The term "scanty" refers to something that is insufficient in quantity or quality, lacking in fullness or richness. In the context of the Bible, the concept of scantiness can be applied to various aspects of life, including material possessions, spiritual resources, and moral integrity. The Bible often contrasts scantiness with abundance, highlighting the blessings of God as opposed to the insufficiency of human efforts.

Material Scantiness

In the Old Testament, scantiness is often associated with the consequences of disobedience to God's commandments. For instance, in Haggai 1:6 , the prophet describes the people's experience of scarcity due to their neglect of God's house: "You have planted much but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough; you drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a bag with holes." This passage illustrates how material scantiness can result from misplaced priorities and a lack of devotion to God.

The theme of scantiness is also evident in the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28, where disobedience leads to a lack of prosperity and abundance. Conversely, obedience to God's laws is promised to bring about plenty and prosperity, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:11-12 : "The LORD will make you prosper abundantly—in the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your land. The LORD will open the heavens, His abundant storehouse, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands."

Spiritual Scantiness

The New Testament addresses the concept of spiritual scantiness, particularly in the context of faith and righteousness. Jesus warns against spiritual poverty in the parable of the sower, where the seed that falls on rocky ground represents those who receive the word with joy but have no root, leading to a scanty spiritual life (Matthew 13:20-21). This parable emphasizes the importance of a deep and abiding faith that can withstand trials and tribulations.

In Revelation 3:17 , the church in Laodicea is rebuked for its spiritual scantiness: "You say, ‘I am rich; I have grown wealthy and need nothing,’ but you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked." This admonition serves as a reminder that material wealth does not equate to spiritual richness, and that true wealth is found in a vibrant relationship with Christ.

Moral Scantiness

The Bible also addresses moral scantiness, where individuals or societies fall short of God's standards of righteousness and justice. The prophets frequently called out the moral deficiencies of Israel and Judah, urging them to return to God's ways. In Amos 8:4-6 , the prophet condemns those who exploit the poor and practice deceit, highlighting the moral scantiness of their actions: "Hear this, you who trample the needy, who do away with the poor of the land, asking, ‘When will the New Moon be over, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may market wheat?’... skimping the measure, boosting the price, and cheating with dishonest scales."

The call to moral integrity is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are urged to live lives worthy of their calling (Ephesians 4:1) and to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). These passages underscore the importance of a life that reflects the fullness of God's character, as opposed to the scantiness of human sinfulness.

In summary, the concept of scantiness in the Bible serves as a warning against the insufficiency of human efforts apart from God. Whether in material, spiritual, or moral terms, the Scriptures call believers to seek the abundance that comes from a life aligned with God's will and purposes.1. (a.) Wanting amplitude or extent; narrow; small; not abundant.

2. (a.) Somewhat less than is needed; insufficient; scant; as, a scanty supply of words; a scanty supply of bread.

3. (a.) Sparing; stingy; parsimonious.

Priscilla and Aquila
... It has struck me that this wedded couple present, even in the scanty notices that
we have of them, some interesting points which may be worth while gathering ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/priscilla and aquila.htm

Enoch, the Deathless
... However scanty in number were the articles of his creed, they were not scanty
in results. They produced a great life and a great name. ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/enoch the deathless.htm

Introductory Note to Clement of Alexandria
... Jesus. "Dionysius the Areopagite, and the woman named Damaris," are no longer
to be despised as the scanty first-fruits of Attica. ...
/.../athenagoras/a plea for the christians/introductory note to clement of.htm

Physical Characteristics.
... His complexion was ruddy, his hair neither thick nor crisp curling, his beard scanty
and not growing in many places, his nose slightly hooked, and his eyes ...
/.../pamphilius/the life of constantine/section 3 physical characteristics.htm

After This, Celsus, Desirous of Maintaining that Providence ...
... of the earth, not more on our account than on that of the most savage animals, thus
proceeds: "We indeed by labour and suffering earn a scanty and toilsome ...
/.../origen/origen against celsus/chapter lxxvi after this celsus.htm

Preface of the Author.
... to the Person of the Holy Spirit. Studies of the Work of the Holy Spirit are
still more scanty. It is true there are several dissertations ...
/.../kuyper/the work of the holy spirit/preface of the author.htm

The Epistle to the Hebrews
... We do not find the author struggling, as it were, with a scanty language to express
the abundance of the thoughts that are crowding in upon him. ...
/.../drummond/introduction to the new testament/the epistle to the hebrews.htm

Sources.
... Smith, Dict.2 (1859), 126-127; Watson, Notice, in his translations; also for
multitudinous editions and translations, and relatively scanty though considerable ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/pamphilius/the life of constantine/section 2 sources.htm

The Question at Issue
... German scholar here displays a familiarity with Augustus's intentions and the limits
of his aims, which is quite unjustified by the scanty evidence accessible ...
/.../ramsay/was christ born in bethlehem/chapter 5 the question at.htm

Egypt
... Our glimpses of the age that preceded him"the age of the followers of
Horus, as the Egyptians termed it"are few and scanty. ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

Scanty (4 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) Somewhat less than is needed; insufficient; scant; as, a scanty supply
of words; a scanty supply of bread. ...Scanty (4 Occurrences). ...
/s/scanty.htm - 7k

Scant (4 Occurrences)
... 1. (superl.) Not full, large, or plentiful; scarcely sufficient; less than is wanted
for the purpose; scanty; meager; not enough; as, a scant allowance of ...
/s/scant.htm - 8k

Trachonitis (1 Occurrence)
...Scanty vegetation peeped from the fissures in the rocks, or preserved a precarious
existence in the scanty soil sometimes seen in a hollow between opposing ...
/t/trachonitis.htm - 13k

Simeon (48 Occurrences)
... of the Septuagint the latter half of Deuteronomy 33:6 is made to apply to him:
"Let Simeon be a small company." The history of the tribe is scanty and raises ...
/s/simeon.htm - 35k

Elijah (104 Occurrences)
... When the brook dried up God sent him to the widow of Zarephath, a city of Zidon,
from whose scanty store he was supported for the space of two years. ...
/e/elijah.htm - 71k

Scapegoat (3 Occurrences)

/s/scapegoat.htm - 9k

Quickly (254 Occurrences)
... prison. (WEB KJV ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV). Matthew 13:5 Some falls
on rocky ground, where it has but scanty soil. It quickly ...
/q/quickly.htm - 35k

Negeb (37 Occurrences)
... It is a land of sparse and scanty springs and small rainfall; in the character of
its soil it is a transition from the fertility of Canaan to the wilderness of ...
/n/negeb.htm - 26k

Negev (39 Occurrences)
... It is a land of sparse and scanty springs and small rainfall; in the character of
its soil it is a transition from the fertility of Canaan to the wilderness of ...
/n/negev.htm - 26k

Oded (3 Occurrences)
... After those who were naked (ie those who had scanty clothing; compare the meaning
of the word "naked" in Mark 14:51) had been supplied with clothing from the ...
/o/oded.htm - 10k

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