H4591 H4591
To be or become few, to diminish; in Hifil: to make few, reduce, give less; to be too small or insignificant.
A verb centered on smallness and scarcity, ma'at describes the dwindling of people, possessions, or significance. In Qal it is intransitive—a people 'become few' (Jer 29:6; Isa 21:17), or wealth 'diminishes' (Prov 13:11). The Hifil makes it causative: God 'reduces' wild beasts (Lev 26:22), or those with small households 'gather less' manna (Exod 16:17-18). A distinctive usage appears in Exodus 12:4, where a household may be 'too small' for a Passover lamb—here scarcity becomes insufficiency. The interplay between Qal and Hifil lets Hebrew speakers express both experiencing and causing diminishment with the same root.
Senses
1. make few, reduce, diminish — Hifil causative: to make few, reduce in number or quantity, to give or gather less. This is the most frequent sense with thirteen occurrences. Those who gathered little manna had no lack (Exod 16:17-18); the one who gives less shall not reduce the half-shekel (Exod 30:15); God will 'diminish' wild beasts from the land (Lev 26:22). Spanish 'disminuir' consistently renders this causative meaning. The Jubilee land-pricing law (Lev 25:16) uses the infinitive: 'according to the fewness of years you shall reduce its price'—economics governed by the mathematics of scarcity. 13×
AR["الْمُقَلِّلُ","تُقَلِّلَنِي","تُقَلِّلُ","تُقَلِّلُونَ","تُقَلِّلِي","تُقِلُّ","وَ-الْمُقَلِّلُ","وَ-يُقَلِّلُ","وَأُقَلِّلُهُمْ","يُقَلِّل","يُقَلِّلُ"]·ben["-কম-করেছিল","আর-আমি-ক্ষুদ্র-করব-তাদের","এবং-কমকারী","এবং-কমকারীর","এবং-কমাবে","কম-কর","কম-দেবে","কমাবে","ক্ষুদ্র-কর-আমাকে","তিনি-হ্রাস-করলেন","হ্রাস-করবে"]·DE["[והמעטתים]","[תמעטני]","der-eins-der-least","du-soll-diminish","du-soll-vermindern","er-lass-diminish","mache-wenige","soll-decrease","und-der-eins-klein","und-es-wird-machen-wenige"]·EN["He-let-diminish","You-diminish-me","and-I-will-diminish-them","and-it-will-make-few","and-the-one-little","make-few","shall-decrease","the-one-who-least","you-shall-decrease","you-shall-diminish"]·FR["--diminuer","[תמעטני]","diminuer","et-cela-fera-faire-peu","et-diminuer","et-le-un-petit","fais-peu","le-un-qui-least","tu-devra-diminish","tu-devra-diminuer"]·heb["ה-ממעיט","ו-ה-ממעיט","ו-המעטתים","ו-המעיטה","ימעיט","תמעיט","תמעיטו","תמעיטי","תמעיטני"]·HI["उसने-घटने-दिया","और-कम","और-कम-करूंगा-उन्हें-मैं","और-कम-वाले-ने","और-घटाएगा","कम-दे","कम-माँगना","घटा-दे-मुझे","घटाना","जिसने-कम-किया","तू