the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
Click here to join the effort!
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
this Strong's Number
did not use
this Strong's Number
did not use
this Strong's Number
did not use
this Strong's Number
did not use
this Strong's Number
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.
