Bible Dictionaries
Little

"little, small" (the opposite of megas, "great"), is used (a) of persons, with regard to (1) station, or age, in the singular, Mark 15:40 , of James "the less" (RV marg., "little"), possibly referring to age; Luke 19:3; in the plural, "little" ones, Matthew 18:6,10,14; Mark 9:42; (2) rank or influence, e.g., Matthew 10:42 (see context); Acts 8:10; 26:22 , "small," as in Revelation 11:18; 13:16; 19:5,18; 20:12; (b) of things, with regard to (1) size, e.g., James 3:5 (some mss. have No. 2 here); (2) quantity, Luke 12:32; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9; Revelation 3:8; (3) time, John 7:33; 12:35; Revelation 6:11; 20:3 . See B, No. 1. See LEAST , SMALL.

"little, few" (the opposite of polus, "much"), is translated "short" in Revelation 12:12; in the neut. sing., e.g., 2 Corinthians 8:15 . For James 3:5 , see No. 1. See FEW , SHORT , SMALL.

"short," is used to some extent adverbially of (a) time, with the preposition meta, "after," Luke 22:58 , "(after) a little while;" in Acts 5:34 , without a preposition, RV, "a little while" (AV, "a little space"); in Hebrews 2:7,9 , "a little" (AV marg. in ver. 7, and RV marg., in both, "a little while"), where the writer transfers to time what the Sept. in Psalm 8:5 says of rank; (b) of quantity, John 6:7; in Hebrews 13:22 , preceded by the preposition dia, "by means of," and with logon, "words" (genitive plural) understood, "(in) few words;" (c) of distance, Acts 27:28 , RV, "a little space" (AV, "a little further"). See FEW , FURTHER , SPACE.

which serves as the superlative of No. 1, is translated "a very little" in Luke 19:17 . See LEAST.

the neuter of A, No. 1, is used adverbially (a) of distance, Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:35; (b) of quantity, 2 Corinthians 11:1,16; (c) of time, Matthew 26:73 , "a while;" Mark 14:70; John 13:33 , "a little while;" John 14:19; 16:16-19; Hebrews 10:37 , with the repeated hoson, "how very," lit., "a little while, how little, how little!" See WHILE.

the neuter of A, No. 2, is used adverbially of (a) time, Mark 6:31 , "a while;" 1 Peter 1:6 , RV, "a little while" (AV, "a season"); 1 Peter 5:10 , RV, "a little while" (AV, "a while"); Revelation 17:10 , RV, "a little while" (AV, "a short space"); (b) space, Mark 1:19; Luke 5:3; (c) extent, with the preposition pros, "for," in 1 Timothy 4:8 , RV, "(for) a little" (AV, and RV marg., "little"), where, while the phrase might refer to duration (as AV marg.), yet the antithesis "for all things" clearly indicates extent, i.e., "physical training is profitable towards few objects in life." See BRIEFLY , FEW , SEASON , C, Note.

moderately, occurs in Acts 20:12 , "a little."