Lexicon :: Strong's H4100 - mâ

מָה

Transliteration

mâ

Pronunciation

maw

Part of Speech

indefinite pronoun, interrogative pronoun

Root Word (Etymology)

A primitive particle

Dictionary Aids

TWOT Reference: 1149

Strong's Info

Strong’s Definitions

מָה mâh, maw; or מַה mah; or מָ mâ; or מַ ma; also מֶה meh; a primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses:—how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

KJV Translation Count — Total: 27x

The KJV translates Strong's H4100 in the following manner: what, how, why, whereby, wherein, how long, how oft, to what end.

KJV Translation Count — Total: 27x

The KJV translates Strong's H4100 in the following manner: what, how, why, whereby, wherein, how long, how oft, to what end.

Outline of Biblical Usage [?]

interrogative pronoun

what, how, of what kind
1. (interrogative)
  1. what?
  2. of what kind
  3. what? (rhetorical)
  4. whatsoever, whatever, what
2. (adverb)
  1. how, how now
  2. why
  3. how! (exclamation)
3. (with preposition)
  1. wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?
  2. because of what?
  3. the like of what?
    1. how much?, how many?, how often?
    2. for how long?
  4. for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?
  5. until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?
    indefinite pronoun
anything, aught, what may

Strong’s Definitions [?](Strong’s Definitions Legend)

Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon [?] (Jump to Scripture Index)

STRONGS H4100: Abbreviations

מָה, rarely מָהֿ (e.g. Genesis 31:43; Joshua 22:16; Judges 8:1), מַה־, •מַה, מֶה, •מַ († Exodus 4:2; Isaiah 3:15; Malachi 1:13; 1 Chronicles 15:13; [H4078 2 Chronicles 30:3]), מָ (only in מָהֵם † Ezekiel 8:6 Kt., Qr. מָה הֵם) — on the distinction in the use of these forms, see Ges^{§ 37} — pronoun interrogative and indefinite what? how? aught; used of things, as מִי of persons (Aramaic , מָא, Arabic ; probably apocope from a longer form with n or nt, Assyrian minû (Dl^{HWB 417 f.}), Ethiopic ment; compare W^{CG 123 ff.} Kö^{ii. 368}): —

1. interrogative what ?

a. in a direct question, before either verbs or nouns Genesis 4:10 מֶה עשׂית what hast thou done ? Genesis 15:2 מהתֿתןלֿי what wilt thou give me ? Exodus 3:13 מַהשְּֿׁמוֺ, Exodus 12:26; Exodus 13:14 and so very often: מַההִֿיא Zechariah 5:6; מה אלה Zechariah 1:9; מָה אַתָּה רֹאֶה Jeremiah 1:11; Amos 7:8 +; Jl 4:14 מה אתם לי; Judges 18:8 מה אתם see Commentaries, Judges 18:24 מה לי עוד what have I still ? Isaiah 21:11 מהמֿלילה what (= how much) of the night (is past) ? = as what ? (qualem ?) Haggai 2:3 (compare מִי Amos 7:2); to express surprise, Job 9:12 who shall say to him, מה תעשׂה what doest thou ? Job 22:13; Ecclesiastes 8:4; Isaiah 45:9, 10; followed by כִּי, Genesis 20:10 מה ראית כי עשׂית what hadst thou in view, that thou hast done, etc.? Genesis 31:36; Exodus 16:7 וְנַחְנוּ מָה כִּי and what are we, that...? Exodus 32:21; Numbers 22:28; Habakkuk 2:18, etc. Note in particular —

(a) מָה is followed sometimes by a substantive in apposition (against Arabic usage, which does not permit this: W^{AG. ii. § 170}), so that it becomes virtually an adjective: מַהבֶּֿצַע what profit...? Genesis 37:26; Psalm 30:10; Malachi 3:14; Isaiah 40:8 מַהדְּֿמוּת, Malachi 1:13; Psalm 89:48 זְכָראֲֿנִי מֶה חָ֑לֶד (inverted for חֶלֶד אָ֑נִי מַה) remember (of) what (short) duration I am, Ecclesiastes 1:3; Ecclesiastes 5:10; Ecclesiastes 5:15; Ecclesiastes 6:8, 11 (Da^{§ 8, R. 2} Kö^{iii. 23 f.}); as exclamation, Psalm 89:48b Job 26:14. And with the substantive idiomatically at the end (in Arabic preceded then by : W^{AG. ii. § 49. 7}), 1 Samuel 26:18 ומַהבֿידי רעה and what is there in my hand, evil ? 1 Samuel 20:10 (see 3), 2 Samuel 19:29; 2 Samuel 24:13; 1 Kings 12:16; Jeremiah 2:5 מהמֿצאו אבותיכם בי עָוֶל, Ecclesiastes 11:2; Esther 6:3.

(b) מַהזֶּֿה what now ? 1 Samuel 10:11, contracted מַזֶּה † Exodus 4:2 (זֶה 4 c); Genesis 3:13 מַהזּֿאֹת עָשִׂיתָ; Genesis 12:18; Genesis 29:25 מַהזּֿאֹת עָשִׂיתָה לִּי; similarly Genesis 26:10; Genesis 42:28 +, either what, now, hast thou done ? or what is this that thou hast done ? (see זֶה 4 d).

(c) לְּךָ מַהֿ what to thee ? i.e. what aileth thee ? or what dost thou want ? Genesis 21:17 מַהלָּֿךְ הָגָר; Joshua 15:18; 2 Samuel 14:5; 1 Kings 1:16; 2 Kings 6:28; Ezekiel 18:2 (accents); followed by כִּי, Judges 18:23 מהלֿך כי נזעקת, Genesis 20:9 (compare 1 Samuel 11:5 לעם כי יבכו מה), Isaiah 22:1 מַהלָּֿךְ כִּי עָלִיתְ (compare τί παθὼν, τοῦτο ποιεῖς), Psalm 114:5; without כִּי Isaiah 3:15 (compare Qor 57:8; 57:10); with a participle, Jonah 1:6 what is it to thee as a sleeper ? (accusative: Da^{§ 70 a} cites Qor 74:50), Ezekiel 18:2 (if אתם be treated as strengthening לכם).

(d) פֹה (לִי) מַהלְּֿךָ = what hast thou (have I) here ? Judges 18:3; 1 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 22:16; Isaiah 52:5.

(e) in the genitive, Jeremiah 8:9 וְחָכְמַתמֶֿה לָהֶם, and wisdom of what (= what kind of wisdom) is theirs ? Numbers 23:3 (see below 3).

b. often in an indirect question, as after ראה, Genesis 2:19 to see מהיֿקראלֿו what he would call it, Genesis 37:20 וְנִרְאֶה מהיֿהיו חלֹמֹתיו to what his dreams will come, Numbers 13:19f.; Habakkuk 2:1; הִכִּיר Genesis 31:32; ידע Genesis 39:8; Exodus 2:4 לדעת מהיֵּֿעָשֶׂה לו, Exodus 16:15; Exodus 32:1; Job 34:4; שׁמע Numbers 9:8 וְאשׁמעה מהיֿצוה י׳ (compare Psalm 85:9), 2 Samuel 17:5; פֹּרַשׁ Numbers 15:34; שׁאל 1 Kings 3:5; 2 Kings 2:9; הֵבִין Job 6:24; Job 23:5: Numbers 13:18 מה היא וראיתם את הארץ, Psalm 39:5; Isaiah 41:22 הראשׁנות מָה הֵנָּה הַגִּידוּ. — In some such cases it approximates in meaning to the simple rel., as Jeremiah 7:17; Jeremiah 33:24; Micah 6:5, 8; Job 34:33.

c. = of what kind ? (German was für ein... ?), with an insinuation of blame, or reproach, or contempt: Genesis 37:10 מה החלום הזה what is this dream which thou hast dreamt? Genesis 44:15; Joshua 22:16; Judges 8:1; Judges 15:11; Judges 20:12; 1 Samuel 29:3 מָה הָעִבְרִים האלה, 1 Kings 9:13 מה העדים האלה אשׁר נתתה לי, 2 Kings 9:22; 2 Kings 18:19.

d. מה is often used in questions to which the answer little, or nothing, is expected, and it thus becomes equivalent to a rhetorical negative (compare הֲ b, מִי f c):

(a) Genesis 23:15 land worth 400 shekels..., מה היא what is it ? (i.e. it is something quite insignificant), Genesis 27:37; Judges 8:3 עשׂות ככם ומהיֿכלתי, Judges 14:18; Hosea 9:5; Hosea 10:3; Psalm 30:10; Psalm 56:5; Job 15:9; Job 16:6; Job 21:21; Job 22:13, 17; Lamentations 2:13; Songs 5:9 מַהאדּוֺדֵךְ מִדּוֺד what is thy beloved (more) than a(nother) beloved ? || לא, 1 Kings 12:16 מַהלָּֿנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוֺד וְלֹאנַֿחֲלָה בְּבֶן יִשַׁי (2 Samuel 20:1 אֵיןלָֿנוּ חֵלֶק וג׳), Job 16:6.

(b) followed by כִּי (כִּי 1 f), Genesis 20:9; Genesis 37:26 מַהבֶּֿצַע כִּי נַהֲרֹג what profit (is it) that we should slay him ? Exodus 16:7; Numbers 16:11; Habakkuk 2:18; 2 Kings 8:13 what is thy servant, the dog, that he should do, etc.? and often in poetry, as Psalm 8:5 מָה אנושׁ כי תזכרנו what is man that thou rememberest him ? Job 6:11 מַהכֹּֿחִי כִּי אֲיַחֵל, Job 6:11b; Job 7:17; Job 15:12f; Job 15:14; Job 16:3; Job 21:15 + (compare מִ׳ f. b). Hence,

(c) in the formula of repudiation, or emphatic denial, (וְלָכֶם) מַהלִּֿי וָלָךְ what is there (common) to me and to thee ? i.e. what have I to do with thee ? † Judges 11:12; 2 Samuel 16:10 מה לי ולכם, 2 Samuel 19:23; 1 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 3:13; 2 Chronicles 35:21; compare Joshua 22:24; 2 Kings 9:18, 19; rather differently, without וְ, † Jeremiah 2:18 מה לך לדרך מ׳ what is there to thee with reference to the way to Egypt ? Hosea 14:9 מַהאלּוֺ לַעֲצַבִּים, compare Psalm 50:16 (לֽסַפֵּר); with את, † Jeremiah 23:28 מַהלַֿתֶּבֶן אֶתהַֿבָּר beside (or in comparison with) the wheat ? compare τί ἐμοὶ (ἡμῖν) καὶ σοί; Matthew 8:29; Mark 5:7; John 2:4; and Arabic

e. = whatsoever (compare מִי g):

(a) Judges 9:48 ראיתם עשׂיתי מהרו עשׂו כמוני מה אתם, literally what do you see (that) I have done ? hasten, and do like me (= whatever ye see, etc.), 2 Samuel 21:4 אעשׂה לכם מה אתם אמרים, Job 6:24; with the apodosis introduced by וְ, 1 Samuel 20:4 מה תאמר נפשׁך ואעשׂה לך; Esther 5:3 בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ ֗֗֗ וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ מַהֿ, Esther 5:6; Esther 7:2; Esther 9:12; hence in the late and strange idiom of Chronicles, it sinks twice almost to the rel. what, 1 Chronicles 15:13 כי לְמַבָּרִאשׁוֺנָה לא אתם because ye were not (employed) for what was at first (on the former occasion), J. etc., [H4078 2 Chronicles 30:3] לְמַדַּי according to what was sufficient (= in sufficient numbers), compare Esther 9:26.

(b) -מַהשֶּֿׁ (late: frequently in Mishna, etc.), whatever, what (compare מִי אֲשֶׁר, מִי g. end): † Ecclesiastes 1:9 מַהשֶּֿׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, literally what is that which hath been ? it is that which shall be (= whatever hath been, it is that which shall be), Ecclesiastes 1:9; Ecclesiastes 3:15, 22; Ecclesiastes 6:10; Ecclesiastes 7:24; Ecclesiastes 8:7; Ecclesiastes 10:14.

2. Used adverbially:

a. as an interrogative:

(a) how ? especially in expressing what is regarded as an impossibility, Genesis 44:16 מַהנִּֿצְטַדָּ֑ק how shall we justify ourselves ? Numbers 23:8 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 10:27 מַהיּֿשִׁעֵנוּ זֶה, 2 Kings 4:43; Job 9:2; Job 25:4 (twice in verse); Job 31:1 I made a covenant with my eyes, וּמָה אֶתְבּוֺנֵן עַל ב׳ and how should I look upon a maid ? ( οὐ, non), Proverbs 20:24 דַּרְכּוֺ וְאָדָם מַהיָּֿבִין; in an indirect question, Exodus 10:26; Psalm 39:5 אָ֑נִי מֶהחָֿדֵל; מַהזֶּֿה, how, now ? (in surprise), Genesis 27:20 מַהזֶּֿה מִהַרְתָּ לִמְצאֹ בְּנִי, Judges 18:24; 1 Kings 21:5; 2 Kings 1:5.

