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Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #3964 - מָא
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
- what, whatever
- what?
- whatever, what, whatsoever
- how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)
- Book
- Word
did not use
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did not use
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did not use
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did not use
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did not use
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1281) em (מה MH) AC: ? CO: Sea AB: ?: The pictograph m is a picture of water. The sea (Mediterranean) is a place of the unknown (what is beyond or what is below) . It is feared by the Ancient Hebrews because of its size, storms and fierceness. A hundred as an unknowable amount. This parent root is related to fm, imand me.
A) em (מה MH) AC: ? CO: Sea AB: ?: The sea as the place of the Unknown or anything that is an Unknown or in question.
Nm) em (מה MH) - I. What:Something that is unknown, can also be why, when or how. [Hebrew and Aramaic] II. Water:From the sea. [This word always appears in the plural form, mim, when used for water] [df: Nys] KJV (625): what, how, why, whereby, wherein, how, water, piss, waterspring - Strongs: H3964 (מָא), H4100 (מֶה), H4101 (מָה), H4325 (מַיִם), H7890 (שַׁיִן)
B) eem (מהה MHH) AC: ? CO: Linger AB: ?: A questioning of forward motion.
Nm) eem (מהה MHH) - Linger: KJV (9): linger, tarry, delay, stay - Strongs: H4102 (מָהַהּ)
Jeff Benner, Ancient Hebrew Research Center Used by permission of the author.
indefinite what? (Biblical Hebrew מָה; Nabataean מה; Zinjirli מ; ᵑ7מא; Syriac 
; Arabic 
: compare W CG 124f.); —
1 what ? Daniel 4:32 מה עבדת.
2 whatever, what (compare Biblical Hebrew 1 b end) Daniel 2:22 ידע מח בחשׁוכא knoweth what is in darkness, Ezra 6:9: so מָה דִּי (compare דִּי 1 b: so Nabataean; Palmyrene מא די, מדי, Lzb306 Cooke320,332) Daniel 2:28,29 (twice in verse); Daniel 2:45; Ezra 6:8 למא די תעבדון with regard to what ye shall do, Ezra 7:18 (= whatsoever).
3 with prefixes:
a.כְּמָה how! Daniel 3:33 (twice in verse).
b. לְמָה why? (compare Biblical Hebrew לָמָּה) Ezra 4:22 be not slack herein: why should damage grow, etc., virtually = lest damage grow (ᵐ5 μή ποτε), Ezra 7:23 די למה להוא קצף for why should there be wrath ? = lest [ᵐ5 μή ποτε] there be wrath (compare ᵑ7דִּילְמָא, Syriac 
lest: and see מָה
4 d b, p. 554:a).
c.עלמֿה wherefore? Daniel 2:15.
מָא Chald. i.q. Hebrew מָה what? and also without an interrogation, מָא דִי that which, Ezra 6:7.
