H4100. mah

or ma- or meh מָה‎, rarely מָהֿ‎ (e.g. Genesis 31:43; Joshua 22:16; Judges 8:1), מַּ מֶה, מַהּ , מַהֿ,‎ ( Exodus 4:2; Isaiah 3:15; Malachi 1:13; 1 Chronicles 15:13; 2 Chronicles 30:3), מָ‎ (only in מָהֵם‎ Ezekiel 8:6 Kt., Qr. הֵם מָה‎) — on the distinction in the use of these forms, see Ges^{§ 37} —

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 417 f.}), Ethiopic ment; compare W^{CG 123 ff.} K?:ii. 368): —

1 interrogative what ?

a. in a direct question, before either verbs or nouns Genesis 4:10 עשׂית מֶה‎ what hast thou done ? 15:2 מהתֿתןלֿי‎ what wilt thou give me ? Exodus 3:13 מַהשְּֿׁמוֺ‎, 12:26; 13:14 and so very often: מַההִֿיא‎ Zechariah 5:6; אלה מה‎ 1:9; רֹאֶה אַתָּה מָה‎ Jeremiah 1:11; Amos 7:8 +; Jl Amos 4:14 לי אתם מה‎; Judges 18:8 אתם מה‎ see Commentaries, 18:24 עוד לי מה‎ 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, תעשׂה מה‎ what doest thou ? 22:13; Ecclesiastes 8:4; Isaiah 45:9-10, followed by כִּי‎, Genesis 20:10 עשׂית כי ראית מה‎ what hadst thou in view, that thou hast done, etc.? 31:36; Exodus 16:7 כִּי מָה וְנַחְנוּ‎ and what are we, that . . .. 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 חָ֑לֶד מֶה זְכָראֲֿנִי‎ (inverted for מַה אָ֑נִי חֶלֶד‎) remember (of) what (short) duration I am, Ecclesiastes 1:3; 5:10; 5:15; 6:8, 11 (Da^{§ 8, R. 2 K?:iii. 23 f.}); 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 רעה ומַהבֿידי‎ and what is there in my hand, evil ? 20:10 (see

3), 2 Samuel 19:29; 24:13; 1 Kings 12:16; Jeremiah 2:5 עָוֶל בי אבותיכם מהמֿצאו‎, Ecclesiastes 11:2; Esther 6:3. (b) מַהזֶּֿה‎ what now ? 1 Samuel 10:11, contracted מַזֶּה‎ Exodus 4:2 (זֶה‎ 4c); Genesis 3:13 עָשִׂיתָ מַהזּֿאֹת‎; 12:18; 29:25 לִּי עָשִׂיתָה מַהזּֿאֹת‎; similarly 26:10; 42:28 +, either what, now, hast thou done ? or what is this that thou hast done ? (see זֶה‎

4d). (c) מַהֿ לְּךָ‎ what to thee ? i.e. what aileth thee ? or what dost thou want ? Genesis 21:17 הָגָר מַהלָּֿךְ‎; 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 נזעקת כי מהלֿך‎, Genesis 20:9 (compare 1 Samuel 11:5 מה יבכו כי לעם‎), Isaiah 22:1 עָלִיתְ כִּי מַהלָּֿךְ‎ (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; 52:5. (e) in the Genitive, Jeremiah 8:9 לָהֶם וְחָכְמַתמֶֿה‎, 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, 37:20 חלֹמֹתיו מהיֿהיו וְנִרְאֶה‎ to what his dreams will come, Numbers 13:19f.; Habakkuk 2:1; הִכִּיר‎ Genesis 31:32; ידע‎ 39:8; Exodus 2:4 לו מהיֵּֿעָשֶׂה לדעת‎, 16:15; 32:1; Job 34:4; שׁמע‎ Numbers 9:8 י מהיֿצוה ׳וְאשׁמעה‎ (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; 23:5: Numbers 13:18 הארץ את וראיתם היא מה‎, Psalm 39:5; Isaiah 41:22 הַגִּידוּ הֵנָּה מָה הראשׁנות‎. — In some such cases it approximates in meaning to the simple rel., as Jeremiah 7:17; 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 הזה החלום מה‎ what is this dream which thou hast dreamt? 44:15; Joshua 22:16; Judges 8:1; 15:11; 20:12; 1 Samuel 29:3 האלה הָעִבְרִים מָה‎, 1 Kings 9:13 לי נתתה אשׁר האלה העדים מה‎, 2 Kings 9:22; 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..., היא מה‎ what is it ? (i.e. it is something quite insignificant), 27:37; Judges 8:3 ומהיֿכלתי ככם עשׂות‎, 14:18; Hosea 9:5; 10:3; Psalm 30:10; 56:5; Job 15:9; 16:6; 21:21; 22:13, 17; Lamentations 2:13; Song of Solomon 5:9 מִדּוֺד מַהאדּוֺדֵךְ‎ what is thy beloved (more) than a(nother) beloved ? "" לא‎, 1 Kings 12:16 יִשַׁי בְּבֶן וְלֹאנַֿחֲלָה בְּדָוֺד חֵלֶק מַהלָּֿנוּ‎ (2 Samuel 20:1 וג חֵלֶק ׳אֵיןלָֿנוּ‎), Job 16:6. (b) followed by כִּי‎ (כִּי‎ 1f), Genesis 20:9; 37:26 נַהֲרֹג כִּי מַהבֶּֿצַע‎ 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 תזכרנו כי אנושׁ מָה‎ what is man that thou rememberest him ? Job 6:11 אֲיַחֵל כִּי מַהכֹּֿחִי‎, 6:11; b 7:17; 15:12f; 15:14; 16:3; 21:15 + (compare ׳מִ‎

