מְעַט

1. a. Gen 30:30 מעט אשׁר היה לך לְפָנַי the little that thou hadst, Gen 47:9 מעט ורעים היו ימי שׁני חיי few and evil, Lev 25:52; Num 26:54 (compare Num 33:54) וְלַמְעַט תמעיט נחלתו and to the small (few) thou shalt make small his inheritance, vNum 33:56; Num 35:8 וּמֵאֵת ַ˜המְעַט תמעיטו, Deut 7:7 וכי אתם ַ˜המְעַט מכלֿ העמים ye are the fewest out of all peoples, 1Sam 14:6 לְהוֺשִׁיעַ בְּרַב אוֺ בִמְעָ֑ט, Jer 42:2 כִּי נִשְׁאַרְנוּ מְעַט מֵהַרְבֵּה we are left as few out of many, Ezek 5:3 וְלָקַחְתָּ מִשָּׁם מְעַט בְּמִסְפָּר, Hag 1:6 זְרַעְתֶּם הַרְבֵּה וְהָבֵא מְעָ֑ט (compare vHag 1:9), Ps 8:6 ותחסּרהו מעט מאלהים, Ps 37:16 טוֺב מְעַט לַצַּדִּיק (compare Prov 15:16; Prov 16:8), 2Chr 29:34 רַק הַכֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ לִמְעָ֑ט; as predicate Num 13:18 הַמְעַט הוּא אִםרָֿ֑ב, Josh 7:3 כִּי מְעַט הֵמָּה, Job 10:20; Ruth 2:7; Neh 7:4; Isa 16:14 וּשְׁאָר מְעַט מִזְעָר. — Hos 8:10 וַיָּחֵלּוּ מְעַט and they begin as littleness ( = to be minished) because of, &c.; but read probably (ᵐ5) וְיֶחְדְּלוּ מְעַט מִמְּשֹׁחַ and they shall cease for a little (d) from anointing, etc.
  b. as substantive with following genitive, Gen 18:4 מְעַט מַיִם a little of water, Gen 24:17; Gen 24:43, מְעַט אֹכֶל Gen 43:2; Gen 44:25; 1Sam 14:43; 1Sam 17:28 מְעַט הַצּאֹן הָהֵ֫נָּה literally the fewness of those sheep, Prov 6:10 +; as genitive to a previous substantive, מְתֵי מְעָ֑ט men of fewness Deut 26:5; Deut 28:62 in apposition, Isa 10:7 לְהַכְרִית גּוֺיִם לֹא מְעָ֑ט, Ezra 9:8 מִחְיָה מְעַט, Neh 2:12 וַאֲנָשִׁים מְעַט עִמִּי, Eccl 9:4 either genitive or appositive, Eccl 10:1; Dan 11:34 יֵעָֽזְרוּ עֵזֶר מְעָ֑ט with a help of smallness.
  c. twice declined as an adjective , Ps 109:8 יִהְיוּ יָמָיו מְעַטִּים, Eccl 5:1 עלכֿן יהיו דבריך מְעַטִּים.
  d. as adverb. accusative, of place, 2Sam 16:1 וְדָוִד עֹבֵר מְעַט; of time, Job 10:20 b; of degree, 2Kgs 10:18 אַחְאָב עָבַד אֶתהַֿבַּעַל מְעָ֑ט, Ezek 11:16 and have been to them for a sanctuary but little, Zech 1:15 repeated מְעַט מְעַט by little, by little = gradually, Exod 23:30; Deut 7:22.
  e. phrases: — a. with the interr. הֲ, Gen 30:15 ַ˜המְעַט קַחְתֵּךְ אֶתֿ אִישִׁי וְלָקַחַת was thy taking my husband (too) little? and (wilt thou be) for taking also my son's love-apples? Num 16:9-10 ַ˜המְעַט מִכֶּם כִּי הִבְדִּיל ֗֗֗ וּבִקַּשְׁתֶּם גַּם כְּהֻנָּה is it too little for you that J. hath separated, etc., ... and do ye seek, etc.? vNum 16:13 ַ˜המְעַט כִּי הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ ֗֗֗ כִּי תִשְׂתָּרֵר גַּם הִשְׂתָּרֵר, Josh 22:17f. ׳ַ˜המְעַט לָנוּ ֗֗֗ וְאַתֶּם תָּשׁוּבוּ וגו, Isa 7:13 ׳ַ˜המְעַט מִכֶּם הַלְאוֺת אֲנָשִׁים כִּי תַּלְאוּ וגו is wearying men too little for you, that you will weary also my God? Ezek 34:18 (as Ew Co AV RV), Job 15:11 ַ˜המְעַט מִמְּךָ תַּנְחוּמוֺת אֵל. But Ezek 16:20 (si vera lectio) was it (too) little because of thy whoredom? (was that insufficient for thee? Kö ^{iii. 406 m}). b. ׳עוֺד מְעַט וְ, Exod 17:4 עוֺד מְעַט וּסְקָלֻנִי yet a little, and they will stone me, Jer 51:33; Hos 1:4; Ps 37:10 ׳עוֺד מְעַט מִזְעָר וְ Isa 10:25; Isa 29:17 compare Hag 2:6; Job 24:24.

2. כִּמְעַט like a little: hence
  a. within a little, almost (compare ὀλίγου), Gen 26:10 כִּמְעַט שָׁכַב ֗֗֗ almost had lain ..., Ps 73:2 Qr, Ps 94:17; Ps 119:87; Prov 5:14 (all followed by perfect); Ezek 16:47 כִּמְעַט קָט וַתַּשְׁחִתִי מֵהֶן like a little, and thou hadst done more corruptly than they; Song 3:4 כִּמְעַט שֶׁעָבַרְתִּי מֵהֶם = hardly had I passed.
  b. with imperfect, just, 2Sam 19:37 כמעט יעבר עבדך just would thy servant pass over; lightly, easily, quickly (compare δἰ ὀλίγου), Ps 2:12 כִּי יִבְעַר כִּמְעַט אַפּוֺ, Ps 81:15; Job 32:22.
  c. = shortly, 2Chr 12:7.
  d. = little worth, Prov 10:20 כמעט ולב רשׁעים. e. pleonastic for מְעַט, Isa 1:9 (accents) כִּמְעָ֑ט שָׂרִיר a little remnant, Ps 105:12 (= 1Chr 16:19) כִּמְעַט וְגָרִים בָּהּ; כִּמְעַט רֶגַע like the littleness of a moment = for a little moment, Isa 26:20; Ezra 9:8.