H6996a H6996a
Small, young, or least; of diminutive size, younger age, or lowest rank within a group
A flexible adjective spanning physical size, age, and social standing. In family narratives, qatan identifies the younger child — Jacob over Esau (Gen 27:15), Rachel as the younger sister (Gen 29:16). In prophetic and legal contexts it denotes the least significant: "from the least of them to the greatest" (Jer 6:13). Spanish distinguishes pequeño (small) from menor (younger), revealing how context shifts the same Hebrew word between physical and relational senses. The psalmist's assurance that God blesses "both small and great" (Ps 115:13) captures the social dimension beautifully.
Senses
1. small in size or degree — The basic adjectival sense: small in physical size, quantity, or importance. Covers everything from small stones (Deut 25:13) to insignificant matters (Num 22:18). Spanish pequeño and French petit map directly here. When applied to persons, it often implies social insignificance rather than physical stature, as in David's youth before Goliath (1 Sam 17:14). 27×
AR["الصَّغِيرِ", "صَغيرٌ", "صَغيرَة", "صَغيرَةً", "صَغيرَةٌ", "صَغِيرٌ", "صَغِيرَةً", "صَغِيرَةٌ", "صِغَارٌ", "قِطَنَّه", "قِطَنِّيم", "وَصَغِيرٌ"]·ben["এবং-ছোট", "ক্ষুদ্র", "ছোট", "ছোট-ছোট", "ছোটো"]·DE["[קטן]", "ein-kleines", "jung", "klein", "und-klein"]·EN["and-small", "little", "small", "young"]·FR["et-petit", "jeune", "petit", "petite,", "petits,"]·heb["ו-קטנה", "קטן", "קטנה", "קטנות", "קטנים"]·HI["और-छोटा", "छोटा", "छोटी", "छोटे"]·ID["dan-yang-kecil", "kecil", "yang-kecil"]·IT["[קטנות]", "e-piccolo", "giovane", "piccolo"]·jav["alit", "ingkang-alit", "lan-alit"]·KO["그리고-작은", "어린", "작은", "작은-것", "작은-자"]·PT["e-pequena", "e-pequeno", "pequena", "pequenas", "pequeno", "pequenos"]·RU["и-малая", "маленькая", "маленьких", "маленькое", "маленькой", "маленькую", "малого", "малое", "малую", "малые", "малый", "малый,"]·ES["pequeña", "pequeñas", "pequeño", "pequeños", "y-pequeña"]·SW["dogo", "katan", "kidogo", "mdogo", "na-dogo", "na-ndogo", "vidogo", "wadogo"]·TR["kucuk", "küçük", "küçükler", "küçüğe", "ve-küçük"]·urd["اور-چھوٹا", "چھوٹا", "چھوٹی", "چھوٹے"]
Gen 44:20, Num 22:18, Deut 25:13, Deut 25:14, 2 Sam 9:12, 2 Sam 12:3, 1 Kgs 2:20, 1 Kgs 11:17, 1 Kgs 17:13, 1 Kgs 18:44, 2 Kgs 2:23, 2 Kgs 4:10 (+15 more)
2. young or younger in age — Young or younger in age, especially within sibling relationships. Frequently substantivized with the article — haqqatan, 'the younger one' — as with Jacob (Gen 27:42) and Rachel (Gen 29:16). Spanish el menor and French le plus jeune reveal the comparative force. The pattern of God choosing the younger over the elder (Gen 9:24; 1 Sam 16:11) makes this sense theologically loaded throughout the patriarchal narratives. 12×
AR["الأَصْغَرُ", "الأَصْغَرِ", "الصَّغيرَ", "الصَّغِيرُ", "الصُّغْرَى", "الصُّغْرَى-الـ", "الصُّغْرَيَاتِ", "الـ-صَّغِيرَةِ"]·ben["-কনিষ্ঠ", "-সেই-কনিষ্ঠার", "ছোট", "ছোটদের", "ছোটের", "সেই-ছোট"]·DE["[הקטן]", "[הקטנה]", "[הקטנות]", "den-Kleinen", "der-Kleinen", "der-kleine", "der-younger", "der-youngest", "die-Kleine"]·EN["the-little", "the-younger", "the-youngest"]·FR["[הקטן]", "[הקטנה]", "[הקטנות]", "le-younger", "le-youngest"]·heb["ה-קטן", "ה-קטנה", "ה-קטנות"]·HI["-छोटे", "छोटी", "छोटी-का", "छोटी-के-लिए", "छोटे-को", "छोत", "छोते-ने", "सबसे-छोत"]·ID["-yang-lebih-muda", "yang