adjective
mikros
Strong’sG3398
little, small
stem mikr-46 times in the New Testamentin 11 of 27 books11 of 26 forms occur
What it means
A plain-English reading of the word, with the lexicons it draws on — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, and Liddell-Scott-Jones — right below it, in full.
AI Summary
μικρός means small or little, covering things that are small in physical size, in quantity, in duration, or in importance and status.
In its literal sense the word describes small physical size or short stature, as of a person or a small object like a seed 1234. It can even be used as a term of reproach, calling someone “the little one” 3.
It is also used of small quantity or amount, as with a small amount of food, money, or leaven 123.
Applied to time, it describes something short or brief in duration, and can be used adverbially to mean “a little while,” “a little longer,” or “shortly” 13.
The word is likewise used of persons and things of low rank, little influence, or slight importance rather than physical smallness — for example “the little ones” as a group of low standing, or something described as of small account, petty, or trivial 123. In this sense it stands opposite to what is great or important.
The neuter form is also used adverbially in other ways, such as describing a small distance moved or a slight amount, alongside its use for time 1.
Sources: 1 Abbott-Smith 2 Strong's 3 LSJ 4 Dodson. Condensed by anthropic/claude-sonnet-5 on 2026-09-23 — it may still misstate what these say; check them yourself if it matters to you.
The lexicons it was drawn from, in full:
Abbott-Smith — the 1922 lexicon entry, in full
μικρός, -ά, -όν,
[in LXX chiefly for קָטֹן, מְעָט;]
G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament, 1922 — public domain. References open in the reader.
Strong’s G3398 — the 1890 definition, and where the word comes from
Saidmik-ros'
small (in size, quantity, number or (figuratively) dignity)
Fromapparently a primary word;
King Jamesleast, less, little, small.
James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, 1890 — public domain. The numbers in it link to the entries here.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — the classical dictionary this word appears in
and σμῑκρός, ά, όν, Doric dialect, Ionic dialect μικκός (which see): σμικρός is corroborated by metre in Refs 8th c.BC+, and might be restored in Refs 8th c.BC+; it is probably the only form in Refs 5th c.BC+ (μικρός Refs 5th c.BC+; most frequently in Refs 5th c.BC+; Attic dialect Inscrr. have σμικρός Refs:—small, little,
1 in Size, μ. ἔην δέμας Refs 8th c.BC+: as a Comedy texts exaggeration, δικαστηρίδιον μ. πάνυ Refs 5th c.BC+: with infinitive, μικροὶ δ᾽ ὁρᾶν Refs: as a term of reproach, Κλειγενὴς ὁ μικρός Refs 5th c.BC+; οἱ ἐν μικρῷ μεγάλοι short but stoutly built, Refs 2nd c.AD+
2 in Quantity, σμικρὸν ἐπὶ σμικρῷ καταθεῖναι Refs 8th c.BC+; μ. ὄψον, ἀργυρίδιον, Refs 5th c.BC+
3 in Amount or Importance, petty, trivial, slight, σμ. πρόφασις Refs 6th c.BC+; ἔπος, ἔγκλημα, ῥοπή, etc., Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐκ σμικροῦ λόγου on some slight pretext, Refs; ἐν σμικρῷ λόγῳ παρῆκεν as of small account,Refs 5th c.BC+; οὐδὲ μικρόν, ={οὐδὲ γρῦ}, Refs 4th c.BC+; of persons, of small account, opposed to μέγας, σμ. ἐν σμικροῖς, μέγας ἐν μεγάλοις Refs 5th c.BC+; βίος ὁ μ., ={μέτριος}, Refs 5th c.BC+; τίνος σμικροτάτου μεταβαλόντος, σμικρότατος τὴν δύναμιν, Refs 5th c.BC+; of the mind, οὐ σμικρὸν φρονεῖ Refs 5th c.BC+; of style, mean, [Φίλιστος] μικρὸς ταῖς ἐκφράσεσιν Refs 1st c.BC+; of festivals, of lesser importance, Ἁλίεια τὰ μεγάλα καὶ τὰ μ. Refs
II of Time, short, Refs 5th c.BC+; ἐν μικρῷ (i.e. χρόνῳ) shortly, LXX+5th c.BC+
II.2 of Age, young, Refs 2nd c.BC+
III Adverbial usages,
III.1 regular adverb σμικρῶς, but little, Refs 5th c.BC+; μικρῶς by a little, probably in Refs 3rd c.BC+: superlative σμικρότατα Refs 5th c.BC+
III.2 σμικροῦ or μικροῦ within a little, almost, Refs 4th c.BC+; in full, μικροῦ δεῖν, see at {δεῖ} 11, δέω (B) 1; μικροῦ τινος ἀπελείφθη τοῦ μή.. Refs 3rd c.AD+; but μικροῦ πρίασθαι for a little, cheap, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.3 σμικρῷ by a little, with comparative, Refs 5th c.BC+; also σμικρῷ πρόσθεν a little before, Refs 4th c.BC+
III.4 μικρόν a little, σμικρὸν ὑπολείπεσθαι, σμ. τι παρακλίνειν, Refs 5th c.BC+; of Time, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.5 with Preps.,
III.5.a ἐπὶ σμικρόν but a little, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.5.b κατὰ μικρόν into small pieces, Refs 5th c.BC+; also, little by little, κατὰ μικρὸν ἀεί Refs 5th c.BC+; opposed to συλλήβδην, Refs 5th c.BC+; καὶ κατὰ σμ. or μ. ever so little, Refs 5th c.BC+
III.5.c παρὰ μικρόν within a little, παρὰ μ. ἐλθεῖν with infinitive, to be within an ace of doing, Refs 5th c.BC+; but τὸ παρὰ μ. σῴζεσθαι to be only just saved, Refs 6th c.AD+; gradual, imperceptible change, Refs 4th c.BC+; οὐδὲ παρὰ μ. ἦν κρεῖττον with infinitive, Refs 5th c.BC+; but also παρὰ μ. ποιεῖσθαι, ἡγεῖσθαι, to think little of.., Refs 5th c.BC+
III.5.d μετὰ μικρόν a little after, NT
IV besides regular comparative and superlative μικρότερος, -ότατος Refs 5th c.BC+; see at {μείων. [ῑ} by nature; ῐ only in late Poetry, epigram cited in Refs 1st c.AD+ (Perh. cf. Latin mīca, mīcidus, OHG. smāhi, ONorse smár 'little'.)
