'Less' in the Bible

Jacob noticed [a change in] the attitude of Laban, and saw that it was not friendly toward him as before.

The Israelites did so, and some gathered much [of it] and some [only a] little.

The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give this contribution to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.

“If the priest looks and the mark has faded after it is washed, he shall tear it out of the garment, or the leather, or out of the warp or woof.

Balaam answered the servants of Balak, “Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, either small or great, contrary to the command of the Lord my God.

To the larger tribe you shall give the larger inheritance, and to the smaller tribe the smaller inheritance; each tribe shall be given its inheritance according to its numbers.

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!

“But will God actually dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!

So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive or mislead you like this, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God rescue you from my hand!’”

And after everything that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our wrongdoings deserve, and have given us survivors like these,

“How can I answer Him [and plead my case],Choosing my words [to reason] with Him?

And [that He would] show you the secrets of wisdom!For sound wisdom has two sides.Know therefore that God forgets a part of your wickedness and guilt.

How much less [pure and clean is] the one who is repulsive and corrupt,Man, who drinks unrighteousness and injustice like water!

How much less man, that maggot,And the son of man, that worm!”

“Even though you say that you do not see Him [when missing His righteous judgment on earth],Yet your case is before Him, and you must wait for Him!

“Out of the north comes golden splendor [and people can hardly look on it];Around God is awesome splendor and majesty [far too glorious for man’s eyes].

Excellent speech does not benefit a fool [who is spiritually blind],Much less do lying lips benefit a prince.

Luxury is not fitting for a fool;Much less for a slave to rule over princes.

All the nations are as nothing before Him,They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.

“Yet you have not called on Me [in prayer and worship], O Jacob;But you have grown weary of Me, O Israel.

“In fact, they are like stubble;Fire burns them.They cannot save themselves from the power of the flame [much less save the nation],There is no blazing coal for warmingNor fire before which to sit!

And the Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel has proved herself less guilty than treacherous Judah [a land of renegades].

Notice this, even when it was complete, it was not useful and was not made into anything. How much less, after the fire has burned [part of] it and [the remainder of] it is charred, can it still be made into anything?

He must increase [in prominence], but I must decrease.

But motioning to them with his hand to be quiet and listen, he described how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brothers and sisters.” Then he left and went to another place.

I know and am convinced [as one] in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean [ritually defiled, and unholy] in itself; but [nonetheless] it is unclean to anyone who thinks it is unclean.

But I will very gladly spend [my own resources] and be utterly spent for your souls. If I love you greatly, am I to be loved less [by you]?

until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].

So I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.

Let no one look down on [you because of] your youth, but be an example and set a pattern for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in [moral] purity.

See to it that you do not refuse [to listen to] Him who is speaking [to you now]. For if those [sons of Israel] did not escape when they refused [to listen to] him who warned them on earth [revealing God’s will], how much less will we escape if we turn our backs on Him who warns from heaven?