Lexical Definition

‎מָה‎ mâh (maw) what? ^H:Intg
or מַה mah (mah); or מָ mâ (maw); or מַ ma (mah); also מֶה meh (meh); a primitive particle

how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

• properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?)
• but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which)
• often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses

interr pron
1) what, how, of what kind
1a) (interrogative)
1a1) what?
1a2) of what kind
1a3) what? (rhetorical)
1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what
1b) (adverb)
1b1) how, how now
1b2) why
1b3) how! (exclamation)
1c) (with prep)
1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means?
1c2) because of what?
1c3) the like of what?
1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often?
1c3b) for how long?
1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose?
1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore?
indef pron
2) anything, aught, what may

See Greek: αἴτημα · ἱκανός · ἱκανός · λίαν · ποῖος · τίς · τίς · τίς · τίς · λαμά

Extended Information

• interr pron
• indef pron

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎מָה‎, rarely ‎מָהֿ‎ (e.g. Gen 31:43; Josh 22:16; Judg 8:1), ‎מַהֿ‎, ‎מַהּ ‎, ‎מֶה‎, ‎מַּ ‎ ( Exod 4:2; Isa 3:15; Mal 1:13; 1Chr 15:13; 2Chr 30:3), ‎מָ‎ (only in ‎מָהֵם‎ Ezek 8:6 Kt., Qr. ‎מָה הֵם‎) — on the distinction in the use of these forms, see Ges^{«GKC:37»§ 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 Gen 4:10 ‎מֶה עשׂית‎ what hast thou done ? Gen 15:2 ‎מהתֿתןלֿי‎ what wilt thou give me ? Exod 3:13 ‎מַהשְּֿׁמוֺ‎, Exod 12:26; Exod 13:14 and so very often: ‎מַההִֿיא‎ Zech 5:6 ‎מה אלה‎ Zech 1:9 ‎מָה אַתָּה רֹאֶה‎ Jer 1:11; Amos 7:8 +; Jl Amos 4:14 ‎מה אתם לי‎; Judg 18:8 ‎מה אתם‎ see Commentaries, vJudg 18:24 ‎מה לי עוד‎ what have I still ? Isa 21:11 ‎מהמֿלילה‎ what (= how much) of the night (is past) ? = as what ? (qualem ?) Hag 2:3 (compare ‎מִי‎ Amos 7:2); to express surprise, Job 9:12 who shall say to him, ‎מה תעשׂה‎ what doest thou ? Job 22:13; Eccl 8:4; Isa 45:9; Isa 45:10 followed by ‎כִּי‎, Gen 20:10 ‎מה ראית כי עשׂית‎ what hadst thou in view, that thou hast done, etc.? Gen 31:36; Exod 16:7 ‎וְנַחְנוּ מָה כִּי‎ and what are we, that . . .? Exod 32:21; Num 22:28; Hab 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 . . .? Gen 37:26; Ps 30:10*; Mal 3:14; Isa 40:8 ‎מַהדְּֿמוּת‎, Mal 1:13; Ps 89:48* ‎זְכָראֲֿנִי מֶה חָ֑לֶד‎ (inverted for ‎חֶלֶד אָ֑נִי מַה‎) remember (of) what (short) duration I am, Eccl 1:3; Eccl 5:10*; Eccl 5:15*; Eccl 6:8; Eccl 6:11 (Da^{§ 8, R. 2 K?:iii. 23 f.}); as exclamation, Ps 89:48*b Job 26:14. And with the substantive idiomatically at the end (in Arabic preceded then by : W^{AG. ii. § 49. 7}), 1Sam 26:18 ‎ומַהבֿידי רעה‎ and what is there in my hand, evil ? 1Sam 20:10 (see 3), 2Sam 19:29*; 2Sam 24:13; 2Sam 1:16; ‎מהמֿצאו אבותיכם בי עָוֶל‎, Eccl 11:2; Esth 6:3.
(b) ‎מַהזֶּֿה‎ what now ? 1Sam 10:11, contracted ‎מַזֶּה‎ Exod 4:2 (‎זֶה‎ 4 c); Gen 3:13 ‎מַהזּֿאֹת עָשִׂיתָ‎; Gen 12:18; Gen 29:25 ‎מַהזּֿאֹת עָשִׂיתָה לִּי‎; similarly Gen 26:10; Gen 42:28 +, either what, now, hast thou done ? or what is this that thou hast done ? (see ‎זֶה‎ 4 d).
(c) ‎לְּךָ מַהֿ‎ what to thee ? i.e. what aileth thee ? or what dost thou want ? Gen 21:17 ‎מַהלָּֿךְ הָגָר‎; Josh 15:18; 2Sam 14:5; 1Kgs 1:16; 2Kgs 6:28; Ezek 18:2 (accents); followed by ‎כִּי‎, Judg 18:23 ‎מהלֿך כי נזעקת‎, Gen 20:9 (compare 1Sam 11:5 ‎לעם כי יבכו מה‎), Isa 22:1 ‎מַהלָּֿךְ כִּי עָלִיתְ‎ (compare τί παθὼν, τοῦτο ποιεῖς;), Ps 114:5 without ‎כִּי‎ Isa 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), Ezek 18:2 (if ‎אתם‎ be treated as strengthening ‎לכם‎).
(d) ‎פֹה‎ (‎לִי‎) ‎מַהלְּֿךָ‎ = what hast thou (have I) here ? Judg 18:3; 1Kgs 19:9; Isa 22:16; Isa 52:5.