H. G. Liddell, R. Scott, H. S. Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon (9th ed., 1925–1940) — digitised by the Perseus Digital Library and corrected and expanded by Tyndale House, Cambridge, via STEPBible-Data's TFLSJ table, CC BY 4.0. Covers all of Greek literature, not just the Bible.
Translated as
Every occurrence, sorted by the English it was actually given — the evidence for what the word means, not a gloss of it.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), dedicated to the public domain — berean.bible.
Biblang forms
Every form this word takes in Biblang, with the Greek it corresponds to and how often the New Testament uses it.
| Job in the sentence case | masculine singular | feminine singular | neuter singular | masculine plural | feminine plural | neuter plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| subject nominative | mikros1×μικρὸς | mikras2×μικρὰ | mikrem17×μικρὸν | mikrois | mikrais | mikreim |
| object accusative | mikron5×μικρὸν | mikran1×μικρὰν | mikroin3×μικροὺς | mikrain | ||
| direct address vocative | mikror | mikrar | mikroir1×μικροὶ | mikrair | ||
| of, belonging to genitive | mikrou3×μικροῦ | mikrau | mikreu | mikroiu6×μικρῶν | mikraiu | mikreiu1×μικρῶν |
| to, for dative | mikro1×μικρῷ | mikra | mikre | mikroi | mikrai | mikrei |
Tinted cells are forms the New Testament never uses, so there is no Greek to show against them — but they are still correct Biblang, built from the slots below like any other.
Why these forms, and no others — the slots that make them
mikr is this word in every one of its forms. The slots after it make all the rest.
same in every form varies — every value shown
Where it appears
Every verse the word appears in, filed under the form it takes there.
46 occurrences, every one of them listed
mikros“short”subjectnominative singular1×
Luke 19:3“short”… apo tou ochlou hoti ta hēlikia mikros ate.… see over the crowd because he was small in stature.
mikron“little”objectaccusative singular5×
John 7:33legata oun tos Iēsus; Ēti chronon mikron meta vu amō kai hupagamō pros …… I am with you only a little while longer, and then I am …
John 12:35legata oun autoi tos Iēsus; Ēti mikron chronon tem fōtem en vi atō. …Then Jesus told them, “For a little while longer, the Light will be …
Hebrews 10:37ēti gar mikron hoson hoson, tos erchorōntos hēkati kai …For, “In just a little while, He who is coming will …
Revelation 6:11… legita autoi hina anapaueli ēti chronon mikron, heōs plērileia kai tois sundoulois autoiu …… white robe and told to rest a little while longer until the full number …
Revelation 20:3“short”… eteim; meta houteim datō luira auton mikron chronon.… the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.
mikrou“least”of, belonging togenitive singular3×
Mark 15:40… Magdalēnas kai Marias tas Iakōbou tou mikrou kai Iōsētou mētēras kai Salōmas,… Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.
Acts 8:10ho prosechale pantois apo mikrou heōs megou legarōntois; Houtos atō tas …and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words …
Hebrews 8:11… kurion, hoti pantois oidali min apo mikrou heōs megou autoiu.… will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.
