This Greek adjective asks about size, age, or magnitude, and can express wonder at either great scale or surprising smallness. James twice uses it to illustrate his point about the tongue: 'how small a fire kindles how great a forest!' (James 3:5). Paul uses it in Colossians 2:1 to express his great struggle for the churches. The word operates in indirect questions ('how great...') and exclamations of wonder. The lexical evidence shows it functions in both directions—extraordinary greatness or remarkable smallness—depending on context. Its force is comparative and often emotional, highlighting disproportion or unexpected scale.