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. 1 Samuel 6:2מַֽה־ · What; בַּמֶּ֖ה · how
    …the Philistines summoned the priests and diviners, saying, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how to send it back to its place.”
  2. 1 Samuel 6:3לָ֛מָּה · why
    They replied, “If you return the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it away empty, but by all means return it to Him with a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and you will understand why His hand has not been lifted from you.”
  3. 1 Samuel 6:4מָ֣ה · What
    “What guilt offering should we send back to Him?” asked the Philistines. “Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “according to the number of rulers of the Philistines, since the same plague has struck both you and your rulers.
  4. 1 Samuel 6:6וְלָ֤מָּה · Why
    Why harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened theirs? When He afflicted them, did they not send the people out so they could go on their way?
  5. 1 Samuel 9:7וּמַה־ · what; מָ֖ה · What
    “If we do go,” Saul replied, “what can we give the man? For the bread in our packs is gone, and there is no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”
  6. 1 Samuel 9:21וְלָ֙מָּה֙ · So why
    Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?”
  7. 1 Samuel 10:2מָ֥ה · What
    When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s tomb in Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’
  8. 1 Samuel 10:11מַה־ · What
    When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”
  9. 1 Samuel 10:15מָֽה־ · what
    “Tell me,” Saul’s uncle asked, “what did Samuel say to you?”
  10. 1 Samuel 10:27מַה־ · How
    But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it.
  11. 1 Samuel 11:5מַה־ · What [troubles]
    Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh.
  12. 1 Samuel 13:11מֶ֣ה · What
    “What have you done?” Samuel asked. And Saul replied, “When I saw that the troops were deserting me, and that you did not come at the appointed time and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash,
  13. 1 Samuel 14:38בַּמָּ֗ה · how
    Therefore Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the troops, and let us investigate how this sin has occurred today.
  14. 1 Samuel 14:43מֶ֣ה · what
    “Tell me what you have done,” Saul commanded him. So Jonathan told him, “I only tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. And now I must die?”
  15. 1 Samuel 15:14וּמֶ֛ה · Then what
    But Samuel replied, “Then what is this bleating of sheep and lowing of cattle that I hear?”
  16. 1 Samuel 15:19וְלָ֥מָּה · So why
    So why did you not obey the LORD? Why did you rush upon the plunder and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”
  17. 1 Samuel 17:8לָ֥מָּה · Why
    And Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and array yourselves for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose one of your men and have him come down against me.
  18. 1 Samuel 17:26מַה־ · What
    David asked the men who were standing with him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Just who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
  19. 1 Samuel 17:28לָמָּה־ · Why
    Now when David’s oldest brother Eliab heard him speaking to the men, his anger burned against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and wickedness of heart—you have come down to see the battle!”
  20. 1 Samuel 17:29מֶ֥ה · What
    “What have I done now?” said David. “Was it not just a question?”
  21. 1 Samuel 19:3מָ֖ה · anything
    I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.”
  22. 1 Samuel 19:5וְלָ֤מָּה · so why
    He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?”
  23. 1 Samuel 19:17לָ֤מָּה · Why; לָמָ֥ה · or
    And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away, and he has escaped!” Michal replied, “He said to me, ‘Help me get away, or I will kill you!’”
  24. 1 Samuel 20:1מֶ֤ה · What; מֶֽה־ · What [is]; וּמֶֽה־ · How
    Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?”
  25. 1 Samuel 20:4מַה־ · Whatever
    Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.”
  26. 1 Samuel 20:8לָמָּה־ · why
    Therefore show kindness to your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?”
  27. 1 Samuel 20:10מַה־
    Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
  28. 1 Samuel 20:32לָ֥מָּה · Why; מֶ֥ה · What
    “Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
  29. 1 Samuel 21:3מַה־ · what
    Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
  30. 1 Samuel 21:14לָ֛מָּה · Why
    Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me?
  31. 1 Samuel 22:3מַה־ · what
    From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me.”
  32. 1 Samuel 22:13לָ֚מָּה · Why
    And Saul asked him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him so that he could rise up against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today.”
  33. 1 Samuel 24:9לָ֧מָּה · Why
    …and said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Look, David intends to harm you’?
  34. 1 Samuel 25:17מַֽה־ · what
    Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”
  35. 1 Samuel 26:15וְלָ֙מָּה֙ · Why then
    So David said to Abner, “You are a man, aren’t you? And who in Israel is your equal? Why then did you not protect your lord the king when one of the people came to destroy him?
  36. 1 Samuel 26:18לָ֥מָּה · Why; מֶ֣ה · What; וּמַה־ · What
    And he continued, “Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done? What evil is in my hand?
  37. 1 Samuel 27:5וְלָ֨מָּה · For why
    Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let me be assigned a place in one of the outlying towns, so I can live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”
  38. 1 Samuel 28:9וְלָמָ֥ה · Why
    But the woman replied, “Surely you know what Saul has done, how he has killed the mediums and spiritists in the land. Why have you set a trap to get me killed?”
  39. 1 Samuel 28:12לָ֥מָּה · Why
    But when the woman saw Samuel, she cried out in a loud voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!”
  40. 1 Samuel 28:13מָ֣ה · What
    “Do not be afraid,” the king replied. “What do you see?” “I see a god coming up out of the earth,” the woman answered.
  41. 1 Samuel 28:14מַֽה־ · What
    “What does he look like?” asked Saul. “An old man is coming up,” she replied. “And he is wearing a robe.” So Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed facedown in reverence.
  42. 1 Samuel 28:15לָ֥מָּה · Why
    Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” “I am deeply distressed,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has turned away from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.”