Lexical Definition

‎מַדּוּעַ‎ maddûwaʻ (mad-doo'-ah) why? ^H:Intg
or מַדֻּעַ madduaʻ (maddoo'-ah); from ‎מָה‎ and the passive participle of ‎יָדַע‎

how, wherefore, why.

• what (is) known?
• i.e. (by implication) (adverbially) why?

1) why?, on what account?, wherefore?

See Greek: τίς

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מַדּוּעַ‎₆₁ and :(Exod 18:19) ‎מַדֻּעַ‎ adverb wherefore? (probably contracted from ‎מַהיָּֿדוּעַ‎ what being known ? i.e. from what motive? so Ges Ew^{§325 c} Ol^{§223 f}, compare in Greek τί μαθών;) — wherefore? on what account ? Gen 26:27 ‎מַדּוּעַ בָּאתֶם אֵלָ֑י‎, Gen 40:7; Exod 1:18; Exod 2:18; Exod 3:8 (in an indirect question), Exod 5:14; Exod 18:14; Lev 10:17; Josh 17:14 (all in Hexateuch), Judg 5:28 (twice in verse); 2Sam 3:7; 2Sam 11:10 etc., Isa 5:4; Isa 50:2; Isa 63:2 (all in Isaiah); in Jer 16 t., oft, rhetorically, after a double question introduced by ‎הֲאִ֗֗֗ם‎, expressing affected surprise: Jer 2:14 (see Gf) is Israel a slave (unable to defend himself)? wherefore, then, is he become a prey? (some other cause must therefore be found for Israel's misfortune), vJer 2:31; Jer 8:5; Jer 8:19; Jer 8:22; Jer 14:19; Jer 22:28; Jer 49:1, compare Jer 30:6; Job 3:12; Job 18:8 (never in Psalms).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References