(e) in the genitive, Jer 8:9 ‎וְחָכְמַתמֶֿה לָהֶם‎, and wisdom of what (= what kind of wisdom) is theirs ? Num 23:3 (see below 3).
b. often in an indirect question, as after ‎ראה‎, Gen 2:19 to see ‎מהיֿקראלֿו‎ what he would call it, Gen 37:20 ‎וְנִרְאֶה מהיֿהיו חלֹמֹתיו‎ to what his dreams will come, Num 13:19f.; Hab 2:1 ‎הִכִּיר‎ Gen 31:32 ‎ידע‎ Gen 39:8; Exod 2:4 ‎לדעת מהיֵּֿעָשֶׂה לו‎, Exod 16:15; Exod 32:1; Job 34:4 ‎שׁמע‎ Num 9:8 ‎׳‎‎וְאשׁמעה מהיֿצוה י‎ (compare Ps 85:9*), 2Sam 17:5 ‎פֹּרַשׁ‎ Num 15:34 ‎שׁאל‎ 1Kgs 3:5; 2Kgs 2:9 ‎הֵבִין‎ Job 6:24; Job 23:5: Num 13:18 ‎מה היא וראיתם את הארץ‎, Ps 39:5*; Isa 41:22 ‎הראשׁנות מָה הֵנָּה הַגִּידוּ‎. — In some such cases it approximates in meaning to the simple rel., as Jer 7:17; Jer 33:24; Mic 6:5; Mic 6:8; Job 34:33.
c. = of what kind ? (German was für ein ... ?), with an insinuation of blame, or reproach, or contempt: Gen 37:10 ‎מה החלום הזה‎ what is this dream which thou hast dreamt? Gen 44:15; Josh 22:16; Judg 8:1; Judg 15:11; Judg 20:12; 1Sam 29:3 ‎מָה הָעִבְרִים האלה‎, 1Kgs 9:13 ‎מה העדים האלה אשׁר נתתה לי‎, 2Kgs 9:22; 2Kgs 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) Gen 23:15 land worth 400 shekels..., ‎מה היא‎ what is it ? (i.e. it is something quite insignificant), Gen 27:37; Judg 8:3 ‎עשׂות ככם ומהיֿכלתי‎, Judg 14:18; Hos 9:5; Hos 10:3; Ps 30:10*; Ps 56:5*; Job 15:9; Job 16:6; Job 21:21; Job 22:13; Job 22:17; Lam 2:13; Song 5:9 ‎מַהאדּוֺדֵךְ מִדּוֺד‎ what is thy beloved (more) than a(nother) beloved ? || ‎לא‎, 1Kgs 12:16 ‎מַהלָּֿנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוֺד וְלֹאנַֿחֲלָה בְּבֶן יִשַׁי‎ (2Sam 20:1 ‎׳‎‎אֵיןלָֿנוּ חֵלֶק וג‎), Job 16:6.
(b) followed by ‎כִּי‎ (‎כִּי‎ 1 f), Gen 20:9; Gen 37:26 ‎מַהבֶּֿצַע כִּי נַהֲרֹג‎ what profit (is it) that we should slay him ? Exod 16:7; Num 16:11; Hab 2:18; 2Kgs 8:13 what is thy servant, the dog, that he should do, etc.? and often in poetry, as Ps 8:5* ‎מָה אנושׁ כי תזכרנו‎ what is man that thou rememberest him ? Job 6:11 ‎מַהכֹּֿחִי כִּי אֲיַחֵל‎, vJob 6:11 b Job 7:17; Job 15:12f; Job 15:14; Job 16:3; Job 21:15 + (compare ‎׳‎‎מִ‎ f b). Hence,
(c) in the formula of repudiation, or emphatic denial, (‎וְלָכֶם‎) ‎מַהלִּֿי וָלָךְ‎ what is there (common) to me and to thee ? i.e. what have I to do with thee ? Judg 11:12; 2Sam 16:10 ‎מה לי ולכם‎, 2Sam 19:23*; 1Kgs 17:18; 2Kgs 3:13; 2Chr 35:21 compare Josh 22:24; 2Kgs 9:18; 2Kgs 9:19 rather differently, without ‎וְ‎, Jer 2:18 ‎׳‎‎מה לך לדרך מ‎ what is there to thee with reference to the way to Egypt ? Hos 14:9* ‎מַהאלּוֺ לַעֲצַבִּים‎, compare Ps 50:16 (‎לְסַפֵּר‎); with ‎את‎, Jer 23:28 ‎מַהלַֿתֶּבֶן אֶתהַֿבָּר‎ beside (or in comparison with) the wheat ? compare τί ἐμοὶ(ἡμῖν)καὶ σοί; Matt 8:29; Mark 5:7; John 2:4 and Arabic
e. = whatsoever (compare ‎מִי‎ g):
(a) Judg 9:48 ‎ראיתם עשׂיתי מהרו עשׂו כמוני מה אתם‎, literally what do you see (that) I have done ? hasten, and do like me (= whatever ye see, etc.), 2Sam 21:4 ‎אעשׂה לכם מה אתם אמרים‎, Job 6:24 with the apodosis introduced by ‎וְ‎, 1Sam 20:4 ‎מה תאמר נפשׁך ואעשׂה לך‎; Esth 5:3 ‎בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ ֗֗֗ וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ מַהֿ‎, vEsth 5:6; Esth 7:2; Esth 9:12 hence in the late and strange idiom of Chronicles, it sinks twice almost to the rel. what, 1Chr 15:13 ‎כי לְמַבָּרִאשׁוֺנָה לא אתם‎ because ye were not (employed) for what was at first (on the former occasion), J. etc., 2Chr 30:3 ‎לְמַדַּי‎ according to what was sufficient (= in sufficient numbers), compare Esth 9:26.
(b) -‎מַהשֶּֿׁ‎ (late: frequently in Mishna, etc.), whatever, what (compare ‎מִי אֲשֶׁר‎, ‎מִי‎
g. end): Eccl 1:9 ‎מַהשֶּֿׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה‎, literally what is that which hath been ? it is that which shall be (= whatever hath been, it is that which shall be), vEccl 1:9; Eccl 3:15; Eccl 3:22; Eccl 6:10; Eccl 7:24; Eccl 8:7; Eccl 10:14.

