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. Numbers 11:11וְלָ֛מָּה · Why
    So Moses asked the LORD, “Why have You brought this trouble on Your servant? Why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid upon me the burden of all these people?
  2. Numbers 11:20לָ֥מָּה · Why
    …but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and makes you nauseous—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have cried out before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”
  3. Numbers 13:18מַה־ · what
    See what the land is like and whether its people are strong or weak, few or many.
  4. Numbers 13:19וּמָ֣ה; וּמָ֣ה
    Is the land where they live good or bad? Are the cities where they dwell open camps or fortifications?
  5. Numbers 13:20וּמָ֣ה
    Is the soil fertile or unproductive? Are there trees in it or not? Be courageous and bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)
  6. Numbers 14:3וְלָמָ֣ה · Why
    Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”
  7. Numbers 14:41לָ֥מָּה · Why
    But Moses said, “Why are you transgressing the commandment of the LORD? This will not succeed!
  8. Numbers 15:34מַה־ · what
    …and because it had not been declared what should be done to him, they placed him in custody.
  9. Numbers 16:11מַה־ · who
    Therefore, it is you and all your followers who have conspired against the LORD! As for Aaron, who is he that you should grumble against him?”
  10. Numbers 20:4וְלָמָ֤ה · Why
    Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here?
  11. Numbers 20:5וְלָמָ֤ה · Why
    Why have you led us up out of Egypt to bring us to this wretched place? It is not a place of grain, figs, vines, or pomegranates—and there is no water to drink!”
  12. Numbers 21:5לָמָ֤ה · Why
    …and spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you led us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we detest this wretched food!”
  13. Numbers 22:19מַה־ · what
    So now, please stay here overnight as the others did, that I may find out what else the LORD has to tell me.”
  14. Numbers 22:28מֶה־ · What
    Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”
  15. Numbers 22:32מָ֗ה
    The angel of the LORD asked him, “Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to oppose you, because your way is perverse before me.
  16. Numbers 22:37לָ֥מָּה · Why
    And he said to Balaam, “Did I not send you an urgent summons? Why did you not come to me? Am I really not able to reward you richly?”
  17. Numbers 23:3מַה־ · And whatever
    “Stay here by your burnt offering while I am gone,” Balaam said to Balak. “Perhaps the LORD will meet with me. And whatever He reveals to me, I will tell you.” So Balaam went off to a barren height,
  18. Numbers 23:8מָ֣ה · How; וּמָ֣ה · How
    How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?
  19. Numbers 23:11מֶ֥ה · What
    Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I brought you here to curse my enemies, and behold, you have only blessed them!”
  20. Numbers 23:17מַה־ · What
    So he returned to Balak, who was standing there by his burnt offering with the princes of Moab. “What did the LORD say?” Balak asked.
  21. Numbers 23:23מַה־ · What
    For there is no spell against Jacob and no divination against Israel. It will now be said of Jacob and Israel, ‘What great things God has done!’
  22. Numbers 24:5מַה־ · How
    How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!
  23. Numbers 24:22מָ֖ה
    Yet Kain will be destroyed when Asshur takes you captive.”
  24. Numbers 27:4לָ֣מָּה · Why
    Why should the name of our father disappear from his clan because he had no sons? Give us property among our father’s brothers.”
  25. Numbers 32:7וְלָ֣מָּה · Why
    Why are you discouraging the Israelites from crossing into the land that the LORD has given them?
  26. Deuteronomy 5:25לָ֣מָּה · why
    But now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us, and we will die, if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer.
  27. Deuteronomy 6:20מָ֣ה · What
    In the future, when your son asks, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?”
  28. Deuteronomy 10:12מָ֚ה · what
    And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
  29. Deuteronomy 29:24מֶ֨ה; מֶ֥ה · Why
    So all the nations will ask, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’
  30. Deuteronomy 32:20מָ֣ה · what [will be]
    He said: “I will hide My face from them; I will see what will be their end. For they are a perverse generation—children of unfaithfulness.
  31. Joshua 4:6מָ֛ה · What
    …to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’
  32. Joshua 4:21מָ֖ה · What
    Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future, when your children ask their fathers, ‘What is the meaning of these stones?’
  33. Joshua 5:14מָ֥ה · What
    “Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the LORD’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”
  34. Joshua 7:7לָ֠מָה · why
    “O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
  35. Joshua 7:8מָ֣ה · what
    O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies?
  36. Joshua 7:9וּמַֽה־ · Then what
    When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
  37. Joshua 7:10לָ֣מָּה · Why
    But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?
  38. Joshua 7:19מֶ֣ה · what
    So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
  39. Joshua 7:25מֶ֣ה · Why
    “Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
  40. Joshua 9:22לָמָּה֩ · Why
    Then Joshua summoned the Gibeonites and said, “Why did you deceive us by telling us you live far away from us, when in fact you live among us?
  41. Joshua 15:18מַה־ · What
    One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you desire?”
  42. Joshua 22:16מָֽה־ · What
    “This is what the whole congregation of the LORD says: ‘What is this breach of faith you have committed today against the God of Israel by turning away from the LORD and building for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel against the LORD this day?
  43. Joshua 22:24מַה־ · What
    But in fact we have done this for fear that in the future your descendants might say to ours, ‘What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?
  44. Judges 1:14מַה־ · What
    One day Acsah came to Othniel and urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What do you desire?”
  45. Judges 2:2מַה־ · What
    …and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
  46. Judges 5:16לָ֣מָּה · Why
    Why did you sit among the sheepfolds to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the clans of Reuben there was great indecision.
  47. Judges 5:17לָ֥מָּה · why
    Gilead remained beyond the Jordan. Dan, why did you linger by the ships? Asher stayed at the coast and remained in his harbors.