Maybe you’ve heard someone say that something didn’t make an iota of difference. What exactly is an iota, and why is it so insignificant? The reason an iota is irrelevant is a relevant question.
I-o-t-a might look a lot like “lotta” but is completely different. It’s technically the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. It is transliterated as “i,” which happens to also be the ninth letter of the Latin alphabet that we use for English (that’s a lotta coincidence.)
An iota is very small. It is the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet. It is similar to yodh, “ י,” the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. When you don't care one iota about something, it means you don't care about it even the smallest bit.
[Trivia alert] The word 'jot' (or iot) derives from iota.
That’s a very small detail that is easy to cram into your brain.
Can someone give an iota?
Another small detail about an iota is that it is also a number. The value of iota is √-1 (i = √-1), or square root minus one. So, in theory, one could also not give an iota for something. That would make whatever it is you wouldn’t give an iota for worth less than zero (basically worthless.)
Unless you were using the cryptocurrency IOTA (MIOTA), which used to be worth $1.50 but is now only worth $0.141075 (about 14 cents)—that’s not nothing, but it’s a lot less than it used to be.
Who Gives an iota about any of this?
All of this is simply to say that even the smallest details of the language can be pretty complicated. It’s a testament to God’s amazing creative power that human minds manage to wield such a complicated language without much trouble. One could say we speak without even thinking about it, which is often too true.
Jesus didn’t have a problem with thoughtless words. He is the only one of whom it can be honestly said that He never uttered a meaningless or careless word.
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. ~ Jesus, Luke 21:33
...Not one iota of them.
I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works; and that my soul knows right well. ~ Psalms 139:14
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