mikro“small”to, fordative singular1×
Acts 26:22… achri tau hēmerau houtau stēamē marturoorōntos mikro tē kai mego, oudenem ektos legarōntos …… I stand here to testify to small and great alike. I am saying …
mikras“a little”subjectnominative singular2×
1 Corinthians 5:6… tem kauchēmem vu. ouk oidavē hoti mikras zumas holem tem furamem zumatō?… good. Do you not know that a little leaven works through the whole batch …
Galatians 5:9mikras zumas holem tem furamem zumatō.A little leaven works through the whole batch …
mikran“little”objectaccusative singular1×
Revelation 3:8… han oudenos dunotō kleiara autan hoti mikran echasō dunamian, kai tērasa mu ton …… know that you have only a little strength, yet you have kept My …
mikrem“a little while”subject or objectdirect singular17×
Matthew 26:39kai proercharantos mikrem piptata epi prosōpem autou proseuchorōntos kai …Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed …
Matthew 26:73meta mikrem de prosercharantois tois stēarēntois legala to …After a little while, those standing nearby came up to …
Mark 14:35kai proercharantos mikrem piptate epi tau gēau, kai proseuchote …Going a little farther, He fell to the ground …
Mark 14:70tos de palin arnote. kai meta mikrem palin tois parastēarēntois legale to Petro; …But he denied it again. After a little while, those standing nearby said once more …
John 13:33teknieim, ēti mikrem meta vu amō; zētavi min, kai …… children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me …
John 14:19ēti mikrem kai tos kosmos min ouketi theōratō, …In a little while the world will see Me no …
John 16:16Mikrem kai ouketi theōravō min, kai palin …In a little while you will see Me no more …
John 16:16… kai ouketi theōravō min, kai palin mikrem kai horevi min.… Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me.”
John 16:17… Tinem atō houtem hem legatō ni; Mikrem kai ouk theōravō min, kai palin …… Why is He telling us, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and …
John 16:17… kai ouk theōravō min, kai palin mikrem kai horevi min? kai; Hoti hupagamō …… not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’ and ‘Because …
John 16:18… oun; Tinem atō houtem hem legatō mikrem? ouk oidanē tinem lalatō.… kept asking, “Why is He saying, ‘a little while’ ? We do not understand what He …
John 16:19… houteu zētavō meta allēloiu hoti legama; Mikrem kai ouk theōravō min, kai palin …… one another why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and …
John 16:19… kai ouk theōravō min, kai palin mikrem kai horevi min?… not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’?
2 Corinthians 11:1Ofelon anechove mu mikrem tinem afrosunau; alla kai anechovō mu.… you will put up with a little of my foolishness, but you are …
2 Corinthians 11:16… hōs afronon dechevar min, hina kamis mikrem tinem kauchemeia;… so that I too may boast a little.
Luke 12:32Mē fobosōr, tem mikrem poimniem, hoti eudokata tos patros vu …Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased …
James 3:5houtōs kai tas glōssas mikrem melem atō kai megeim auchatō. Idou …… same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it …
mikroin“small”objectaccusative plural3×
Revelation 11:18… toi foborōntoi tem onomem su, toin mikroin kai toin megoin, kai diaftherara toin …… those who fear Your name, both small and great— and to destroy those …
Revelation 13:16kai poiatō pantoin, toin mikroin kai toin megoin, kai toin plousioin …… the second beast required all people, small and great, rich and poor, free …
Revelation 20:12… toin nekroin, toin megoin kai toin mikroin, stēarēntoin enōpion tou thronou, kai biblieim …… I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And books …
mikroir“small”direct addressvocative plural1×
Revelation 19:5… autou, kai tois foborōntoir auton, tois mikroir kai tois megoir.… Him, and those who fear Him, small and great alike!”
mikroiu“little”of, belonging togenitive plural6×
Matthew 10:42kai hos an potizateia henon toiu mikroiu houtoiu potēriem psuchreu monon eis onomem …… cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple …
Matthew 18:6Hos de an skandalizateia henon toiu mikroiu houtoiu toiu pisteuarōntoiu eis min, sumferatō …… if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to …
Matthew 18:10Horavōr mē katafronaveia henou toiu mikroiu houtoiu, legamō gar vi hoti tois …… look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that …
Mark 9:42Kai hos an skandalizateia henon toiu mikroiu houtoiu toiu pisteuarōntoiu eis min, kalem …… if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to …
Luke 17:2… tan thalassan ē hina skandalizateia toiu mikroiu houtoiu henon.… than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.
Revelation 19:18… pantoiu eleutheroiu tē kai douloiu kai mikroiu kai megoiu.… riders, of everyone slave and free, small and great.”
mikreiu“little”of, belonging togenitive plural1×
Matthew 18:14… en ouranoi hina apoleteia henem teiu mikreiu houteiu.… not willing that any of these little ones should perish.
mikroteros3×
Matthew 11:11… megoteros Iōannou tou baptistou; tos de mikroteros en ta basileia toiu ouranoiu megoteros …… John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is …
Luke 7:28… gunaikaiu Iōannou oudenos atō; tos de mikroteros en ta basileia tou theou megoteros …… greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is …
Luke 9:48… dechotō ton apostelaranton min; tos gar mikroteros en pantoi vi huparcharōntos houtos atō …… sent Me. For whoever is the least among all of you, he is …
mikroterem2×
Matthew 13:32hem mikroterem men atō panteiu teiu spermeiu, hotan …Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows …
Mark 4:31… hos hotan speriteia epi tau gēau, mikroterem arōntem panteiu teiu spermeiu teiu epi …… a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the …