Keraia
Lexicon

מָה

mahwhat?How to read Hebrew
hebrewOld TestamentQuestion word751 occurrences37 books657 verses

Definition

or מַה; or מָ; or מַ; also מֶה; a primitive particle; 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
Traditional renderings: how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.

In the Greek Old Testament

How the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament renders מָה:

Usage patterns

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

751 total
  1. Psalm 79:10לָ֤מָּה׀ · Why
    Why should the nations ask, “Where is their God?” Before our eyes, make known among the nations Your vengeance for the bloodshed of Your servants.
  2. Psalm 80:12לָ֭מָּה · Why
    Why have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass by pick its fruit?
  3. Psalm 84:1מַה־ · How
    For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. How lovely is Your dwelling place, O LORD of Hosts!
  4. Psalm 85:8מַה־ · to what
    I will listen to what God the LORD will say; for He will surely speak peace to His people and His saints; He will not let them return to folly.
  5. Psalm 88:14לָמָ֣ה · Why
    Why, O LORD, do You reject me? Why do You hide Your face from me?
  6. Psalm 89:46מָ֣ה
    How long, O LORD? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath keep burning like fire?
  7. Psalm 89:47מֶה־; מַה־ · what
    Remember the briefness of my lifespan! For what futility You have created all men!
  8. Psalm 92:5מַה־ · How
    How great are Your works, O LORD, how deep are Your thoughts!
  9. Psalm 104:24מָֽה־ · How
    How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.
  10. Psalm 114:5מַה־ · Why was it
    Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,
  11. Psalm 115:2לָ֭מָּה · Why
    Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
  12. Psalm 116:12מָֽה־ · How
    How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?
  13. Psalm 118:6מַה־ · What
    The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
  14. Psalm 119:9בַּמֶּ֣ה · How
    How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.
  15. Psalm 119:84כַּמָּ֥ה · How many
    How many days must Your servant wait? When will You execute judgment on my persecutors?
  16. Psalm 119:97מָֽה־ · Oh, how
    Oh, how I love Your law! All day long it is my meditation.
  17. Psalm 119:103מַה־ · How
    How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth!
  18. Psalm 120:3מַה־ · What; וּמַה־ · and what
    What will He do to you, and what will be added to you, O deceitful tongue?
  19. Psalm 133:1מַה־ · how; וּמַה־ · and
    A song of ascents. Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!
  20. Psalm 139:17מַה־ · How; מֶ֥ה · how
    How precious to me are Your thoughts, O God, how vast is their sum!
  21. Psalm 144:3מָה־ · what
    O LORD, what is man, that You regard him, the son of man that You think of him?
  22. Proverbs 4:19בַּמֶּ֥ה · what
    But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
  23. Proverbs 5:20וְלָ֤מָּה · Why
    Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger?
  24. Proverbs 9:13מָּֽה׃
    The woman named Folly is loud; she is naive and knows nothing.
  25. Proverbs 15:23מַה־ · and how
    A man takes joy in a fitting reply—and how good is a timely word!
  26. Proverbs 16:16מַה־ · How much
    How much better to acquire wisdom than gold! To gain understanding is more desirable than silver.
  27. Proverbs 17:16לָמָּה־ · Why
    Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?
  28. Proverbs 20:24מַה־ · so how
    A man’s steps are from the LORD, so how can anyone understand his own way?
  29. Proverbs 22:27לָ֥מָּה · why
    If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?
  30. Proverbs 25:8מַה־ · what
    …do not bring hastily to court. Otherwise, what will you do in the end when your neighbor puts you to shame?
  31. Proverbs 27:1מַה־ · what
    Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
  32. Proverbs 30:4מַה־ · What; וּמַֽה־ · and what
    Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!
  33. Proverbs 30:13מָה־ · how
    There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—
  34. Proverbs 31:2מַה־ · What [shall I say]; וּמַֽה־ · What; וּ֝מֶה · What
    What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?
  35. Ecclesiastes 1:3מַה־ · What
    What does a man gain from all his labor, at which he toils under the sun?
  36. Ecclesiastes 1:9מַה־ · What; וּמַה־ · and what
    What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
  37. Ecclesiastes 2:2מַה־ · What
    I said of laughter, “It is folly,” and of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”
  38. Ecclesiastes 2:12מֶ֣ה · what [more]
    Then I turned to consider wisdom and madness and folly; for what more can the king’s successor do than what has already been accomplished?
  39. Ecclesiastes 2:15וְלָ֧מָּה · What
    So I said to myself, “The fate of the fool will also befall me. What then have I gained by being wise?” And I said to myself that this too is futile.
  40. Ecclesiastes 2:22מֶֽה־ · what
    For what does a man get for all the toil and striving with which he labors under the sun?
  41. Ecclesiastes 3:9מַה־ · What
    What does the worker gain from his toil?
  42. Ecclesiastes 3:15מַה־ · What exists
    What exists has already been, and what will be has already been, for God will call to account what has passed.