Original Word: צָעַר
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: tsa`ar
Pronunciation: tsah-ar
Phonetic Spelling: (tsaw-ar')
KJV: be brought low, little one, be small
NASB: become insignificant, insignificant, little
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be small, i.e. (figuratively) ignoble

be brought low, little one, be small

A primitive root; to be small, i.e. (figuratively) ignoble -- be brought low, little one, be small.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be or grow insignificant
NASB Translation
become insignificant (1), insignificant (1), little (1).

[צָעַר] verb be, or grow, insignificant ("" זער; Late Hebrew id., Assyrian ƒe—êru, be small, Arabic id.; Syriac be insignificant, despicable; ᵑ7 צְעַר transitivedespise, revile; —

Qal Imperfect (opposed to כָּבֵד), 3 masculine plural יִצְעֲרוּ Job 14:21, יִצְעָ֑רוּ Jeremiah 30:19; Participle as substantive הַצֹּעֲרִים Zechariah 13:7 (i.e. sheep, in figure, compare Now).

Semantic Range and Nuances

The term conveys the idea of becoming small, diminished, belittled, or insignificant. It moves along a spectrum from physical reduction to social humiliation, and its nuance is shaped by the context—whether describing the collapse of personal status, the threat of national diminishment, or the vulnerability of the defenseless.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Job 14:21 places the vocabulary in an individual, experiential frame: a dying man cannot discern whether his children are “brought low.” The verse underscores the fragility of earthly honor.
2. Jeremiah 30:19 sets the word within a national salvation oracle. Israel’s future is guaranteed—“I will multiply them, and they will not be diminished; I will honor them, and they will not be belittled.” Here the vocabulary is reversed by Yahweh’s covenant faithfulness.
3. Zechariah 13:7 shifts the focus to eschatological prophecy: after the striking of the Shepherd, the LORD announces, “I will turn My hand against the little ones.” The “little ones” represent the vulnerable remnant exposed by the Shepherd’s smiting yet ultimately preserved through divine intervention.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty in Reversal: The word highlights God’s prerogative to diminish or to exalt. Human status is contingent; only the LORD determines permanence (1 Samuel 2:7).
2. Suffering and Testing: The vocabulary often hovers near the topic of affliction. When people or circumstances are “reduced,” a testing of faith ensues (Psalm 12:5).
3. Covenant Assurance: Jeremiah 30:19 shows how God counters diminishment with covenantal multiplication, echoing Genesis 12:2 and anticipating Romans 11:26.
4. Messianic Implications: Zechariah 13:7, quoted by Jesus in Matthew 26:31, links the plight of the “little ones” to the redemptive mission of the Shepherd who is struck for the flock’s salvation (John 10:11).

Pastoral and Devotional Insights

• Personal Discouragement: Believers who feel overlooked or belittled can anchor themselves in God’s knowledge and timing. Job’s lament proves that apparent insignificance is never unknown to the LORD (Psalm 139:1–4).
• Corporate Renewal: Congregations fearing decline may take heart from Jeremiah 30:19: divine multiplication follows seasons of diminishment when worship (“songs of thanksgiving”) is restored.
• Protection of the Vulnerable: Zechariah’s “little ones” direct churches to shepherd children, widows, and the marginalized, reflecting the LORD’s own protective hand (James 1:27).

Intertestamental and New Testament Resonance

The Septuagint renders the word with terms that later inform New Testament language about humble status (tapeinos). Jesus’ kingdom ethic—“Whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4)—mirrors the Old Testament valuation of the small and lowly. Paul amplifies this in 1 Corinthians 1:28, where God chooses “the lowly things of the world” to shame the strong.

Application for Ministry and Discipleship

• Preaching: Use Jeremiah 30:19 to encourage congregations in seasons of numerical or spiritual shrinkage, emphasizing God’s commitment to reverse decline when praise and gratitude abound.
• Counseling: Guide believers who wrestle with diminished self-worth toward Job’s acknowledgment that human perception is limited, but God remains omniscient and just.
• Mission: Adopt the Zechariah 13:7 paradigm by prioritizing outreach to society’s “little ones,” trusting that care for the least aligns with the Shepherd’s heart (Matthew 25:40).

The word serves as both warning and comfort: God humbles the proud yet lifts the lowly, proving His faithful attention to every contour of human experience and redemptive history.

הַצֹּעֲרִֽים׃ הצערים׃ וְ֝יִצְעֲר֗וּ ויצערו יִצְעָֽרוּ׃ יצערו׃ haṣ·ṣō·‘ă·rîm haṣṣō‘ărîm hatztzoaRim veyitzaRu wə·yiṣ·‘ă·rū wəyiṣ‘ărū yiṣ‘ārū yiṣ·‘ā·rū yitzAruInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts