Bible Lexicons

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 417f.}), Ethiopic ment; compare W ^{CG 123ff.} K?: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 Amos 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 Amos , Ecclesiastes 1:3; Ecclesiastes 5:10; Ecclesiastes 5:15; Ecclesiastes 6:8,11 (Da^{§ 8, R. 2 K?:iii. 23f.}); 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; מֹּרַשׁ 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; Song of Solomon 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 6:11; b Job 7:17; Job 15:12 f; 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 (לְסַמֵּר); 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., 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 ? (ᵐ5 οὐ, ᵑ9 non), Proverbs 20:24 דַּרְכּוֺ וְאָדָם מַהיָּֿבִין; in an indirect question, Exodus 10:26; Psalm 39:5 ֵ˜אדְעָה מֶהחָֿדֵל אָ֑נִי; 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 +; Song of Solomon 8:4 I adjure you מַהתָּֿעִירוּ וּמַהתְּֿעוֺרֲרוּ, why will ye stir up, etc.? (i.e. do not: "" אִם Song of Solomon 2:7; Song of Solomon 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; Song of Solomon 8:4), is in Arabic complete, being there used constantly in the sense of not (compare Walker ^{Hebraica. xii. 244ff.}; 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., Song of Solomon 4:10 (twice in verse); Song of Solomon 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.בַּמָּה₉, בַּמֶּה₁₉ 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 ךְ Genesis 4:6; 2 Samuel 14:13; 2 Samuel 24:3; Ecclesiastes 2:15), לָ֫מָה Job 7:20, לָ֫מֶה 1 Samuel 1:8 (3t. 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, Judges 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 Song of Solomon , 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 ᵐ5 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, Song of Solomon 1:7 שַׁלָּמָ֫ה אֶהְיֶה lest I become (so in Aramaic לְמָה דִּי Ezra 7:23, דִּילְמָאᵑ7, 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,