מָעַט (ma.at)
ma.at
to diminish
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 20 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb maʿat means to become small, few, or diminished. It describes a reduction in size, number, or strength. In the Old Testament, it often appears in legal and historical contexts where quantities are adjusted. For example, land inheritance was distributed according to the number of people, with larger shares for many and smaller ones for few (Numbers 26:54; 33:54). The word captures the reality that resources and populations fluctuate.
Its root sense involves paring off or scraping away, leading to a state of being little. Translators render it variously as "diminish," "make few," or "be small." In Leviticus 25:16, it guides fair pricing for land based on the years remaining until the Jubilee. The verb also appears in poetic texts, such as Psalm 107:39, where God diminishes the multitude, showing divine sovereignty over growth and decline.
This word highlights a theological theme: scarcity is not always accidental but can be part of a larger order. It reminds readers that numbers and strength are temporary. The Bible uses maʿat to show that even reduction serves a purpose, whether in justice, judgment, or provision. It grounds human experience in the reality of limits.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word maʿat reminds us that reduction is a real part of life, whether in our resources, strength, or numbers. In ancient Israel, laws adjusted inheritance and offerings based on these changes, showing that God’s justice accounts for human limits. This verb captures the reality that we do not always have enough, and that scarcity can be a tangible experience rather than just an abstract idea.
Yet Scripture also shows that this diminishment is not without purpose. In Psalm 107:39, being made few is linked to oppression, yet it remains under God’s sovereign watch. Conversely, in Leviticus 25:16, the price of land diminishes as time passes, reflecting a fair system where value adjusts to reality. These passages ground our faith in the truth that God sees both our plenty and our lack.
When we face seasons where things seem smaller or weaker than before, this word invites us to trust that our circumstances are known to Him. It encourages a steady heart that does not panic when numbers drop or strength fades, but rests in the One who holds all measures in His hands.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 20 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you will make small3×
- and/ the/ [one who] made little2×
- you will decrease1×
- you should diminish/ me1×
- you make few1×
- you diminish1×
- they will diminish1×
- they will be few1×
- they have become few1×
- the/ [one who] did little1×
- it will become small1×
- it will be [too] small1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּמְעִ֖יט2×
- יִמְעַ֣ט2×
- תַּמְעִטֵֽ/נִי\׃1×
- תַּמְעִֽיטִי\׃1×
- תַּמְעִ֣יט1×
- תַּמְעִ֑יטוּ1×
- תִּמְעָֽטוּ\׃1×
- מִעֵ֔טוּ1×
- מְעֹ֣ט1×
- יַמְעִֽיט\׃1×
- יַמְעִ֔יט1×
- יִמְעָ֔טוּ1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 25:16
According to the length of the years you shall increase its price, and according to the shortness of the years you shall diminish its price; for he is selling the number of the crops to you.
This verse shows the word applied to economic value, demonstrating that God’s laws account for changing circumstances and fairness over time.
-
Psalms 107:39
Again, they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.
Here the verb describes a painful reduction caused by oppression, highlighting how divine sovereignty oversees both growth and decline in human history.
-
Exodus 16:18
When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They each gathered according to his eating.
In the wilderness narrative, this word explains how manna was distributed so that no one had excess or lack, illustrating God’s provision meeting exact needs.
-
Jeremiah 29:6
Take wives and father sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and don’t be diminished.
This command to not be diminished offers hope for stability and growth during exile, showing the word used in a context of future restoration.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Hebrew word maʿat mean?
How is maʿat different from words for 'destroy'?
Where does this word appear most significantly?
Every Occurrence (20 verses across 10 books)
Exodus 4 verses
and if the household is too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take one according to…
Exodus 16:17The children of Israel did so, and some gathered more, some less.
Exodus 16:18When they measured it with an omer, he who gathered much had nothing over, and he who gathered little had no lack. They…
Exodus 30:15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of…