, Genesis 18:4 מַיִם מְעַט‎ a little of water, 24:17, 43, אֹכֶל מְעַט‎ 43:2; 44:25; 1 Samuel 14:43; 17:28 הָהֵ֫נָּה הַצּאֹן מְעַט‎ literally the fewness of those sheep, Proverbs 6:10 +; as Genitive to a previous substantive, מְעָ֑ט מְתֵי‎ men of fewness Deuteronomy 26:5; 28:62; in apposition, Isaiah 10:7 מְעָ֑ט לֹא גּוֺיִם לְהַכְרִית‎, Ezra 9:8 מְעַט מִחְיָה‎, Nehemiah 2:12 עִמִּי מְעַט וַאֲנָשִׁים‎, Ecclesiastes 9:4; either Genitive or appositive, 10:1; Daniel 11:34 מְעָ֑ט עֵזֶר יֵעָֽזְרוּ‎ with a help of smallness.

c. twice declined as an adjective , Psalm 109:8 מְעַטִּים יָמָיו יִהְיוּ‎, Ecclesiastes 5:1 מְעַטִּים דבריך יהיו עלכֿן‎.

d. as adverb. accusative, of place, 2 Samuel 16:1 מְעַט עֹבֵר וְדָוִד‎; of time, Job 10:20 b; of degree, 2 Kings 10:18 מְעָ֑ט אֶתהַֿבַּעַל עָבַד אַחְאָב‎, Ezekiel 11:16 and have been to them for a sanctuary but little, Zechariah 1:15; repeated מְעַט מְעַט‎ by little, by little = gradually, Exodus 23:30; Deuteronomy 7:22.

e. phrases: — a. with the interr. הֲ‎, Genesis 30:15 וְלָקַחַת אִישִׁי אֶתֿ קַחְתֵּךְ ַהמְעַט‎ was thy taking my husband (too) little? and (wilt thou be) for taking also my son's love-apples? Numbers 16:9-10 כְּהֻנָּה גַּם וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם ֗֗֗ הִבְדִּיל כִּי מִכֶּם ַהמְעַט‎ is it too little for you that J. hath separated, etc., ... and do ye seek, etc.? 16:13 הִשְׂתָּרֵר גַּם תִשְׂתָּרֵר כִּי ֗֗֗ הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ כִּי ַהמְעַט‎, Joshua 22:17f. וגו תָּשׁוּבוּ וְאַתֶּם ֗֗֗ לָנוּ ׳ַהמְעַט‎, Isaiah 7:13 וגו תַּלְאוּ כִּי אֲנָשִׁים הַלְאוֺת מִכֶּם ׳ַהמְעַט‎ is wearying men too little for you, that you will weary also my God? Ezekiel 34:18 (as Ew Co AV RV), Job 15:11 אֵל תַּנְחוּמוֺת מִמְּךָ ַהמְעַט‎. But Ezekiel 16:20 (si vera lectio) was it (too) little because of thy whoredom? (was that insufficient for thee? Kö ^{iii. 406 m}). b. וְ מְעַט ׳עוֺד‎, Exodus 17:4 וּסְקָלֻנִי מְעַט עוֺד‎ yet a little, and they will stone me, Jeremiah 51:33; Hosea 1:4; Psalm 37:10; וְ מִזְעָר מְעַט ׳עוֺד‎ Isaiah 10:25; 29:17; compare Haggai 2:6; Job 24:24.

2 כִּמְעַט‎ like a little: hence

a. within a little, almost (compare ὀλίγου), Genesis 26:10 ֗֗֗ שָׁכַב כִּמְעַט‎ almost had lain ..., Psalm 73:2 Qr, 94:17; 119:87; Proverbs 5:14 (all followed by perfect); Ezekiel 16:47 מֵהֶן וַתַּשְׁחִתִי קָט כִּמְעַט‎ like a little, and thou hadst done more corruptly than they; Song of Solomon 3:4 מֵהֶם שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי כִּמְעַט‎ = hardly had I passed.

b. with imperfect, just, 2 Samuel 19:37 עבדך יעבר כמעט‎ just would thy servant pass over; lightly, easily, quickly (compare δἰ ὀλίγου), Psalm 2:12 אַמּוֺ כִּמְעַט יִבְעַר כִּי‎, 81:15; Job 32:22.

c. = shortly, 2 Chronicles 12:7.

d. = little worth, Proverbs 10:20 רשׁעים ולב כמעט‎. e. pleonastic for מְעַט‎, Isaiah 1:9 (accents) שָׂרִיר כִּמְעָ֑ט‎ a little remnant, Psalm 105:12 (= 1 Chronicles 16:19) בָּהּ וְגָרִים כִּמְעַט‎; רֶגַע כִּמְעַט‎ like the littleness of a moment = for a little moment, Isaiah 26:20; Ezra 9:8.