घटाएगा"]·ID["Engkau-mengurangi-aku","Ia-kurangi","akan-mengurangi","dan-Aku-akan-mengurangi-mereka","dan-mereka-akan-mengurangi","dan-yang-sedikit","kamu-akan-mengurangi","kamu-sedikitkan","persedikit","sedikit","yang-paling-sedikit"]·IT["[והמעטתים]","[תמעטני]","diminui'","e-esso-fara-fare-pochi","e-il-uno-poco","fa-pochi","il-uno-che-least","shall-diminuire","tu-dovra-diminish","tu-dovra-diminuire"]·jav["Panjenengan-nyilikaken-Kula","dipunsuda","ingkang-sakedhik","kirang","lan-Kawula-badhe-ngandhapaken-piyambakipun-sedaya","lan-ingkang-sekedhik","lan-nyuda","panjenengan-nyuda","sakedhik","sakedhikna","sami-sudanen"]·KO["그-적게하는자-가","그리고-적게-주운-자가","그리고-줄일-것이다-내가-그들을","그리고-줄일것이다","너는-적게-할지니라","당신이-나를-줄이시리라","덜-내지-말-것이다","적게-하지","줄이셨도다","줄일-것이다"]·PT["dará-menos","diminuas","diminui","diminuireis","diminuirás","e-ao-que-pouco","e-o-que-pouco.","e-os-diminuirei","e-vos-diminuirá","me-diminuas","o-que-menos"]·RU["-уменьшай","и-мало-собравший","и-у-мало-собравшего","и-умалю-их","и-уменьшит","меньше-всех-собравший","умалить-меня","умаляет","уменьшай","уменьшит","уменьшите","уменьшишь"]·ES["disminuirá","disminuirás","disminuiréis","disminuye","el-que-menos","me-reduzcas","pocas","y-el-que-menos","y-los-disminuiré","y-os-disminuirá"]·SW["aliyekusanya-kidogo","atapunguza","lete-vichache","mtapunguza","na-aliyekusanya-kidogo","na-itawapunguza","na-nitawapunguza","nipunguze","punguza","utapunguza"]·TR["azaltacak","azaltacaksın","azaltacaksın-beni","azaltacaksınız","azaltma","azalttı","en-az-toplayan","ve-az-toplayan","ve-azaltacak","ve-azaltacağım-onları"]·urd["اور-کم-کرنے-والے-نے","اور-کم-کرنے-والے-کو","اور-کم-کروں-گا-اُنہیں-میں","اور-کم-کرے-گی","جس-نے-کم-کیا","مجھے-کم-کر-دے","کم","کم-دے-گا","کم-لو","کم-مانگنا","کم-نہیں-ہونے-دیتا","کم-کرو","کم-کرے-گا"]
Exod 16:17, Exod 16:18, Exod 30:15, Lev 25:16, Lev 26:22, Num 11:32, Num 26:54, Num 33:54, Num 35:8, 2 Kgs 4:3, Ps 107:38, Jer 10:24 (+1 more)
2. be/become few, diminish — Qal intransitive: to be or become few in number, to diminish or dwindle. A people who do not multiply 'become few' (Jer 29:6; 30:19); the remnant of Kedar's warriors 'shall be few' (Isa 21:17); and the psalmist observes how the afflicted 'were diminished' (Ps 107:39). Proverbs 13:11 applies it to wealth: 'wealth gained hastily dwindles.' Spanish 'disminuir' and 'ser disminuidos' capture both the process and result. The pairing with 'multiply' (rabah) in Jeremiah creates a powerful antithetical parallelism. 6×
AR["تَقِلُّ","تَقِلُّوا","قِلَّةِ","وَ-يَقِلّونَ","يَقِلُّونَ"]·ben["এবং-তারা-হ্রাস-পেল","কম","স্বল্প-হবে","হ্রাস-পাও","হ্রাস-পাবে-তারা","হ্রাস-পায়"]·DE["[ימעט]","[ימעטו]","[תמעטו]","und-sie-became-wenige","wenige-von"]·EN["and-they-became-few","become-few","dwindles","few-of","will-become-few","will-they-be-few"]·FR["[ימעטו]","[תמעטו]","diminuer","et-diminuer","peu-de"]·heb["ו-ימעטו","ימעט","ימעטו","מעט","תמעטו"]·HI["और-वे-घट-गए","कम-हो-जाएंगे","कमी","घटेंगे-वे","घटेगा","घटो"]·ID["akan-berkurang","berkurang","dan-mereka-berkurang","mereka-akan-berkurang","sedikitnya"]·IT["[ימעטו]","[תמעטו]","dwindles","e-diminui'","pochi-di"]·jav["