f b). Hence, (c) in the formula of repudiation, or emphatic denial, (וְלָכֶם‎) וָלָךְ מַהלִּֿי‎ 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 ולכם לי מה‎, 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 מ לדרך לך ׳מה‎ what is there to thee with reference to the way to Egypt ? Hosea 14:9 לַעֲצַבִּים מַהאלּוֺ‎, compare Psalm 50:16 (לְסַמֵּר‎); with את‎, Jeremiah 23:28 אֶתהַֿבָּר מַהלַֿתֶּבֶן‎ 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 אתם מה כמוני עשׂו מהרו עשׂיתי ראיתם‎, literally what do you see (that) I have done ? hasten, and do like me (= whatever ye see, etc.), 2 Samuel 21:4 אמרים אתם מה לכם אעשׂה‎, Job 6:24; with the apodosis introduced by וְ‎, 1 Samuel 20:4 לך ואעשׂה נפשׁך תאמר מה‎; Esther 5:3 מַהֿ לָךְ וְיִנָּתֵן ֗֗֗ בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ‎, 5:6; 7:2; 9:12; hence in the late and strange idiom of Chronicles, it sinks twice almost to the rel. what, 1 Chronicles 15:13 אתם לא לְמַבָּרִאשׁוֺנָה כי‎ 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 שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הוּא מַהשֶּֿׁהָיָה‎, literally what is that which hath been ? it is that which shall be (= whatever hath been, it is that which shall be), 1:9; 3:15, 22; 6:10; 7:24; 8:7; 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 זֶה מַהיּֿשִׁעֵנוּ‎, 2 Kings 4:43; Job 9:2; 25:4 (twice in verse); 31:1 I made a covenant with my eyes, ב עַל אֶתְבּוֺנֵן ׳וּמָה‎ and how should I look upon a maid ? (ᵐ5‎ οὐ, ᵑ9‎ non), Proverbs 20:24 מַהיָּֿבִין וְאָדָם דַּרְכּוֺ‎; in an indirect question, Exodus 10:26; Psalm 39:5 אָ֑נִי מֶהחָֿדֵל ֵאדְעָה‎; מַהזֶּֿה‎, how, now ? (in surprise), Genesis 27:20 בְּנִי לִמְצאֹ מִהַרְתָּ מַהזֶּֿה‎, Judges 18:24; 1 Kings 21:5; 2 Kings 1:5. (b) why ? Exodus 14:15 תִּצְעַק מַה אֵלַי‎, 17:2 (twice in verse); 2 Kings 6:33; 7:3; Psalm 42:6 עלי מַהתִּֿשְׁתּוֺחֲחִי‎, Job 15:12 +; Song of Solomon 8:4 I adjure you וּמַהתְּֿעוֺרֲרוּ מַהתָּֿעִירוּ‎, why will ye stir up, etc.? (i.e. do not: "" אִם‎ 2:7; 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. 244 ff.}; Kö^{iii, 478}).

b. as an exclamation, how ...! with adjectives and verbs, Genesis 28:17 הַזֶּה הַמָּקוֺם מַהנּֿוֺרָא‎ how dreadful is this place! 38:29; Numbers 24:5 אֹהָלֶיךָ מַהטֹּֿבוּ‎, Isaiah 52:7; Psalm 3:2 רבו מה‎, 8:2 אדיר מה‎, 21:2; 36:8, etc., Song of Solomon 4:10 (twice in verse); 7:2; ironically, 2 Samuel 6:20; Jeremiah 2:33, 36; Job 26:2-3,.

3 indefinite pronoun anything, aught, Numbers 23:3 לָ֑ךְ וְהִגַּדְתִּי וּדְבַרמַֿהיַּֿרְאֵנִי‎ 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 לָ֑ךְ וִהִגַּדְתִּי מָה וְרָאִיתִי‎ = and if I see aught, I will, etc., 20:10 קָשָׁה אָבִיךָ מַהיַּֿעַנִךָ אוֺ‎ if perchance thy father shall answer thee aught that is harsh (order,

