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. Jonah 1:8מָ֣ה · What
    “Tell us now,” they demanded, “who is to blame for this calamity that is upon us? What is your occupation, and where have you come from? What is your country, and who are your people?”
  2. Jonah 1:10מַה־ · What
    Then the men were even more afraid and said to him, “What have you done?” The men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.
  3. Jonah 1:11מַה־ · What
    Now the sea was growing worse and worse, so they said to Jonah, “What must we do to you to calm this sea for us?”
  4. Jonah 4:5מַה־ · what
    Then Jonah left the city and sat down east of it, where he made himself a shelter and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city.
  5. Micah 4:9לָ֥מָּה · Why
    Why do you now cry aloud? Is there no king among you? Has your counselor perished so that anguish grips you like a woman in labor?
  6. Micah 6:3מֶה־ · what; וּמָ֣ה · how
    ‘My people, what have I done to you? Testify against Me how I have wearied you!
  7. Micah 6:5מַה־ · what; וּמֶה־ · and what
    My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, so that you may acknowledge the righteousness of the LORD.’”
  8. Micah 6:6בַּמָּה֙ · With what
    With what shall I come before the LORD when I bow before the God on high? Should I come to Him with burnt offerings, with year-old calves?
  9. Micah 6:8מַה־ · what [is]; וּמָֽה־ · And what
    He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?
  10. Nahum 1:9מַה־ · Whatever
    Whatever you plot against the LORD, He will bring to an end. Affliction will not rise up a second time.
  11. Habakkuk 1:3לָ֣מָּה · Why
    Why do You make me see iniquity? Why do You tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict abounds.
  12. Habakkuk 1:13לָ֤מָּה · So why
    Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
  13. Habakkuk 2:1מַה־ · what; וּמָ֥ה · and how
    I will stand at my guard post and station myself on the ramparts. I will watch to see what He will say to me, and how I should answer when corrected.
  14. Habakkuk 2:18מָֽה־ · What
    What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
  15. Haggai 1:9מֶ֗ה
    You expected much, but behold, it amounted to little. And what you brought home, I blew away. Why? declares the LORD of Hosts. Because My house still lies in ruins, while each of you is busy with his own house.
  16. Haggai 2:3וּמָ֨ה · How
    ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not appear to you like nothing in comparison?’
  17. Zechariah 1:9מָה־ · What; מָה־ · you what
    “What are these, my lord?” I asked. And the angel who was speaking with me replied, “I will show you what they are.”
  18. Zechariah 1:19מָה־ · What
    So I asked the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these?” And he told me, “These are the horns that have scattered Judah, Israel, and Jerusalem.”
  19. Zechariah 1:21מָ֛ה · What
    “What are these coming to do?” I asked. And He replied, “These are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could raise his head; but the craftsmen have come to terrify them and throw down these horns of the nations that have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah to scatter it.”
  20. Zechariah 2:2כַּמָּֽה־; וְכַמָּ֥ה
    “Where are you going?” I asked. “To measure Jerusalem,” he replied, “and to determine its width and length.”
  21. Zechariah 4:2מָ֥ה · What
    “What do you see?” he asked. “I see a solid gold lampstand,” I replied, “with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven spouts to the lamps.
  22. Zechariah 4:4מָה־ · What
    “What are these, my lord?” I asked the angel who was speaking with me.
  23. Zechariah 4:5מָה־ · what
    “Do you not know what they are?” replied the angel. “No, my lord,” I answered.
  24. Zechariah 4:11מַה־ · What
    Then I asked the angel, “What are the two olive trees on the right and left of the lampstand?”
  25. Zechariah 4:12מַה־ · What
    And I questioned him further, “What are the two olive branches beside the two gold pipes from which the golden oil pours?”
  26. Zechariah 4:13מָה־ · what
    “Do you not know what these are?” he inquired. “No, my lord,” I replied.
  27. Zechariah 5:2מָ֥ה · What
    “What do you see?” asked the angel. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied, “twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide.”
  28. Zechariah 5:5מָ֖ה · what
    Then the angel who was speaking with me came forward and told me, “Now lift up your eyes and see what is approaching.”
  29. Zechariah 5:6מַה־ · What
    “What is it?” I asked. And he replied, “A measuring basket is going forth.” Then he continued, “This is their iniquity in all the land.”
  30. Zechariah 6:4מָה־ · What
    So I inquired of the angel who was speaking with me, “What are these, my lord?”
  31. Zechariah 7:3כַּמֶּ֥ה · many
    …by asking the priests of the house of the LORD of Hosts, as well as the prophets, “Should I weep and fast in the fifth month, as I have done these many years?”
  32. Zechariah 9:17מַה־ · How; וּמַה־ · and how
    How lovely they will be, and how beautiful! Grain will make the young men flourish, and new wine, the young women.
  33. Zechariah 13:6מָ֧ה · What
    If someone asks him, ‘What are these wounds on your chest?’ he will answer, ‘These are the wounds I received in the house of my friends.’
  34. Malachi 1:2בַּמָּ֣ה · How
    “I have loved you,” says the LORD. But you ask, “How have You loved us?” “Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the LORD. “Yet Jacob I have loved,
  35. Malachi 1:6בַּמֶּ֥ה · How
    “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?” says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. “But you ask, ‘How have we despised Your name?’
  36. Malachi 1:7בַּמֶּ֣ה · How
    By presenting defiled food on My altar. But you ask, ‘How have we defiled You?’ By saying that the table of the LORD is contemptible.
  37. Malachi 1:13מַתְּלָאָ֜ה · what a nuisance
    You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.
  38. Malachi 2:14מָ֑ה
    Yet you ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have broken faith, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
  39. Malachi 2:15וּמָה֙ · And why
    Has not the LORD made them one, having a portion of the Spirit? And why one? Because He seeks godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.
  40. Malachi 2:17בַּמָּ֣ה · How
    You have wearied the LORD with your words; yet you ask, “How have we wearied Him?” By saying, “All who do evil are good in the sight of the LORD, and in them He delights,” or, “Where is the God of justice?”
  41. Malachi 3:7בַּמֶּ֥ה · How
    Yet from the days of your fathers, you have turned away from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD of Hosts. “But you ask, ‘How can we return?’
  42. Malachi 3:8בַּמֶּ֣ה · How
    Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing Me! But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.
  43. Malachi 3:13מַה־ · What
    “Your words against Me have been harsh,” says the LORD. “Yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against You?’