[מַי]₅₈₀ noun masculine^{2Samuel 14:14} only plural מַ֫יִם waters, water (Late Hebrew id.; MI²³ [ין]מ; SI⁵ המים; Aramaic מַיָּא, מַיִּין, Assyrian mû, plural mê, also mâmu Dl^{HWB 394}; Arabic Ethiopic , plural ; Sabean [מו], מום plural מון, Minaean [מה], plural מהן DHM^{6th Or. Congr. (Leiden) ii. 1, 451 f.} (see on these forms Ba^{ZMG xiii.1888, 341 ff.})); — מַ֫יִם (מָ֑יִם) Genesis 1:2 +; הַמַּ֫יְמָה Exodus 7:15; Exodus 8:16; construct מֵי Genesis 7:7 71t.; מֵימֵי Exodus 4:9 10t. + Qr 2 Kings 18:27 = Isaiah 36:12; suffix מֵימַי Hosea 2:7 + 1 Samuel 25:11 (but read here יֵינִי ᵐ5 Ew Th We Klo Dr Kit Bu); מֵימֶ֫יךָ Exodus 23:25 3t.; מֵימָיו Numbers 20:8 6t.; מֵימֶיהָ Jeremiah 6:7; Jeremiah 50:38; מֵימֵינוּ Lamentations 5:4; מֵימֵיהֶם Exodus 7:19 4t.; — waters, water (c. adjective plural Genesis 26:19; Exodus 15:10; Leviticus 14:5,6,50 + often, so always with adjective; also with plural participle Numbers 5:18,19,24; 2 Kings 3:20 +; with plural pronoun Numbers 20:13; Numbers 27:14; 2 Kings 2:21 +; compare suffix Joshua 4:18; before plural verb Genesis 1:9,20,21; Genesis 7:17 + often; after plural verb Joshua 3:13; Isaiah 28:17; Proverbs 9:17; Ezekiel 31:4 +; rarely with singular verb; before, Genesis 9:15; Leviticus 11:34; Numbers 20:2; Numbers 24:7; Numbers 33:14; 2 Kings 3:9; after, Numbers 19:13,20); —

1. a. water of a spring or well (עַיִן, בְּאֵר) Genesis 16:7; Genesis 24:11,13 (twice in verse); Genesis 24:43; Exodus 15:27 (twice in verse) (J), Genesis 21:19,25; Numbers 20:17; Numbers 21:16 (E), etc.; for drinking, also Amos 4:8; Amos 8:11; Jonah 3:7 + often; out of rock Exodus 17:6 (E), Numbers 20:8 (twice in verse); Numbers 20:10,11 (P), Deuteronomy 8:15 etc.; מֵי מְרִיבָה (RS^{Semitic i. 165; 2nd ed. 181}) Numbers 20:13,24; Numbers 27:14 (P), Deuteronomy 33:8; Psalm 81:8; Psalm 106:32; compare Deuteronomy 32:51; Ezekiel 47:19; Ezekiel 48:28; for washing (hands, feet, person) Genesis 18:4; Genesis 24:32; Genesis 43:24 (J), 2 Kings 3:11; Exodus 29:4; Exodus 30:20; Leviticus 15:5,6 + (P); (victims) Leviticus 1:9,13; Leviticus 8:21 (P); (vessels) Leviticus 6:21; Leviticus 12:32; Leviticus 12:34 (P); (garments) Leviticus 15:17; Numbers 19:8 (P); for cooking Exodus 12:9 (P), compare Isaiah 64:1; Ezekiel 24:3 (symbolic); for purification Numbers 8:7 (מֵי חַטָּאת) Numbers 19:9 (מֵי נִדָּה), compare Numbers 19:13; Numbers 19:18; Numbers 19:20; Numbers 19:21; Numbers 19:31; Numbers 31:23 (twice in verse) (all P), Ezekiel 36:25 (figurative).

b. of a river, Nile Exodus 2:10; Exodus 4:9 (twice in verse) (J), Jeremiah 2:18 etc.; Jordan Joshua 3:8 (D), Joshua 3:15; Joshua 3:16 (JE), etc.; Euphrates Isaiah 8:7 (figurative), Jeremiah 2:18; Ezekiel's river Ezekiel 47:1 (twice in verse); Ezekiel 47:2 +, etc.; of streams, canals, etc., especially, as condition of fertility Deuteronomy 8:7; Deuteronomy 10:7; Isaiah 1:30; Proverbs 30:16; 2 Kings 3:17 +, etc.

c. of sea Amos 5:8; Amos 9:6; Red Sea Exodus 15:8,10,19 (song), Exodus 14:21,22,26 + (P), Joshua 2:10 (D), etc.

d. of flood Genesis 7:7,10; Genesis 8:3,7,8,9,11 (J), Genesis 6:17; Genesis 7:6,17,18 (twice in verse); Genesis 7:19; Genesis 8:5; Genesis 9:11,15 (P); so מֵינֹֿחַ Isaiah 54:9 (twice in verse) waters of Noah.

e. subterranean Exodus 20:4 (E), Deuteronomy 4:18; Deuteronomy 5:8, compare Job 26:5; Psalm 136:6.

f. in clouds Jeremiah 10:13; Job 26:8; Psalm 29:3 (twice in verse); Psalm 104:3; Psalm 148:4, etc.

g. of rain Judges 5:4; 2 Samuel 21:10; Deuteronomy 11:11; Psalm 65:10; Job 5:10 ("" מָטָר), etc.

h. of dew Judges 6:38.

i. primÊval deep Genesis 1:2,6 (P).

