### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mar**, represented by `{{H4752}}`, signifies a **drop**. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible. The term is derived from a root word meaning distillation, emphasizing its meaning as a single, minute quantity of liquid.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its sole biblical appearance, `{{H4752}}` is used metaphorically to illustrate the insignificance of all the world's nations when compared to the greatness of God. The prophet Isaiah declares that the nations are considered nothing more than a **drop** from a bucket [[Isaiah 40:15]]. This imagery powerfully conveys their finite and inconsequential status from a divine perspective.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its biblical context help define the scale of this comparison:
* `{{H1471}}` **gôwy** (a foreign nation; hence, a Gentile): This is the subject of the comparison. In its only appearance, `{{H4752}}` is used to describe the collective weight of the **nations** as being utterly minimal [[Isaiah 40:15]].
* `{{H1805}}` **dᵉlîy** (a pail or jar (for drawing water); bucket): This word provides the source for the drop, completing the metaphor. The nations are not just a drop, but a drop from a **bucket** [[Isaiah 40:15]], emphasizing their negligible value.
* `{{H2803}}` **châshab** (to think, regard, value, compute): This verb describes the act of divine evaluation. The nations are **counted** or esteemed as a drop, revealing how they are perceived from God's vantage point [[Isaiah 40:15]].
* `{{H7834}}` **shachaq** (a powder (as beaten small); by analogy, a thin vapor; by extension, the firmament): Used in parallel with `{{H4752}}`, this word describes the nations as "small dust." This further reinforces the theme of insignificance [[Isaiah 40:15]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4752}}` is concentrated in its single, powerful use.
* **Divine Sovereignty:** The use of `{{H4752}}` establishes a profound contrast between the perceived might of earthly **nations** `{{H1471}}` and the infinite power of God. They are **counted** `{{H2803}}` as less than a drop [[Isaiah 40:15]].
* **The Scale of Creation:** The imagery of a **drop** from a **bucket** `{{H1805}}`, along with "small dust of the balance," serves to calibrate human perspective. What seems vast and powerful to humanity is infinitesimal to the Creator who "taketh up the isles as a very little thing" [[Isaiah 40:15]].
* **Metaphor of Insignificance:** The word's sole usage is a potent metaphor for insignificance. This single **drop** illustrates that even the collective strength of all peoples and kingdoms is of no account when measured against God's majesty.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4752}}`, **mar**, is a word whose singular appearance in Scripture delivers a message of immense theological weight. As a **drop** from a bucket, it functions as a definitive biblical illustration of the scale of God's power in contrast to the finite and negligible status of the nations. Its context in [[Isaiah 40:15]] encapsulates the theme of divine sovereignty, reminding the reader that what appears mighty in the human realm is but a fleeting and inconsequential detail to the Creator of all.
TRV