bungsu", "yang bungsu-", "yang-bungsu", "yang-lebih-muda", "yang-muda"]·IT["[הקטן]", "[הקטנה]", "[הקטנות]", "il-il-più-giovane", "il-minore", "il-più-giovane", "il-younger"]·jav["-ingkang-alit", "ingkang-alit", "ingkang-alit-piyambak", "ingkang-anem", "ingkang-timur"]·KO["그-어린", "그-작은", "그-작은의", "그-작은이의", "그-작은자", "그-작은자가", "작은"]·PT["a-menor", "as-menores", "o-menor"]·RU["младшая", "младшего", "младшей", "младший", "младших", "младшую"]·ES["el-menor", "el-pequeño", "la-menor", "la-pequeña", "las-menores"]·SW["mdogo", "wadogo"]·TR["-küçük", "-küçüğün", "en-küçük", "küçük", "küçüklerini", "küçüğünün"]·urd["سب-سے-چھوٹا", "سب-سے-چھوٹا-تھا", "چھوٹی", "چھوٹی-کا", "چھوٹے", "چھوٹے-نے", "چھوٹے-کے"]
3. least or smallest among a group — Superlative or elative use: the least, smallest, most insignificant member of a group. Often constructed with min (from) or a possessive suffix — "from the least of them" (Jer 6:13; 42:1). Saul protests he is from the smallest clan (1 Sam 9:21). Spanish desde el menor de ellos captures the partitive construction well. This sense carries theological weight: God repeatedly works through what is qatan. 7×
AR["الأَصْغَرِينَ", "الصِّغارَ", "الـ-أَصْغَرِ", "صَغِيرِهِمْ", "مِنْ-أَصْغَرِ", "مِنْ-صَغِيرِهِمْ"]·ben["ক্ষুদ্রতম-থেকে", "ক্ষুদ্রতম-থেকে-তাদের", "ক্ষুদ্রতমদের", "তাদের-ছোট", "যারা-ক্ষুদ্রতম", "সঙ্গে"]·DE["[הקטנים]", "[למקטנם]", "[מקטנם]", "der-klein", "der-least", "klein", "von-smallest-von"]·EN["and-you-trust", "from-smallest-of", "from-smallest-of-them", "from-their-least", "the-least", "the-small", "their-least"]·FR["[הקטנים]", "[למקטנם]", "[מקטנם]", "de-smallest-de", "jusqu'aux-petits", "le-least", "le-petit"]·heb["ה-קטנים", "ל-מ-קטנם", "מ-קטני", "מ-קטנם", "קטנם"]·HI["छोटे", "छोटों-का", "छोटों-को", "छोटों-से", "से-छोटे", "से-छोटे-उनके"]·ID["dari-yang-paling-kecil", "dari-yang-terkecil", "dari-yang-terkecil-mereka", "yang-kecil", "yang-terkecil", "yang-terkecil."]·IT["[הקטנים]", "[קטנם]", "da-smallest-di", "il-il-meno", "piccolo"]·jav["ingkang-alit", "lan-pitados-panjenengan", "saking-alit", "saking-alit-piyambakipun", "saking-ingkang-alit"]·KO["가장-작은", "가장-작은-에서", "가장-작은-자들의", "그들의-작은-자", "그들의-작은-자에서", "그들의-작은-자에서부터", "작은-자들"]·PT["das-menores-de", "desde-pequeno-deles", "os-menores", "os-pequenos", "pequeno-deles"]·RU["из-малейших", "малейших", "малого-их", "малых", "от-малого-из-них", "от-малого-их"]·ES["a-los-pequeños", "de-la-más-pequeña-de", "desde-el-menor-de-ellos", "desde-su-pequeño", "los-menores?", "pequeno-de-ellos"]·SW["kutoka-mdogo-wao", "kutoka-wadogo-wao", "mdogo-wao", "ndogo-zaidi", "wadogo"]·TR["-en-küçüklerinin", "-küçüklerinden", "en-kucuklerin", "küçükler", "küçüklerine-onların", "küçükünden-onların", "küçüğünden"]·urd["چھوٹوں-تک", "چھوٹوں-کو", "چھوٹے", "چھوٹے-سے", "چھوٹے-سے-ان-کے", "چھوٹے-سے-اُن-کے", "چھوٹے-سے-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
† I. קָטָן adj. small, young, unimportant;—abs. ק׳ Gn 9:24 +; sf. קְטַנָּם (Köii. 1, 74) Je 6:13 +; fs. קְטַנָּה Gn 29:16 +; mpl. קְטַנִּים 2 K 18:24 +; cstr. קְטַנֵּי 1 S 9:21 (v. Dr; We conj. -נִּי, old cstr., cf. HPS), Pr 30:24; fpl. קְטַנּוֹת Ez 16:61 +;— 1. small: especially a. of children, youth = young, Gn 44:20 (J) 2 S 9:12; 1 K 11:17; 2 K 2:23; 5:2, of sister Ct 8:8; = younger, of two…