2 with proper names, of location (q. v.), to denote springs, streams, or seas belonging to, near, such places: מֵימֵי מִצְרַיִם Exodus 7:19; Exodus 8:2; מֵי מְרִיבָה (see above 1a); מֵי מֵרוֺם Joshua 11:5,7; מֵי עֵיןשֶֿׁמֶשׁ Joshua 15:7; מֵי נֶפְתּוֺחַ Joshua 15:9; Joshua 18:15; מֵי יְרִיחוֺ Joshua 16:1; מֵי מְגִּדּוֺ Judges 5:19; מֵי נִמְרִ(י)ם Isaiah 15:6; Jeremiah 48:34; מֵי דִימוֺן Isaiah 15:9; compare מֵי הַשִּׁלֹּחַ Isaiah 8:6; מֵימֵי גִּיחוֺן הָעֶלְיוֺן2Chronicles 32:30; compare also proper name, of a location מִשְׂרְפוֺת מַיִם Joshua 11:8; Joshua 13:6.

3 special uses are: מֵי רַגְלַיִם water of the feet = urine 2 Kings 18:27 = Isaiah 36:12; compare מַדְמֵנָה בְּמֵי Isaiah 25:10 Kt in water of a dunghill (> Qr בְּמוֺ); מַיִם לַחַץ water (which is) distress, because drunk in imprisonment 1 Kings 22:27 ("" לֶחֶם לַחַץ) = 2 Chronicles 18:26; בְּמֵישָֿׁ֑לֶג in snow-water Job 9:30 Qr (Kt במו; Me Hoffm Siegf כְּמוֺ), מֵימֵי שֶׁלֶג Job 24:19; מַיִם קְדשִׁים Numbers 5:17 holy water (compare RS^{Sem.165, 2nd ed.181}, but text dubious, see Di); מֵי הַמָּרִים bitter water Numbers 5:18,19,23,24; compare Exodus 15:23 (כִּי מָרִים הֵם), opposed to וַיִּמְתְּקוּ הַמַּיִם Exodus 15:25 and the waters were sweetened; מֵי חַטָּאת, מֵי נִדָּה see above 1a; מַיִם חַיִּים living (i.e. running) water Leviticus 14:5,6,50,51,52; Numbers 19:17, also (figurative) Zechariah 14:8 (compare Ezekiel 47), and (figurative) Jeremiah 2:13; Jeremiah 17:13. See also below (compare Numbers 21:17,18; see RS^{Sem.i.127.157; 2nd ed.135,176}).

4 among figurative uses are:

a. of distress Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 66:12 ("" אֵשׁ), Psalm 69:2; Lamentations 3:54; usually many waters 2 Samuel 22:17 = Psalm 18:17, compare Job 22:11; Psalm 32:6; Psalm 144:7, or deep waters Psalm 69:3; Psalm 69:15, compare Psalm 69:16; also מֵירֿאֹשׁ water of gall Jeremiah 8:14; Jeremiah 9:14; Jeremiah 23:15.

b. מֶּרֶץ מַיִם 2 Samuel 5:20 = 1 Chronicles 14:11 of outbursting force.

c. מַיִם שְׁאוֺן Isaiah 17:12,13 of rushing nations.

d. of what is impetuous, violent, overwhelming Isaiah 28:2,17; Hosea 10:7; Job 27:20; Psalm 124:4; Psalm 124:5; Psalm 88:18; simileof impetuousness מַּחַז כַּמַּיִ ם Genesis 49:4.

e. (as running away) of heart in timidity Joshua 7:5, compare Psalm 22:16, of knees Ezekiel 7:17; Ezekiel 21:12.

f. of transitoriness Job 11:16; Job 24:18; Psalm 58:8.

g. of refreshment Isaiah 32:2; Isaiah 49:10; spiritual Isaiah 12:3.

h. מֵי מְנֻחוֺת Psalm 23:2 in figure of rest and peace, compare Jeremiah 31:9.

i. of reckless bloodshed (poured out like water) Psalm 79:3; compare pouring away (and not eating) blood Deuteronomy 12:16,24; Deuteronomy 15:23.

j. בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים Songs 4:15 figurative of bride; מַיִם מִבּוֺרֶ֑ךָ Proverbs 5:15 of enjoyment of one's own wife; of harlotry מַיִם גְּנוּבִים Proverbs 9:17 stolen waters.

k. of outpoured wrath of ׳י Hosea 5:10.

1 of abundant justice Amos 5:24 masculine of outpoured feelings Job 3:24; שִׁפְכִי כַמַּיִם לִבֵךְ Lamentations 2:19. — Isaiah 48:1 read probably מִמְּעֵי for ᵑ0 מִמֵּי, so Secker Du Che^{Hpt Skinner}, compare Di.