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זְעֵיר

𐤆𐤏𐤉𐤓

zᵉʻêyr

H2191 noun

SILEX Entry

Root זער to be small, to diminish, to be minor

Definition

Having little size, extent, importance, or duration; comparatively small or insignificant. In context, refers to something minor or lesser in quantity, age, or status, and can be used both literally (physical size or age) and figuratively (importance or degree).

Semantic Range

small in size, little in amount, of short duration, minor in importance, of young age; a little, a small quantity, a short time

Root / Etymology

Derived from a presumed root ז־ע־ר which does not occur independently in Biblical Hebrew. The form appears to be related by phonetic permutation to the root צ־ע־ר (tsaʿar, 'to be small, to be insignificant, to diminish'). The word itself is an adjective formed with a pattern signifying 'smallness.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

זְעֵיר appears in a very limited number of biblical passages, notably in Daniel (Aramaic sections) and in Job, and typically contrasts with words for 'great' or 'large.' Its meaning is consistently 'small' or 'little,' whether referring to time (i.e., 'a little while'), size, or importance. The term is used both in Standard Biblical Hebrew texts (e.g., Job 36:2) and in biblical Aramaic (e.g., Daniel 7), and its sense remains stable between these dialects. Later English translations sometimes use 'little' or 'small,' but in some contexts, 'a short time' reflects its temporal nuance (especially in Daniel). The word should be distinguished from related terms like קָטֹן (qaton, 'small,' often for persons or things) and מְעַט (me'at, 'few, little' quantifying amount). Its usage does not connote moral or qualitative judgment, focusing merely on comparative or absolute scale. In some translation traditions, the nuance of insignificance is introduced, but this is a contextual extension rather than a primary lexical sense.

Translation Consistency

primary "small" 4 occurrences

‘Small’ is the most common rendering in the P2 data and naturally covers the full SILEX range (size, amount, duration, importance, age). It is neutral and idiomatic in English, making it the best single form to use consistently for all instances of H2191.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"little" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

xlit zeʻêyr corrected to zᵉʻêyr; from an unused root (akin (by permutation) to צָעַר), meaning to dwindle; small; little.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

זער (z-ʿ-r) — to be small, to diminish, to be minor

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2192 זְעֵיר small
H4213 מִזְעָר a small amount

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2191-01 זְעֵ֥יר zeeyr HNcmsa little small one small one 5

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2191-01 Isaiah 28:10 זְעֵ֥יר zeeyr HNcmsa little small one small one
H2191-01 Isaiah 28:10 זְעֵ֥יר zeeyr-2 HNcmsa little small one small one
H2191-01 Isaiah 28:13 זְעֵ֥יר zeeyr HNcmsa little small one small one
H2191-01 Isaiah 28:13 זְעֵ֣יר zeeyr-2 HNcmsa little small one small one
H2191-01 Job 36:2 זְ֭עֵיר zeeyr HNcmsa a little small one a little
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