2. Used adverbially:
a. as an interrogative:
(a) how ? especially in expressing what is regarded as an impossibility, Gen 44:16 ‎מַהנִּֿצְטַדָּ֑ק‎ how shall we justify ourselves ? Num 23:8 (twice in verse); 1Sam 10:27 ‎מַהיּֿשִׁעֵנוּ זֶה‎, 2Kgs 4:43; Job 9:2; Job 25:4 (twice in verse); Job 31:1 I made a covenant with my eyes, ‎׳‎‎וּמָה אֶתְבּוֺנֵן עַל ב‎ and how should I look upon a maid ? (ᵐ5 οὐ, ᵑ9 non), Prov 20:24 ‎דַּרְכּוֺ וְאָדָם מַהיָּֿבִין‎; in an indirect question, Exod 10:26; Ps 39:5* ‎ֵ˜אדְעָה מֶהחָֿדֵל אָ֑נִי‎; ‎מַהזֶּֿה‎, how, now ? (in surprise), Gen 27:20 ‎מַהזֶּֿה מִהַרְתָּ לִמְצאֹ בְּנִי‎, Judg 18:24; 1Kgs 21:5; 2Kgs 1:5.
(b) why ? Exod 14:15 ‎אֵלַי מַה תִּצְעַק‎, Exod 17:2 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 6:33; 2Kgs 7:3; Ps 42:6* ‎מַהתִּֿשְׁתּוֺחֲחִי עלי‎, Job 15:12 +; Song 8:4 I adjure you ‎מַהתָּֿעִירוּ וּמַהתְּֿעוֺרֲרוּ‎, why will ye stir up, etc.? (i.e. do not: || ‎אִם‎ Song 2:7; Song 3:5). — The transition from the interrogative to the negative, to which in Hebrew there is an approximate (see above: especially 1Kgs 12:16; Job 31:1; Song 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, Gen 28:17 ‎מַהנּֿוֺרָא הַמָּקוֺם הַזֶּה‎ how dreadful is this place! Gen 38:29; Num 24:5 ‎מַהטֹּֿבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ‎, Isa 52:7; Ps 3:2* ‎מה רבו‎, Ps 8:2* ‎מה אדיר‎, Ps 21:2*; Ps 36:8*, etc., Song 4:10 (twice in verse); Song 7:2* ironically, 2Sam 6:20; Jer 2:33; Jer 2:36; Job 26:2; Job 26:3.

