Brown-Driver-Briggs
[
מַ֫עַן]
substantive purpose, intent, only with
לְ, in
לְמַ֫עַן271 preposition and
conjunction for the sake of, on account of, to the intent or in order that (abbreviated from מַעֲנֶה: compare מַ֫עַל; Köii. 116); — with suffix לְמַעֲנִי, לְמַעַנְךָ, and לְמַעַנְכֶם; — 1. preposition: —
a. Genesis 18:24 wilt thou ... not spare the place למען חמשׁים הציקים for the sake of the 50 righteous? Deuteronomy 30:6 חַיֶּיךָ ׳ל for thy life's sake, 1 Kings 8:41 the foreigner who comer from afar שְׁמֶ֑ךָ ׳ל, Isaiah 43:14 לְמַעַנְכֶם שִׁלַּחְתִּי בָבֶ֫לָה, Isaiah 45:4; Isaiah 62:1 ציון ׳ל, Isaiah 63:17 עבדיך ׳ל, Isaiah 65:8; Ezekiel 36:22 (twice in verse); Job 18:4; Psalm 122:8; Psalm 122:9; (׳עַבְדִּי ד) לְמַעַן דָּוִד, i.e. for the sake of David's memory, and the promises given to him, 1 Kings 11:12,13,32,34; 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 2 Kings 19:34 (= Isaiah 37:35), Isaiah 20:6 (all D2); לְמַעֲנִי (of ׳י) for my own sake, i.e. to vindicate my name, 2 Kings 19:34 (= Isaiah 37:35), 2 Kings 20:6; Isaiah 43:25; Isaiah 48:11 לְמַעֲנִי לְמַעֲנִי אֶעֲשֶׁה, so לְמַעַנְךָ Daniel 9:19, אֲדֹנָי ׳ל Daniel 9:17; ׳י is said (or entreated) to act (שִׁמְךָ, שְׁמִי) לְמַעַן שְׁמוֺ i.e. to maintain his reputation, or character, Psalm 23:3; Psalm 25:11; Psalm 31:4; Psalm 79:9; Psalm 106:8; Psalm 143:11; Jeremiah 14:7,21; Ezekiel 20:9,14,22,44; Isaiah 48:9; simile חַסְדְּךָ ׳ל (i.e. to maintain it consistently) Psalm 6:5; Psalm 44:27, טוּבְךָ ׳ל Psalm 25:7, צִדְקוֺ ׳ל Isaiah 42:21.
b. In view of, on account of (but not expressing causation distinctly, like מִן 2f, or מִמְּנֵי), Deuteronomy 3:26 בי לְמַעַנְכֶם ׳ויתעבר י on your account, 1 Kings 11:39 זֹאת ׳ל in view of this, שׁוֺרֲרַי ׳ל on account of my watchful foes, Psalm 5:9; Psalm 27:11, צורריך ׳ל Psalm 8:3, simil. Psalm 69:19; Psalm 48:12 (Psalm 97:8) משׁפטיך ׳ישמח הר ציון ֗֗֗ ל in view of thy judgments.
c. Sq. infinitive Genesis 18:19 ׳לְמַעַן הָבִיא י for the purpose of J.'s bringing = to the intent that J. might bring, Genesis 37:22 הַצִּיל ׳ל in order to rescue, Genesis 50:20; Exodus 1:11; Exodus 9:16; Exodus 10:1, etc., Deuteronomy 2:30; Deuteronomy 6:28, etc., 2 Kings 10:19; Jeremiah 7:10,18; Jeremiah 11:5; Jeremiah 50:34 (on הִרגיע, see עַד
2a b), Ezekiel 14:5; Ezekiel 21:5; Ezekiel 22:6 etc., Ezekiel 36:5, + often (Köiii.595 f.). Once, pleonastic, לְמַעַן לָמוּג לֵב Ezekiel 21:20 (compare כַּעֲבוּר לְ 1 Chronicles 19:3; but read probably הִמּוֺג).
2. conjunction (followed by imperfect): —
a. לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר Genesis 18:19 I have known him אשׁר יְצַוֶּה ׳ל to the end that he might command, etc., Deuteronomy 27:3; Joshua 3:4; 2 Samuel 13:5; Jeremiah 42:6; more often
b. without אשׁר, as Genesis 12:13 לְמַעַן יִיטַב לִי, Genesis 27:25; Exodus 4:5 יאמינו ׳ל, Exodus 8:6; Exodus 8:18; Exodus 9:29; Exodus 10:2; Isaiah 5:19; Isaiah 23:16; Psalm 9:15; Psalm 30:13; Psalm 48:14 + often (Köiii.571).
c. Sq. לֹא (a) אשׁר לֹא ׳ל Numbers 17:5; Deuteronomy 20:18; Ezekiel 31:14; Ezekiel 36:30; Ezekiel 46:18; (b) לֹא ׳ל Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 19:9; Ezekiel 25:10; Ezekiel 26:20; Zechariah 12:7; Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119:80; Psalm 125:3 (Köiii.574. Less common than לְבִלְתִּי or מִן with infinitive, or מֶּןֿ).
Note
1 — לְמַעַן is always in order that, never merely so that ἐκβατικῶς); but sometimes, in rhetorical passages, the issue of a line of action, though really undesigned, is represented by it ironically as if it were designed: Deuteronomy 29:18 (see Dr) ׳סְפוֺת וגו ׳וְהִתְבָּרֵךְ כִּלְבָבוֺ ֗֗֗ ל and he congratulate himself ... in order to sweep away the moistened with the dry (i.e. to destroy all together), Isaiah 30:1; Isaiah 44:9 יֵבוֺשׁוּ ׳בל יראו ובל ידעו ל in orer that they may be put to shame, Jeremiah 7:18 הַכְעִיסֵנִי ׳ל, Jeremiah 7:19 בּשֶׁת פְנֵיהֶם ׳ל, Jeremiah 27:10,15; Jeremiah 32:29; Hosea 8:4 their silver, etc., they have made into idols יִכָרֵת ׳ל in order that it may be cut off (of course, not the real purpose of the idolatry), Amos 2:7; Micah 6:16: compare Psalm 51:6 (see Comn.) in order that thou mightest be just when thou judgest (that is, by manifesting thy justice in judgement on my sin). compare Qor 28:7 (FlKl. Schr. i. 397 f.).
Note 2. — In Joshua 4:24 for the anomalous יְרָאתֶם ׳ל, read infinitive יִרְאָתָם ׳ל in order that they might fear (Dr§ 14 Obs.): Nehemiah 6:13 לְמַעַן שָׂכוּר הוּא לְמַעַן אִירָא (si vera 1.) the first ׳ל points forwards, to this intent was he hired, to the intent that I should be afraid. — On Proverbs 16:4, see מַעֵנֶה above