2191. zeer
Lexical Summary
zeer: insignificance, smallness

Original Word: זְעֵיר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ze`eyr
Pronunciation: zay-er
Phonetic Spelling: (zeh-ayr')
KJV: little
NASB: little
Word Origin: [from an unused root (akin (by permutation) to H6819 (צָּעַר - become insignificant)), meaning to dwindle]

1. small

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
little

From an unused root (akin (by permutation) to tsa'ar), meaning to dwindle; small -- little.

see HEBREW tsa'ar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
a little
NASB Translation
little (5).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
זְעֵיר noun [masculine] a little (diminutive form Ol§ 180 LagBN 85) —

1 of quantity, amount (of instruction) שָׁם ׳שָׁם ז ׳ז Isaiah 28:10,13 (in both "" צַו, קַו).

2 of time, וַאֲחַוֶּ֑ךָּ ׳כַּתַּרלִֿי ז Job 36:2.

זער (ᵑ7 Syriac, be small; Biblical Hebrew זְעֵירזְער; Egyptian Aramaic זער Cooke213, Nabataean זעירא, Palmyrene זערא Lzb268 SAC49).



Topical Lexicon
Semantic Range and Nuance

The word conveys the idea of something “small,” “brief,” or “slight”—whether in length of time, quantity, or intensity. It functions adverbially (“a little”) and adjectivally (“little, small”), stressing limitation without denying significance. Scripture often employs the term to underscore that even the smallest portion of divine revelation, time, or mercy carries weight in the purposes of God.

Occurrences and Literary Setting

1. Job 36:2 introduces the term in a plea by Elihu: “Bear with me a little longer, and I will show you that there is yet more to be said on God’s behalf”. Here the small extension of time is requested so that a fuller testimony to God’s greatness may be given.

2–5. Isaiah 28 twice repeats a refrain in verses 10 and 13: “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.” The prophet mocks Judah’s leaders, whose arrogant dismissal of prophetic instruction results in judgment. The double repetition stresses the incremental nature of divine teaching and the people’s reluctance to receive it.

Collectively these contexts associate the word with two settings: patient exposition (Job) and stubborn resistance to that exposition (Isaiah). In both, God’s word comes in measured portions suited to hearers who either humble themselves (as Elihu urges) or harden themselves (as Judah’s leaders do).

Connection with Biblical Themes of Growth and Revelation

Throughout Scripture, the Lord frequently imparts truth “little by little” so that His people may grow (Deuteronomy 7:22; Mark 4:33). The occurrences in Isaiah 28 reveal that when incremental revelation is ignored, those same measured portions become a stumbling block leading to judgment. Conversely, Job 36 shows that even a brief moment spent receiving God-centered teaching can enlarge one’s understanding. Thus the term underscores the pedagogical principle that God often trains His children through manageable segments of truth—and that responsiveness to those segments determines either maturation or hardening.

Historical and Cultural Insights

In Isaiah’s day, Judah’s leaders boasted in human alliances and dismissed prophetic warnings as childish prattle. The prophet’s taunt “here a little, there a little” mirrors their contemptuous attitude toward the simple clarity of God’s commands. Yet the irony is sharp: the very simplicity they disdain becomes the means by which God brings about their downfall. The Assyrian invasion—executed “little by little,” wave after wave—embodies the judgment encoded in the phrase.

Elihu, conversely, speaks in the twilight of the patriarchal period. His request for “a little longer” reflects the ancient Near-Eastern convention of extending hospitality and deference to a guest speaker. The brevity he requests places the focus not on himself but on the magnitude of divine justice he wishes to declare.

Ministry and Devotional Implications

1. Faithful teachers should not despise incremental instruction. Small, steady doses of Scripture build doctrinal stability within the congregation.
2. Hearers must cultivate attentiveness to “little” moments of revelation. Routine devotions, brief exhortations, and short seasons of suffering can become pivotal turning points.
3. Spiritual leaders who dismiss “small” commands drift toward the pattern of Judah’s leaders. The pastoral task includes honoring every portion of God’s word, however minor it may appear, and warning against selective obedience.

Christological and Eschatological Reflections

Jesus Christ embodies the principle of humble smallness—born in an obscure village, teaching with simple parables, sowing the kingdom “like a mustard seed” that grows (Matthew 13:31-32). The term therefore anticipates the Messianic pattern in which what begins “little” culminates in cosmic redemption. Eschatologically, the phrase recalls “a little while” references (for example, Hebrews 10:37; Revelation 6:11) that assure believers of a definitive yet imminent consummation. The people of God live between the “little” already-given revelation and the full unveiling to come.

Summary

Used sparingly yet pointedly, this term highlights the divine strategy of imparting truth and executing judgment in measured portions. Whether requesting a brief audience for exalted teaching (Job) or exposing the tragic ridicule of prophetic clarity (Isaiah), Scripture testifies that God’s “little” is never trivial. Attending to the slightest instruction from the Lord secures blessing, while disregarding it invites calamity.

Forms and Transliterations
זְ֭עֵיר זְעֵ֣יר זְעֵ֥יר זעיר zə‘êr zə·‘êr Zeeir
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Job 36:2
HEB: כַּתַּר־ לִ֣י זְ֭עֵיר וַאֲחַוֶּ֑ךָּ כִּ֤י
NAS: Wait for me a little, and I will show
KJV: Suffer me a little, and I will shew
INT: Wait A little will show there

Isaiah 28:10
HEB: קַ֣ו לָקָ֑ו זְעֵ֥יר שָׁ֖ם זְעֵ֥יר
NAS: line on line, A little here, a little
KJV: upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:
INT: line line A little here A little

Isaiah 28:10
HEB: זְעֵ֥יר שָׁ֖ם זְעֵ֥יר שָֽׁם׃
NAS: A little here, a little there.'
KJV: here a little, [and] there a little:
INT: A little here A little here

Isaiah 28:13
HEB: קַ֣ו לָקָ֔ו זְעֵ֥יר שָׁ֖ם זְעֵ֣יר
NAS: line on line, A little here, a little
KJV: upon line; here a little, [and] there a little;
INT: line line A little here A little

Isaiah 28:13
HEB: זְעֵ֥יר שָׁ֖ם זְעֵ֣יר שָׁ֑ם לְמַ֨עַן
NAS: here, a little there,
KJV: here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go,
INT: A little here A little there because of

5 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 2191
5 Occurrences


zə·‘êr — 5 Occ.

2190
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