3. indefinite pronoun anything, aught, Num 23:3 ‎וּדְבַרמַֿהיַּֿרְאֵנִי וְהִגַּדְתִּי לָ֑ךְ‎ and he will shew me the matter of aught, and I will tell thee (= if he shew me... I will, etc., Dr^{§ 149}), 1Sam 19:3 ‎וְרָאִיתִי מָה וִהִגַּדְתִּי לָ֑ךְ‎ = and if I see aught, I will, etc., 1Sam 20:10 ‎אוֺ מַהיַּֿעַנִךָ אָבִיךָ קָשָׁה‎ if perchance thy father shall answer thee aught that is harsh (order, 1 a a), 2Sam 18:22 ‎וִיהִימָֿה אָרוּצָהנָּֿא‎ but let there happen what may (literally aught), I will run, v2Sam 18:23 (compare Job 13:13 ‎וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָה‎), vJob 13:29 ‎וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מָה‎ (compare Prov 9:13), Prov 25:8. compare Kö^{iii. § 65.}

4. With prepositions:
a. ‎בַּמָּה‎₉, ‎בַּמֶּה‎₁₉ wherein ? Exod 22:26*; Judg 16:5; 1Sam 14:38 (indirect question; We ‎בְּמִי‎); and so according to the various senses of ‎בְּ‎: whereby ? Gen 15:8; Exod 33:16; Mal 1:2; Mal 1:6; Mal 1:7; Mal 2:17; Mal 3:7-8 wherewith ? 1Sam 6:2; 2Sam 21:3; Mic 6:6 by what means ? Judg 16:5 ‎וּבַמֶּה נוּכַל לוֺ‎; at what (worth) ? Isa 2:22 for what ? 2Chr 7:21 (|| 1Kgs 9:8 ‎עלמֿה‎).
b. ‎יַעַן מֶה‎ Hag 1:9 because of what ?
c. ‎כַּמָּה‎, ‎כַּמֶּה‎, properly the like of what ? (Arabic , Syriac ); hence
(a) how much ? how many ? ‎׳‎‎כַּמָּה יְמֵי וגו‎ Gen 47:8; 2Sam 19:35*; Ps 119:84; Job 13:23 ‎עַד כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים‎ 1Kgs 22:16 (= 2Chr 18:15); ‎כַּמָּה‎ how often ? Job 21:17 (i.e. how seldom !); in an indirect question, how much ? Zech 2:6* (twice in verse). As an exclamation, Zech 7:3 as I have done ‎זֶה כַמֶּה שָׁנִים‎ now (‎זֶה‎ 4 i), how many years ! Ps 78:40 ‎כַּמָּה‎ how often !
(b) for how long ? Ps 35:17 ‎כמה תראה‎, Job 7:19.
d. ‎לָ֫מָּה‎, ‎לָמָ֫ה‎ (‎לָמָ֫ה‎ mostly before the gutturals ‎א‎, ‎ה‎, ‎ע‎ and ‎׳‎‎י‎ [i.e. ‎אֲדֹנָי‎], but twice besides, Ps 42:10*; Ps 43:2 ‎לָ֫מָּה‎ also occurs before guttural, in five places noted by Masoretes on Ps 43:2, namely 1Sam 28:15; 2Sam 2:22; 2Sam 14:31; Ps 49:6*; Jer 15:18, and before ‎ךְ‎ Gen 4:6; 2Sam 14:13; 2Sam 24:3; Eccl 2:15), ‎לָ֫מָה‎ Job 7:20, ‎לָ֫מֶה‎ 1Sam 1:8 (3 t. in verse), for what reason ? why? Gen 4:6 ‎למה חרה לך‎ why art thou angry ? Gen 24:31, etc.; often strengthened by ‎זֶה‎ (‎זֶה‎ 4 e), Gen 18:13; Gen 32:30* (= Judg 