The Greek adjective brachus (βραχύς) means short, small, or brief — in time ("a little while"), in amount ("a little"), or in degree. It appears seven times in the New Testament. The word is used in contexts ranging from the nautical ("a little farther" in Acts 27:28) to the medical ("a little wine" in 1 Timothy 5:23) to the theological ("a little lower than the angels" in Hebrews 2:7).
The most theologically significant use of brachus is in Hebrews 2:7, quoting Psalm 8:5: "You made them a little lower than the angels." Applied to Jesus in Hebrews 2:9, the word captures the breathtaking truth of the Incarnation: the eternal Son of God accepted a brachus — a brief, lower station — in human flesh in order to "taste death for everyone" and bring "many sons and daughters to glory." The briefness of Jesus's humiliation makes the contrast with His exaltation all the more glorious. The "little while" of the cross stands against the eternal weight of glory it purchased.