Lan-sami-suda","badhe-suda","sekedhik","suda"]·KO["그리고-줄어들었으니","적어지리니","적음에","줄어들리라","줄어들지-말라","줌다"]·PT["E-são-diminuídos","diminuirá","diminuirão","diminuíais","poucos-de"]·RU["И-уменьшаются","малости","умалится","умаляется","уменьшайтесь","уменьшатся"]·ES["Y-son-disminuidos","disminuirá","disminuirán","disminuyáis","la-escasez-de"]·SW["na-walipungua","punguane","punguza","uchache-wa-","unapungua","watapungua"]·TR["azalacak","azalacaklar","azalın","azalır","azlığı-","ve-azaldılar"]·urd["اور-کم-ہوتے-ہیں","کم","کم-ہو-جاتا-ہے","کم-ہوں-گے","گھٹو","گھٹیں-گے-وہ"]
3. be too small, be insignificant — Qal intransitive: to be too small, too little, or insufficient for a given purpose. In Exodus 12:4, if a household 'is too small' for a whole Passover lamb, it must share with a neighbor—a practical ruling with deep communal implications. Nehemiah 9:32 pleads that God not let the hardship 'seem small' before him. Spanish 'ser pequeña' and German 'ist auch klein' reflect this evaluative nuance, where the verb measures adequacy rather than mere quantity. 2×
AR["صَغُرَ","يَصْغُرْ"]·ben["কম-হয়","লঘু-মনে-হোক"]·DE["[ימעט]","ist-auch-klein"]·EN["is-too-small","let-seem-little"]·FR["[ימעט]","est-aussi-petit"]·heb["ימעט"]·HI["छोटा-हो","छोटी-लगे"]·ID["dianggap-kecil","terlalu-sedikit"]·IT["[ימעט]","è-anche-piccolo"]·jav["dados-alit","kirang"]·KO["적게-보이게-하소서","적다면"]·PT["for-pequena","seja-pequena"]·RU["да-будет-малым","мал"]·ES["es-pequeña","sea-pequeña"]·SW["itakuwa-ndogo","onekane-ndogo"]·TR["küçük-görme","küçükse"]·urd["چھوٹا-ہو","کم-ہو"]
4. became few (intensive) — Piel factitive: to become few or diminished, with emphasis on the resultant state of reduction. This rare intensive form appears in Ecclesiastes 12:3, describing the grinding women who 'have become few'—part of Qoheleth's allegorical portrait of aging, where the 'grinders cease because they are few.' The Piel intensifies what the Qal states simply, underscoring the completeness of the diminishment. Spanish 'disminuyeron' renders the accomplished fact of reduction. 1×
AR["مِعَطُو"]·ben["কমে-যায়"]·DE["[מעטו]"]·EN["they-are-few"]·FR["diminuer"]·heb["מיעטו"]·HI["कम-हो-गईं"]·ID["mereka-menjadi-sedikit"]·IT["essi-sono-few"]·jav["sakedhik"]·KO["적어졌다"]·PT["diminuem"]·RU["уменьшились,"]·ES["disminuyeron"]·SW["wamepungua"]·TR["azaldilar"]·urd["کم-ہو-گئیں"]
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
† [מָעַט] vb. be or become small, diminished, few (NH, Talm., id.; Arabic مَعِطَ is to be without hair on the body)— Qal Impf. יִמְעַט Ex 12:4, 2 mpl. תִּמְעָ֑טוּ Je 29:6, 3 mpl. יִמְעָ֑טוּ Is 21:17 +, וַיִּמְעֲטוּ ψ 107:39; Inf. מְעֹם Lv 25:16;—Ex 12:4 אִם־יִמְעַט הַבַּיִת מִהְיוֹת מִשֶּׂה if the house be too small for a lamb; Ne 9:32 אַל־יִמְעַט לְפָנֶיךָ אֵת כָּל־הַתְּלָאָה (cf. Ges§ 117 l);…