Greek a--s · G1646
ἐλάχιστος
elachistosel-akh'-is-tos
least
14 uses in the Greek text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key
Concordance spelling: eláchistos
Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's G1646is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.
- 5 of 27New Testament books
- 8spellings
The definition in full
Strong's key (1890) · G1646
used as equivalent to ; least (in size, amount, dignity, etc.)
The King James renders it: least, very little (small), smallest.
James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.
Summary
elachistos is rendered "least". It stands 14 times in the Greek text, across five books.
- Five of the uses stand in Matthew, more than in any other book.
- Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Matthew 2:6‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”
- The Greek text spells it eight different ways.
The first use
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”
Matthew 2:6ἐλαχίστη
The first use, in the order of the New Testament's books.
Where the word stands
Five of the word's fourteen uses are in Matthew.
What the word means
Each meaning, and the words it is translated by
How the Greek text is glossed, word by word
- least7
- very little3
- a very small1
- of the smallest1
- smallest matter1
- very least1
The words built on the same word-part
Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.
| Word | Written | Meaning | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| ἐλαχιστότερος | elachistoteros | least | Usesnot recorded |
All 14, in canonical order
Every use, in order
Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.
8 spellings and their grammar
STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.
How it is spelled
- ἐλαχίστων4
- ἐλαχίστῳ3
- ἐλάχιστος2
- ἐλαχίστη1
- ἐλάχιστον1
- ἐλάχιστόν1
- ἐλαχιστοτέρῳ1
- ἐλαχίστου1
The grammar of each form
- adjective · dative (“to / for”) · neuter singular3A-DSN
- adjective · accusative (object) · neuter singular2A-ASN
- adjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine plural2A-GPM
- adjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singular2A-NSM
- adjective · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singular1A-DSM-C
- adjective · genitive (“of”) · feminine plural1A-GPF
- adjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter plural1A-GPN
- adjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter singular1A-GSN
- adjective · nominative (subject) · feminine singular1A-NSF
Matthew
five uses
‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of My people Israel.’”
- ἐλαχίστηelachisteadjective · nominative (subject) · feminine singulartagged: least
So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
- ἐλαχίστωνelachistonadjective · genitive (“of”) · feminine pluraltagged: least
- ἐλάχιστοςelachistosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: least
And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
- ἐλαχίστωνelachistonadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: least
Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’
- ἐλαχίστωνelachistonadjective · genitive (“of”) · masculine pluraltagged: least
Luke
four uses
So if you cannot do such a small thing, why do you worry about the rest?
- ἐλάχιστονelachistonadjective · accusative (object) · neuter singulartagged: least
Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
- ἐλαχίστῳelachistoadjective · dative (“to / for”) · neuter singulartagged: very little
- ἐλαχίστῳelachistoadjective · dative (“to / for”) · neuter singulartagged: very little
His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
- ἐλαχίστῳelachistoadjective · dative (“to / for”) · neuter singulartagged: very little
1 Corinthians
three uses
I care very little, however, if I am judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
- ἐλάχιστόνelachistonadjective · accusative (object) · neuter singulartagged: smallest matter
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
- ἐλαχίστωνelachistonadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter pluraltagged: of the smallest
For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
- ἐλάχιστοςelachistosadjective · nominative (subject) · masculine singulartagged: least
Ephesians
one use
Though I am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
- ἐλαχιστοτέρῳelachistoteroadjective · dative (“to / for”) · masculine singulartagged: very least
James
one use
Consider ships as well. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot is inclined.
- ἐλαχίστουelachistouadjective · genitive (“of”) · neuter singulartagged: a very small
Where it leads
How the numbers are counted
Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.
Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.
The family is read from the lexicon by the stem the two words share, with the accents off, and a person or a place named on the stem is left out.