13:18) ‎למה זה תשׁאל לשׁמי‎, Judg 33:15; Exod 2:20; Exod 5:22; Exod 17:3, etc., Jer 6:20; Jer 20:18 +; Gen 25:22 ‎זה אנכי אם כן למהֿ‎ if so, why, then, am I ? (why do I continue to live ?); = to what purpose (followed by ‎לִ‎ person), Gen 27:46 ‎למה לי חיים‎, Isa 1:11; Jer 6:20; Amos 5:18 ‎למה זה‎ ‎׳‎‎לכם יום י‎, Job 30:2 in an indirect question, 1Sam 6:3; Dan 10:20. Note especially
(a) in expostulations, Gen 12:18 ‎למה לא הגדת לי‎ why didst thou not tell me, etc. ? vGen 12:19; Gen 29:25; Gen 31:27; Gen 42:1; Gen 43:6; 1Sam 21:15*; 1Sam 22:13; 1Sam 24:10*; Ps 22:2*; Ps 44:24*; Ps 44:25*; Ps 74:1; Ps 74:11 + often;
(b) with an imperfect, often deprecating, or introducing rhetorically, the reason why something should, or should not, be done, why should . . .? 1Sam 19:5; 1Sam 19:17; 1Sam 20:8 but to thy father (emphatic) ‎למה זה תביאני‎, why shouldst thou bring me ? 1Sam 20:32 ‎מה עשׂה למה יומת‎ why should he be put to death ? 2Sam 13:26; 2Sam 16:9; 2Sam 20:19; 2Kgs 14:10, etc.: in such cases, it approximates in meaning to lest (compare Phoenician CIS^{i. 2, 21} ‎יסגרינם אלנם לָםָ‎ ne tradant eos dii), and is in ᵐ5 often rendered by μήποτε, as Gen 27:45 ‎למה אשׁכל‎ why should I be bereaved, etc. ? Exod 32:12 ‎יאמרו מצרים למה‎ Neh 6:3; Ps 79:10; Ps 115:2; Eccl 7:16, μή, Jer 40:15, ἵνα μή, Gen 47:19; 2Sam 2:22; 2Chr 25:16; Eccl 5:5*; Eccl 7:17, or ὅπως μή, Joel 2:17 (in 1Sam 19:17; 2Sam 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, Dan 1:10 ‎אֲשֶׁר לָמָּה יִרְאֶה‎ lest he see, Song 1:7 ‎שַׁלָּמָ֫ה אֶהְיֶה‎ lest I become (so in Aramaic ‎לְמָה דִּי‎ Ezra 7:23, ‎דִּילְמָא‎ ᵑ7, Syriac , both regularly = lest).
e. ‎עַדמָֿה‎ (Ps 4:3* ‎עַדמֶֿה‎) until when ? how long ? Num 24:22 (aposiop.), Ps 4:3*; Ps 79:5; Ps 89:47* in indirect question, Ps 74:9 (compare ‎עד אנה‎, ‎עד מתי‎). feminine ‎עַלמָֿה‎, and ‎עַלמֶֿה‎, upon what ? Job 38:6; 2Chr 32:10 upon what ground ? wherefore ? Num 22:32 ‎עַלמָֿה הִכִּיתָ אֶתאֲֿתֹנְךָ‎, Deut 29:23* (compare 1Kgs 9:8; Jer 22:8), Isa 1:5; Jer 8:14; Jer 9:11*; Jer 16:10; Ezek 21:12*; Ps 10:13; Job 13:14 (probably dittograph from vJob 13:13); ‎עלמֿהזֿה‎ Neh 2:4. In an indirect question, Job 10:2 ‎הוֺדִיעֻנִי עַל מַהתְּֿרִיבֻנִי‎, Esth 4:5 ‎לָדַעַת מַהזֶּֿה וְעַלמַֿהוֶּֿה‎.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References