1a a), 2 Samuel 18:22 אָרוּצָהנָּֿא וִיהִימָֿה‎ but let there happen what may (literally aught), I will run, 18:23 (compare Job 13:13 מָה עָלַי וְיַעֲבֹר‎), Job 13:29 מָה יָדַעְתִּי וְלֹא‎ (compare Proverbs 9:13), 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; 2:17; 3:7-8; wherewith ? 1 Samuel 6:2; 2 Samuel 21:3; Micah 6:6; by what means ? Judges 16:5 לוֺ נוּכַל וּבַמֶּה‎; at what (worth) ? Isaiah 2:22; for what ?2 Chronicles 7:21 ("" 1 Kings 9:8 עלמֿה‎).

b. מֶה יַעַן‎ Haggai 1:9 because of what ?

c. כַּמֶּה כַּמָּה,‎, properly the like of what ? (Arabic , Syriac ); hence (a) how much ? how many ? וגו יְמֵי ׳כַּמָּה‎ Genesis 47:8; 2 Samuel 19:35; Psalm 119:84; Job 13:23; פְעָמִים כַּמֶּה עַד‎ 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, 7:3 as I have done שָׁנִים כַמֶּה זֶה‎ now (זֶה‎

4i), how many years ! Psalm 78:40 כַּמָּה‎ how often ! (b) for how long ? 35:17 תראה כמה‎, Job 7:19.

d. לָמָ֫ה לָ֫מָּה,‎ (לָמָ֫ה‎ mostly before the gutturals ע ה, א,‎ and ׳י‎ [i.e. אֲדֹנָי‎], but twice besides, Psalm 42:10; 43:2; לָ֫מָּה‎ also occurs before guttural, in five places noted by Masoretes on 43:2, namely 1 Samuel 28:15; 2 Samuel 2:22; 14:31; Psalm 49:6; Jeremiah 15:18, and before ךְ‎ Genesis 4:6; 2 Samuel 14:13; 24:3; Ecclesiastes 2:15), לָ֫מָה‎ Job 7:20, לָ֫מֶה‎ 1 Samuel 1:8 (3 t. in verse), for what reason ? why? Genesis 4:6 לך חרה למה‎ why art thou angry ? 24:31, etc.; often strengthened by זֶה‎ (זֶה‎ 4e), 18:13; 32:30 (= Judges 13:18) לשׁמי תשׁאל זה למה‎, Judg 33:15; Exodus 2:20; 5:22; 17:3, etc., Jeremiah 6:20; 20:18 +; Genesis 25:22 למהֿ כן אם אנכי זה‎ if so, why, then, am I ? (why do I continue to live ?); = to what purpose (followed by לִ‎ person), 27:46 חיים לי למה‎, Isaiah 1:11; Jeremiah 6:20; Amos 5:18 י יום ׳לכם זה למה‎, Job 30:2; in an indirect question, 1 Samuel 6:3; Daniel 10:20. Note especially (a) in expostulations, Genesis 12:18 לי הגדת לא למה‎ why didst thou not tell me, etc. ? 12:19; 29:25; 31:27; 42:1; 43:6; 1 Samuel 21:15; 22:13; 24:10; Psalm 22:2; 44:24; 44:25; 74:1; 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; 20:8 but to thy father (emphatic) תביאני זה למה‎, why shouldst thou bring me ? 20:32 יומת למה עשׂה מה‎ why should he be put to death ? 2 Samuel 13:26; 16:9; 20:19; 2 Kings 14:10, etc.: in such cases, it approximates in meaning to lest (compare Phoenician CIS^{i. 2, 21} לָםָ אלנם יסגרינם‎ ne tradant eos dii), and is in ᵐ5‎ often rendered by μήποτε, as Genesis 27:45 אשׁכל למה‎ why should I be bereaved, etc. ? Exodus 32:12 למה מצרים יאמרו‎ Nehemiah 6:3; Psalm 79:10; 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; 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 יִרְאֶה לָמָּה אֲשֶׁר‎ lest he see, Song of Solomon 1:7 אֶהְיֶה שַׁלָּמָ֫ה‎ lest I become (so in Aramaic דִּי לְמָה‎ Ezra 7:23, ᵑ7 דִּילְמָא‎, Syriac , both regularly = lest).

e. עַדמָֿה‎ (Psalm 4:3 עַדמֶֿה‎) until when ? how long ? Numbers 24:22 (aposiop.), Psalm 4:3; 79:5; 89:47; in indirect question, 74:9 (compare מתי עד אנה, עד‎).

f. עַלמָֿה‎, and עַלמֶֿה‎, upon what ? Job 38:6; 2 Chronicles 32:10; upon what ground ? wherefore ? Numbers 22:32 אֶתאֲֿתֹנְךָ הִכִּיתָ עַלמָֿה‎, Deuteronomy 29:23 (compare 1 Kings 9:8; Jeremiah 22:8), Isaiah 1:5; Jeremiah 8:14; 9:11; 16:10; Ezekiel 21:12; Psalm 10:13; Job 13:14 (probably dittograph from 13:13); עלמֿהזֿה‎ Nehemiah 2:4. In an indirect question, Job 10:2 מַהתְּֿרִיבֻנִי עַל הוֺדִיעֻנִי‎, Esther 4:5 וְעַלמַֿהוֶּֿה מַהזֶּֿה לָדַעַת‎.