(b) why ? Exodus 14:15 אֵלַי מַה תִּצְעַק, Exodus 17:2 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 6:33; 2 Kings 7:3; Psalm 42:6 מַהתִּֿשְׁתּוֺחֲחִי עלי, Job 15:12 +; Songs 8:4 I adjure you מַהתָּֿעִירוּ וּמַהתְּֿעוֺרֲרוּ, why will ye stir up, etc.? (i.e. do not: || אִם Songs 2:7; Songs 3:5). — The transition from the interrogative to the negative, to which in Hebrew there is an approximate (see above: especially 1 Kings 12:16; Job 31:1; Songs 8:4), is in Arabic complete, being there used constantly in the sense of not (compare Walker^{Hebraica. xii. 244 ff.}; Kö^{iii, 478}).

b. as an exclamation, how...! with adjectives and verbs, Genesis 28:17 מַהנּֿוֺרָא הַמָּקוֺם הַזֶּה how dreadful is this place! Genesis 38:29; Numbers 24:5 מַהטֹּֿבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ, Isaiah 52:7; Psalm 3:2 מה רבו, Psalm 8:2 מה אדיר, Psalm 21:2; Psalm 36:8, etc., Songs 4:10 (twice in verse); Songs 7:2; ironically, 2 Samuel 6:20; Jeremiah 2:33, 36; Job 26:2, 3.

3. indefinite pronoun anything, aught, Numbers 23:3 וּדְבַרמַֿהיַּֿרְאֵנִי וְהִגַּדְתִּי לָ֑ךְ and he will shew me the matter of aught, and I will tell thee (= if he shew me... I will, etc., Dr^{§ 149}), 1 Samuel 19:3 וְרָאִיתִי מָה וִהִגַּדְתִּי לָ֑ךְ = and if I see aught, I will, etc., 1 Samuel 20:10 אוֺ מַהיַּֿעַנִךָ אָבִיךָ קָשָׁה if perchance thy father shall answer thee aught that is harsh (order, 1 a a), 2 Samuel 18:22 וִיהִימָֿה אָרוּצָהנָּֿא but let there happen what may (literally aught), I will run, 2 Samuel 18:23 (compare Job 13:13 וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָה), Job 13:29 וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מָה (compare Proverbs 9:13), Proverbs 25:8. Compare Kö^{iii. § 65.}

4. With prepositions:

a. בַּמָּה ₉, בַּמֶּה ₁₉ wherein ? Exodus 22:26; Judges 16:5; 1 Samuel 14:38 (indirect question; We בְּמִי); and so according to the various senses of בְּ : whereby ? Genesis 15:8; Exodus 33:16; Malachi 1:2, 6, 7; Malachi 2:17; Malachi 3:7-8; wherewith ? 1 Samuel 6:2; 2 Samuel 21:3; Micah 6:6; by what means ? Judges 16:5 וּבַמֶּה נוּכַל לוֺ; at what (worth) ? Isaiah 2:22; for what ? 2 Chronicles 7:21 (|| 1 Kings 9:8 עלמֿה).

b. יַעַן מֶה † Haggai 1:9 because of what ?

†c. כַּמָּה, כַּמֶּה, properly the like of what ? (Arabic , Syriac ); hence

(a) how much ? how many ? כַּמָּה יְמֵי וגו׳ Genesis 47:8; 2 Samuel 19:35; Psalm 119:84; Job 13:23; עַד כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים 1 Kings 22:16 (= 2 Chronicles 18:15); כַּמָּה how often ? Job 21:17 (i.e. how seldom !); in an indirect question, how much ? Zechariah 2:6 (twice in verse). As an exclamation, Zechariah 7:3 as I have done זֶה כַמֶּה שָׁנִים now (זֶה 4 i), how many years ! Psalm 78:40 כַּמָּה how often !

