Lexicon :: Strong's H4962 - maṯ

Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, making me odious to the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites. We are few in number; if they unite against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

“At that time we captured all his cities and completely destroyed the people of every city, including the women and children. We left no survivors.

“We completely destroyed them, as we had done to King Sihon of Heshbon, destroying the men, women, and children of every city.

“The LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be reduced to a few survivors[fn] among the nations where the LORD your God will drive you.

“You are to respond by saying in the presence of the LORD your God:

My father was a wandering Aramean. He went down to Egypt with a few people and resided there as an alien. There he became a great, powerful, and populous nation.

“Though you were as numerous as the stars of the sky, you will be left with only a few people, because you did not obey the LORD your God.

Let Reuben live and not die

though his people become few.

When they[fn] were few in number,

very few indeed, and resident aliens in Canaan

Should your babbling put others to silence,

so that you can keep on ridiculing

with no one to humiliate you?

Surely he knows which people are worthless.

If he sees iniquity, will he not take note of it?

All of my best friends[fn] despise me,

and those I love have turned against me.

Will you continue on the ancient path

that wicked men have walked?

From the city, men[fn] groan;

the mortally wounded cry for help,

yet God pays no attention to this crime.

Haven’t the members of my household said,

“Who is there who has not had enough to eat at Job’s table? ”

With your hand, LORD, save me from men,

from men of the world

whose portion is in this life:

You fill their bellies with what you have in store;

their sons are satisfied,

and they leave their surplus to their children.

I do not sit with the worthless

or associate with hypocrites.

When they were few in number,

very few indeed,

and resident aliens in Canaan,

Your men will fall by the sword,

your warriors in battle.

Therefore my people will go into exile

because they lack knowledge;

her[fn] dignitaries are starving,

and her masses are parched with thirst.

“Do not fear, you worm Jacob,

you men[fn] of Israel.

I will help you” —

this is the LORD’s declaration.

Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Those who escape the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah only few in number, and the whole remnant of Judah, the ones going to the land of Egypt to stay there for a while, will know whose word stands, mine or theirs!