μικρός G3398
Small, little; as adverb 'a little while'; substantivized as 'little ones'—the humble or insignificant
Mikros moves fluidly between physical smallness and social insignificance across the New Testament. As a neuter adverb (mikron), it marks brief intervals of time—Jesus tells the disciples 'a little while and you will not see me' (John 16:16), a phrase repeated with haunting rhythm. As a simple adjective, it describes the mustard seed as the 'smallest' of seeds (Matt 13:32). Most theologically rich is the substantivized plural: 'these little ones' (Matt 18:6, 10, 14), where Jesus elevates the vulnerable and lowly to the center of God's concern. Spanish pequeños and German klein hold steady across all three uses, but the underlying sense shifts dramatically.
Senses
1. a little while (temporal/quantitative adverb) — The neuter accusative mikron functioning adverbially to mean 'a little while' or 'a short time.' Concentrated heavily in the Johannine Farewell Discourse (John 7:33; 13:33; 14:19; 16:16–19), where Jesus speaks of his imminent departure and return. Also appears in the Synoptics for brief durations (Matt 26:39, 73; Mark 14:35, 70). The temporal use transforms a spatial adjective into a measure of time. 22×
AR["خَميرَةٌ", "قَليلاً", "قَليلًا", "قَلِيل", "قَلِيلًا", "قَلِيلٍ", "قَلِيلُ"]·ben["অল্প", "অল্পক্ষণ", "অল্পক্ষণ?", "একটু", "কিঞ্চিৎ", "ছোট", "সামান্য"]·DE["klein"]·EN["a-little", "a-little-while", "little"]·FR["petit"]·heb["מְעַט"]·HI["थोड़ा", "थोड़ी", "थोड़ी-देर", "थोदि"]·ID["Sebentar-lagi", "lagi", "sebentar", "sedikit"]·IT["piccolo"]·jav["Sakedhik", "Sekedhap", "sakedhap", "sakedhik", "sekedhap", "sekedhap?", "sekedhik"]·KO["작은", "잠깐", "잠시", "조금"]·PT["Pouco", "pequeno", "pouco", "um-pouco"]·RU["Немного", "малая", "малое", "на-малое", "немного", "немного?"]·ES["Poco", "pequeña", "poca", "poco", "un-poco"]·SW["Kitambo-kidogo", "chachu-kidogo", "kidogo", "kidogo-sana", "kitambo-kidogo", "muda-mfupi"]·TR["Biraz", "az", "biraz", "biraz-", "küçük", "kısa"]·urd["تھوڑا", "تھوڑی", "تھوڑی-دیر", "تھوڑے"]
Matt 26:39, Matt 26:73, Mark 14:35, Mark 14:70, John 7:33, John 12:35, John 13:33, John 14:19, John 16:16, John 16:16, John 16:17, John 16:17 (+10 more)
2. small in size or degree — The basic adjectival sense denoting physical smallness or low degree. The mustard seed is the 'smallest' of all seeds (Matt 13:32; Mark 4:31). John the Baptist is told that the 'least' in the kingdom is greater than he (Matt 11:11; Luke 7:28). James the 'less' or 'younger' is distinguished from the other James (Mark 15:40). French petit and German klein render this sense directly. 13×
