Original Word: מִצְעָר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mits`ar
Pronunciation: mits-ahr'
Phonetic Spelling: (mits-awr')
KJV: little one (while), small
NASB: small, insignificant, little while
Word Origin: [from H6819 (צָּעַר - become insignificant)]

1. petty (in size or number)
2. adverbially, a short (time)

little one while, small

From tsa'ar; petty (in size or number); adverbially, a short (time) -- little one (while), small.

see HEBREW tsa'ar

Word Origin
from tsaar
Definition
a small thing
NASB Translation
insignificant (1), little while (1), small (3).

I. מִצְעָר noun masculine a small thing ("" מִזְעָר); —

1 absolute ׳מ a small thing, of city Genesis 19:20 (twice in verse) (J); of Job's fortunes, ׳רֵאשִׁיתְֱ מ Job 8:7 (opposed to יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹר); construct מִצְעַר אֲנָשִׁים2Chronicles 24:24 a few men; of time ׳לַמּ Isaiah 63:18 for the [a] little while. — Psalm 42:7 see II.׳מ.

Semantic Profile

מִצְעָר denotes littleness—whether of size, number, duration, or apparent significance. In Scripture the term functions not merely descriptively but theologically, highlighting the paradox by which the Lord often works through what seems negligible to human eyes.

Genesis: The Little Town of Deliverance

In Genesis 19:20 Lot pleads, “Look, this town is close enough to flee to—and it is small. Let me flee there… is it not small?—and my life will be saved.” Twice repeating מִצְעָר, Lot underscores the town’s insignificance, yet that very place (later named Zoar) becomes God’s appointed refuge. The flight to a “small” town illustrates a wider biblical pattern: divine salvation manifested through humble means.

Chronicles: Few Warriors, Great Victory

2 Chronicles 24:24 records that “the army of the Arameans came with only a few men, yet the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army.” The disparity elevates God’s sovereignty; smallness of human resources only magnifies His power. The chronicler uses מִצְעָר to direct attention away from military mathematics toward covenant faithfulness.

Job: Small Beginnings, Promised Increase

Bildad’s counsel in Job 8:7—“Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would flourish”—echoes the wisdom theme that God may permit diminutive starts to cultivate dependence, anticipating eventual enlargement. While Bildad’s application to Job is flawed, the principle resonates with the broader biblical witness that true prosperity is God-given and often emerges from obscurity.

Isaiah: A Little While of Possession

Isaiah laments, “For a little while Your people possessed Your sanctuary” (Isaiah 63:18). Here מִצְעָר measures time, emphasizing the brevity of Israel’s hold on the holy place and intensifying the plea for renewed mercy. The word mourns what is transient and stirs hope for an enduring redemption yet to come.

Theological Themes

1. Divine sufficiency amid human insufficiency (2 Corinthians 12:9; cf. 2 Chronicles 24:24).
2. The principle of small beginnings leading to great ends (Zechariah 4:10; Job 8:7).
3. The fleeting nature of earthly tenure contrasted with the permanence of God’s kingdom (Hebrews 11:13-16; Isaiah 63:18).

Historical and Geographic Insight

Zoar, situated at the southeastern edge of the Dead Sea, was spared from judgment to accommodate Lot’s request. Its preservation demonstrates God’s sensitivity to the petitions of the righteous, even when those petitions aim for what is “small.”

Practical Ministry Applications

• Church planting and mission work often start with few people or limited funds; מִצְעָר encourages perseverance, trusting God to grant increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).
• Personal discipleship may appear insignificant, yet faithful investment in “little ones” shapes future leaders (Matthew 18:10).
• Seasons of limited influence or resources remind believers that effectiveness flows from the Spirit, not from magnitude of means.

Christological Foreshadowing

The Messiah Himself emerges from an apparently insignificant context—Nazareth (John 1:46)—and likens His kingdom to “a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds” yet becomes a great tree (Matthew 13:31-32). מִצְעָר therefore anticipates the redemptive trajectory in which greatness is veiled in smallness until the appointed revelation.

Contemporary Reflection

Believers facing modest circumstances can draw comfort from מִצְעָר: what is small, few, or brief in human estimation may be precisely where God chooses to display His glory.

בְמִצְעַ֨ר במצער לַמִּצְעָ֕ר למצער מִצְעָ֑ר מִצְעָ֛ר מצער ḇə·miṣ·‘ar ḇəmiṣ‘ar lam·miṣ·‘ār lammiṣ‘ār lammitzAr miṣ‘ār miṣ·‘ār mitzAr vemitzArInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts