μικρός

μικρός, ά, όν (‘small’ Hom.+) comp. μικρότερος, έρα, ον

① pert. to a relatively limited size, measure, or quantity, small, short

ⓐ of stature Lk 19:3. Perh. also Ἰάκωβος ὁ μικρός (ὁ μ. after a person’s name: Aristoph., Ran. 708; X., Mem. 1, 4, 2; Aristot., Pol. 5, 10 p. 1311b, 3; Diog. L. 1, 79 of a ‘younger’ Pittacus; Sb 7576, 6 [I A.D.]; 7572, 10 [II A.D.]) Mk 15:40 (s. Ἰάκωβος 3). This pass. may possibly belong to

ⓑ of age. Subst.: the little one, the child (ὁ μικρός Menand., Sam. 39f; PLond 893, 7 [40 A.D.]; PFay 113, 14. ἡ μικρά PLond III, 899, 6 p. 208 [II A.D.]) Mt 18:6, 10, 14.—For the designation of all the members of a group as μικροὶ κ. μεγάλοι, etc. cp. μέγας 1d: Ac 8:10; 26:22; Hb 8:11 (Jer 38:34); Rv 11:18; 13:16; 19:5, 18; 20:12.

ⓒ of distance. Adv.: a short distance, a little way (X., Cyr. 1, 2, 15; Dionys. Byz. §8 and 13) προελθὼν μικρόν (Ps.-Demetr. 226) Mt 26:39; Mk 14:35.

ⓓ of time

α. adj. short, of time χρόνον μικρόν (Pla., Rep. 6, 498d; Ael. Aristid. 34 p. 661 D.; Is 54:7) J 7:33; cp. 12:35; Rv 6:11; 20:3.

β. adv. a short time, a little while (Jos., Ant. 4, 159; 8, 405) J 13:33 (cp. Job 36:2); Hs 9, 4, 4; 9, 5, 1 (v.l.). μικρόν for a moment (Menand., Epitr. 474 J.=538 Kö.; JosAs 15:14; ParJer 2:9; cp. πρὸς μ. μ. ‘little by little’ GrBar 7:3) Hv 4, 1, 6. μετὰ μικρόν after a short while (Just., D. 56, 17; Phlegon: 257 Fgm. 36, 1, 2 Jac.; Lucian, Dial. Mort. 15, 3; Synes., Dio 1 p. 234, 5 NTerzaghi [’44]) Mt 26:73; Mk 14:70. (ἔτι) μικρὸν καί … in a little while, lit. ‘yet a little while, and’=soon (Ex 17:4; Jer 28:33; Hos 1:4; TestJob 24:1) J 14:19; 16:16–19. ἔτι μ. ὅσον ὅσον = soon Hb 10:37; 1 Cl 50:4 (both Is 26:20; s. B-D-F §127, 2; 304; Rob. 733).

ⓔ of mass or compass relative to things

α. small (X., Mem. 3, 14, 1 μ. ὄψον; TestAbr B 8 p. 112, 20 [Stone p. 72] πύλη; ApcSed 11:3 μ. κτίσμα; ViIs, ViEzk, ViHab, ViJer, et al. 3 [p. 69, 7 Sch.] ὕδωρ; Just., A I, 19, 1 ῥανίς) μικρότερον πάντων τ. σπερμάτων the smallest of all seeds Mt 13:32; Mk 4:31 (s. σίναπι.—Alex. Aphr., An. II 1 p. 20, 14 οὐδὲν κωλυθήσεται τὸ μέγιστον ἐν τῷ μικροτάτῳ γενέσθαι σώματι). μικρὰ ζύμη a little (bit of) leaven 1 Cor 5:6; Gal 5:9. Of the tongue μικρὸν μέλος a small member Js 3:5 (cp. Eur., Fgm. TGF 411).

β. subst. neut. (τὸ) μικρόν what is insignificant, small τὸ μ. τηρεῖν 2 Cl 8:5 (apocr. saying of Jesus). μικρὰ φρονεῖν περί τινος think little of someth. 2 Cl 1:1f (μικρὸν φρονεῖν Soph., Aj. 1120; Plut., Mor. p. 28c).—Pl. insignificant things, trifles (Aelian, VH 2, 27) μικρὰ κατʼ ἀλλήλων ἔχειν have trifling complaints against each other Hs 8, 10, 1b.

γ. subst. neut. a little μικρόν τι (Diod S 1, 74, 1; Ael. Aristid. 48, 37 K.=24 p. 474 D.; UPZ 70, 3 [152/151 B.C.]; cp. Just., D. 115, 6 ἓν δὲ μ. ὁτιοῦν) a little 2 Cor 11:16. μ. τι ἀφροσύνης vs. 1 (Procop. Soph., Ep. 80 μοὶ μικρὸν δίδου νεανιεύεσθαι). παρὰ μικρόν (Isocr. 19, 22; Dionys. Byz. §3 and 50; Ps 72:2; Ezk 16:47; PsSol 16:1; Jos., C. Ap. 2, 270) except for a little, nearly Hs 8, 1, 14. κατὰ μικρόν in brief (Galen XIX p. 176 K.: Lucian, Catapl. 17, De Merc. Cond. 35) 1:5. μικροῦ δεῖν early, almost AcPl Ha 3, 34 (Jos., C. Ap. 2, 168 al.).

ⓕ small in number (Gen 30:30; 47:9) τὸ μικρὸν ποίμνιον Lk 12:32.

② pert. to being of little import, unimportant, insignificant

ⓐ of pers. lacking in importance, influence, power, etc. εἷς τῶν μικρῶν τούτων one of these humble folk (disciples? so Goodsp.) Mt 10:42; Mk 9:42 (Kephal. I 189, 6–19; 201, 30 interprets ‘the little ones who believe’ as catechumens. But the Gk. word μικρός is not found in the Coptic text); Lk 17:2. OMichel, ‘Diese Kleinen’, e. Jüngerbezeichnung Jesu: StKr 108, ’37/38, 401–15. ὁ μικρότερος ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τ. οὐρανῶν the one of least importance in the Kingdom of Heaven (but FDibelius, ZNW 11, 1910, 190–92 and OCullmann, ConNeot 11, ’47, 30 prefer ‘youngest’, and refer it to Christ) Mt 11:11; cp. Lk 7:28. ὁ μικρότερος ἐν πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχων the one who is least among you all 9:48.

ⓑ small, insignificant (Ath. 23, 3 δόξαι) δύναμις Rv 3:8. μισθός 2 Cl 15:1b (cp. a: μ. συμβουλία). ἐπιθυμίαι Hs 8, 10, 1a.

③ the state of being small, smallness subst. neut. ἐκ μικροῦ αὐξῆσαι Mt 20:28 D.—B. 880. M-M. TW.