(b) for how long ? Psalm 35:17 כמה תראה, Job 7:19.

d. לָ֫מָּה, לָמָ֫ה (לָמָ֫ה mostly before the gutturals א, ה, ע and י׳ [i.e. אֲדֹנָי], but twice besides, Psalm 42:10; Psalm 43:2; לָ֫מָּה also occurs before guttural, in five places noted by Masoretes on Psalm 43:2, namely 1 Samuel 28:15; 2 Samuel 2:22; 2 Samuel 14:31; Psalm 49:6; Jeremiah 15:18, and before ח † Genesis 4:6; 2 Samuel 14:13; 2 Samuel 24:3; Ecclesiastes 2:15), לָ֫מָה † Job 7:20, לָ֫מֶה † 1 Samuel 1:8 (3 times in verse), for what reason ? why? Genesis 4:6 למה חרה לך why art thou angry ? Genesis 24:31, etc.; often strengthened by זֶה (זֶה 4 e), Genesis 18:13; Genesis 32:30 (= Judges 13:18) למה זה תשׁאל לשׁמי, Genesis 33:15; Exodus 2:20; Exodus 5:22; Exodus 17:3, etc., Jeremiah 6:20; Jeremiah 20:18 +; Genesis 25:22 זה אנכי אם כן למהֿ if so, why, then, am I ? (why do I continue to live ?); = to what purpose (followed by לִ person), Genesis 27:46 למה לי חיים, Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 6:20; Amos 5:18 למה זה לכם יום י׳, Job 30:2; in an indirect question, 1 Samuel 6:3; Daniel 10:20. Note especially

(a) in expostulations, Genesis 12:18 למה לא הגדת לי why didst thou not tell me, etc. ? Genesis 12:19; Genesis 29:25; Genesis 31:27; Genesis 42:1; Genesis 43:6; 1 Samuel 21:15; 1 Samuel 22:13; 1 Samuel 24:10; Psalm 22:2; Psalm 44:24; Psalm 44:25; Psalm 74:1; Psalm 74:11 + often;

(b) with an imperfect, often deprecating, or introducing rhetorically, the reason why something should, or should not, be done, why should...? 1 Samuel 19:5, 17; 1 Samuel 20:8 but to thy father (emphatic) למה זה תביאני, why shouldst thou bring me ? 1 Samuel 20:32 מה עשׂה למה יומת why should he be put to death ? 2 Samuel 13:26; 2 Samuel 16:9; 2 Samuel 20:19; 2 Kings 14:10, etc.: in such cases, it approximates in meaning to lest (compare Phoenician CIS^{i. 2, 21} יסגרינם אלנם לָםָ ne tradant eos dii), and is in often rendered by μήποτε, as Genesis 27:45 למה אשׁכל why should I be bereaved, etc. ? Exodus 32:12 יאמרו מצרים למה Nehemiah 6:3; Psalm 79:10; Psalm 115:2; Ecclesiastes 7:16, μή, Jeremiah 40:15, ἵνα μή, Genesis 47:19; 2 Samuel 2:22; 2 Chronicles 25:16; Ecclesiastes 5:5; Ecclesiastes 7:17, or ὅπως μή, Joel 2:17 (in 1 Samuel 19:17; 2 Samuel 13:26, paraph. by εἰ μή); and, connected with the foregoing sentence by אשׁר, or שֶׁ, in late, or dialect., Hebrew it actually has that meaning, Daniel 1:10 אֲשֶׁר לָמָּה יִרְאֶה lest he see, Songs 1:7 שַׁלָּמָ֫ה אֶהְיֶה lest I become (so in Aramaic לְמָה דִּי Ezra 7:23, דִּילְמָא , Syriac , both regularly = lest).

e. עַדמָֿה (Psalm 4:3 עַדמֶֿה) until when ? how long ? † Numbers 24:22 (aposiop.), Psalm 4:3; Psalm 79:5; Psalm 89:47; in indirect question, Psalm 74:9 (compare עד אנה, עד מתי).

f. עַלמָֿה, and עַלמֶֿה, upon what ? Job 38:6; 2 Chronicles 32:10; upon what ground ? wherefore ? Numbers 22:32 עַלמָֿה הִכִּיתָ אֶתאֲֿתֹנְךָ, Deuteronomy 29:23 (compare 1 Kings 9:8; Jeremiah 22:8), Isaiah 1:5; Jeremiah 8:14; Jeremiah 9:11; Jeremiah 16:10; Ezekiel 21:12; Psalm 10:13; Job 13:14 (probably dittograph from Job 13:13); עלמֿהזֿה Nehemiah 2:4. In an indirect question, Job 10:2 הוֺדִיעֻנִי עַל מַהתְּֿרִיבֻנִי, Esther 4:5 לָדַעַת מַהזֶּֿה וְעַלמַֿהוֶּֿה.

See related Aramaic BDB entry H4101.

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