AR["أَصغَرُ", "أَصْغَرُ", "أَيُّهَا-الصَّغِيرُ", "الأَصغَرُ", "الأَصْغَرَ", "الصَّغِيرِ", "صَغيرٌ", "صَغيرِهِمْ", "صَغِيرٍ", "قَصيرٌ", "قَليلَةً", "لِلصَّغِيرِ"]·ben["অল্প", "ক্ষুদ্রতম", "ছোট", "ছোটকে", "ছোটতর", "সামান্য"]·DE["klein"]·EN["a-small", "least", "little", "small", "smaller", "to-small", "younger"]·FR["petit"]·heb["הַקָּטָן", "לְקָטֹן", "מְעַט", "קְטַנָּם", "קָטָן", "קָטֹן", "קָטֹן-מִכָּל"]·HI["के", "छोटा", "छोटे", "छोटे-की", "छोटेको", "छोत", "थोड़ी"]·ID["kecil", "lebih-kecil", "pendek", "sedikit", "terkecil", "yang-kecil", "yang-muda", "yang-terkecil"]·IT["piccolo"]·jav["alit", "langkung-alit", "paling-alit", "paling-cilik"]·KO["가장-작은-것이다", "가장-작은-자가", "더-작은", "더-작은-자가", "작은", "작은-자-로부터", "작은-자도", "작은-자에게", "작은-자에서부터"]·PT["a-pequeno", "menor", "pequena", "pequeno"]·RU["мал", "малого", "малое", "малому", "малую", "малый", "меньше", "меньшего", "меньший"]·ES["a-pequeño", "menor", "más-pequeño", "pequeño", "poca"]·SW["kiungo-kidogo", "kundi-dogo", "kwa-wadogo", "mdogo", "mdogo-kuliko", "mdogo-zaidi", "mfupi", "ndogo-zaidi", "nguvu-ndogo", "wadogo"]·TR["az", "daha-küçük", "en-küçük", "küçük", "küçükten", "küçüğe", "küçüğün", "kısa"]·urd["تھوڑی", "میں", "چھوٹا", "چھوٹے", "چھوٹے-سے"]
Matt 11:11, Matt 13:32, Mark 4:31, Mark 15:40, Luke 7:28, Luke 9:48, Luke 12:32, Luke 19:3, Acts 8:10, Acts 26:22, Heb 8:11, Jas 3:5 (+1 more)
3. little ones (substantivized: lowly/insignificant people) — The substantivized plural 'little ones' (hoi mikroi, ton mikron) referring to humble, vulnerable, or seemingly insignificant members of the faith community. Jesus warns against despising 'these little ones' (Matt 18:10) and declares that causing one of them to stumble warrants a millstone around the neck (Matt 18:6; Mark 9:42). The term carries protective tenderness—God's special regard for those the world overlooks. 11×
AR["الصِّغارَ", "الصِّغارِ", "الصِّغَارِ", "صِغارٍ", "صِغارِ"]·ben["ক্ষুদ্র", "ক্ষুদ্রদের", "ছোট", "ছোটদের", "নগণ্যদের"]·DE["klein"]·EN["little-ones", "of-small", "small"]·FR["petit"]·heb["הַקְּטַנִּים", "קְטַנִּים"]·HI["छोटे", "छोटों", "छोटों-में-से", "छोतोन"]·ID["kecil", "kecil,", "kecil-kecil"]·IT["piccolo"]·jav["alit", "ingkang-alit", "ingkang-alit-alit", "tiyang-alit"]·KO["작은-자들", "작은-자들과", "작은-자들의", "작은-자들이"]·PT["pequeninos", "pequenos"]·RU["малые", "малым", "малых", "малых,"]·ES["de-pequeños", "pequeños", "pequeños,"]·SW["wadogo", "wadogo,"]·TR["küçükler", "küçüklerden", "küçüklere", "küçükleri", "küçüklerin"]·urd["چھوٹو", "چھوٹوں", "چھوٹوں-کا", "چھوٹے"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)H0702 1. four (cardinal number) (277×)G3956 2. every, each (distributive) (227×)H8337 1. six (cardinal number) (215×)G3956 3. all things, everything (substantive) (211×)G3956 4. (187×)H6235 1. ten (177×)G3173 1. great in size or extent (176×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
μικρός and σμῑκρός, ά, όν, Doric dialect, Ionic dialect μικκός (which see): σμικρός is corroborated by metre in Refs 8th c.BC+, and might be restored in Refs 8th c.BC+; it is probably the only form in Refs 5th c.BC+ (μικρός Refs 5th c.BC+; most frequently in Refs 5th c.BC+; Attic dialect Inscrr. have σμικρός Refs:—small, little, __1 in Size, μ. ἔην δέμας Refs 8th c.BC+: as a Comedy texts…