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μικρός

mikrós

G3398 substantive adjective

SILEX Entry

Definition

Small in size, quantity, or significance; minor, of limited extent or importance. It can describe something physically small (objects, animals, people), a person of low status or influence, or something minor in degree or rank. In figurative use, it designates a thing, action, or person as unimportant, insignificant, or lesser in comparison to others.

Semantic Range

small in size, small in quantity, little in number, unimportant, insignificant, minor, of low status, least, youngest, lesser in rank or dignity

Root / Etymology

Primary adjective; not formed from another Greek word, but related to the root μικρ- (mikr-), which appears directly in comparisons of size in classical and later Greek. Cognate with Latin 'micrus' (rare), with Indo-European root *meǵh₂- (though the derivation is debated).

Historical & Contextual Notes

μικρός is widely used in classical Greek to denote 'small' in a literal sense, such as of size or quantity (e.g., a small hill, a young child). In Hellenistic and Koine Greek, the term expands to include metaphorical senses—'of little account,' 'insignificant,' or 'inferior in rank.' In the Septuagint, μικρός translates various Hebrew words for 'small,' including קָטָן (qāṭān), often marking relative size, youth, or unimportance. In the New Testament, μικρός is used both literally ('little children,' 'small boat') and figuratively ('least of these,' 'the smallest commandment'), occasionally contrasting with μέγας (great). The term does not inherently carry a moral or negative connotation in Greek, though context may assign such nuances. Standard English translations often render μικρός as 'small,' 'little,' or 'least,' which generally capture the core meaning but may miss subtleties relating to social or hierarchical status. The word's function as a comparative or superlative ('lesser,' 'least') is context-dependent and can reflect cultural values of status or importance.

Translation Consistency

primary "little" 32 occurrences

Both “little” and “small” are common translations, but “little” best captures the typical semantic range of μικρός in natural English: physical smallness, small quantity, and the sense of being unimportant or minor. Corpus counts favor “little” slightly, and “little” reads naturally in the many figurative and substantive uses (e.g., “the little ones,” “a little thing”), so it will give a consistent, idiomatic rendering across forms.

Alternatives (9 occurrences):
"small" (5x) "small time" (1x) "least" (1x) "small member" (1x) "small one" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

apparently a primary word; small (in size, quantity, number or (figuratively) dignity):--least, less, little, small.

Root Family

μικρός (mikros) — small, little, minor

Root μικρ- small, little, minor
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
G33985 smaller thing

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3398-05 μικρῶν mikron ADJ.S GEN M PL a little while of small ones a little 29
G3398-08 μικροὺς mikrous ADJ.S ACC M PL small small ones little ones 3
G3398-07 μικροῦ mikrou ADJ.R GEN M SG the least of a small one of a little one 3
G3398-01 μικρὰ mikra ADJ.A NOM F SG little small (feminine singular) little 2
G3398-03 μικρῷ mikro ADJ.S DAT M SG small to a small one to small 1
G3398-02 μικρὰν mikran ADJ.S ACC F SG little a small (feminine) one a small one 1
G3398-04 μικροὶ mikroi ADJ.S VOC M PL small O small ones small 1
G3398-06 μικρὸς mikros ADJ.P NOM M SG small small one small 1

Occurrences in Scripture

41 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3398-05 Matthew 10:42 μικρῶν mikron ADJ.S GEN M PL little ones of small ones of little ones
G3398-05 Matthew 18:6 μικρῶν mikron ADJ.S GEN M PL little ones of small ones of little ones
G3398-05 Matthew 18:10 μικρῶν mikron ADJ.S GEN M PL little ones of small ones of little ones
G3398-05 Matthew 18:14 μικρῶν mikron ADJ.S GEN M PL little of small ones of little ones
G3398-05 Matthew 26:39 μικρὸν mikron ADJ.S ACC M SG a little of small ones a little
G3398-05 Matthew 26:73 μικρὸν mikron ADJ.S ACC N SG a little while of small ones a little
G3398-05 Mark 9:42 μικρῶν mikron ADJ.S GEN M PL little ones of small ones of little ones
G3398-05 Mark 14:35 μικρὸν mikron ADJ.S ACC N SG a little of small ones a little
G3398-05 Mark 14:70 μικρὸν mikron ADJ.S ACC N SG a little while of small ones a little
G3398-07 Mark 15:40 μικροῦ mikrou ADJ.R GEN M SG the less of a small one of a little one
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