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 28:15מָ֥ה · what
    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.”
  2. 1 Samuel 28:16וְלָ֖מָּה · Why
    “Why do you consult me,” asked Samuel, “since the LORD has turned away from you and become your enemy?
  3. 1 Samuel 29:3מָ֖ה · What [about]
    Then the commanders of the Philistines asked, “What about these Hebrews?” Achish replied, “Is this not David, the servant of King Saul of Israel? He has been with me all these days, even years, and from the day he defected until today I have found no fault in him.”
  4. 1 Samuel 29:4וּבַמֶּ֗ה · What better way
    But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish and told him, “Send that man back and let him return to the place you assigned him. He must not go down with us into battle only to become our adversary during the war. What better way for him to regain the favor of his master than with the heads of our men?
  5. 1 Samuel 29:8מֶ֤ה · what; וּמַה־ · What
    “But what have I done?” David replied. “What have you found against your servant, from the day I came to you until today, to keep me from going along to fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”
  6. 2 Samuel 1:4מֶה־ · What
    “What was the outcome?” David asked. “Please tell me.” “The troops fled from the battle,” he replied. “Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.”
  7. 2 Samuel 2:22לָ֤מָּה · Why
    Once again, Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I show my face to your brother Joab?”
  8. 2 Samuel 3:24מֶ֣ה · What; לָמָּה־ · Why
    So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he is getting away!
  9. 2 Samuel 6:20מַה־ · How
    When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”
  10. 2 Samuel 7:7לָ֛מָּה · Why
    In all My journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever asked any of the leaders I appointed to shepherd My people Israel, ‘Why haven’t you built Me a house of cedar?’
  11. 2 Samuel 7:20וּמַה־ · What
    What more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD.
  12. 2 Samuel 9:8מֶ֣ה · What
    Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog like me?”
  13. 2 Samuel 11:21לָ֥מָּה · Why
    Who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”
  14. 2 Samuel 12:21מָֽה־ · What [is]
    “What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.”
  15. 2 Samuel 12:23לָ֤מָּה · why
    But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
  16. 2 Samuel 13:26לָ֥מָּה · Why
    “If not,” said Absalom, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.” “Why should he go with you?” the king asked.
  17. 2 Samuel 14:5מַה־ · What
    “What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
  18. 2 Samuel 14:13וְלָ֧מָּה · Why
    The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?
  19. 2 Samuel 14:31לָ֣מָּה · Why
    Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
  20. 2 Samuel 14:32לָ֤מָּה · Why
    “Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”
  21. 2 Samuel 15:19לָ֧מָּה · Why
    Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.
  22. 2 Samuel 16:2מָה־ · Why
    “Why do you have these?” asked the king. Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is to refresh those who become exhausted in the wilderness.”
  23. 2 Samuel 16:9לָ֣מָּה · Why
    Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!”
  24. 2 Samuel 16:10מַה־ · What
    But the king replied, “What have I to do with you, O sons of Zeruiah? If he curses me because the LORD told him, ‘Curse David,’ who can ask, ‘Why did you do this?’”
  25. 2 Samuel 16:17לָ֥מָּה · Why
    “Is this the loyalty you show your friend?” Absalom replied. “Why did you not go with your friend?”
  26. 2 Samuel 16:20מַֽה־ · What
    Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give me counsel. What should we do?”
  27. 2 Samuel 17:5מַה־ · what
    Then Absalom said, “Summon Hushai the Archite as well, and let us hear what he too has to say.”
  28. 2 Samuel 18:22מָ֔ה · No matter what; לָֽמָּה־ · why
    Ahimaaz son of Zadok, however, persisted and said to Joab, “No matter what, please let me also run behind the Cushite!” “My son,” Joab replied, “why do you want to run, since you will not receive a reward?”
  29. 2 Samuel 18:23מָ֣ה · No matter what
    “No matter what, I want to run!” he replied. “Then run!” Joab told him. So Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain and outran the Cushite.
  30. 2 Samuel 18:29מָֽה׃ · what it was
    The king asked, “Is the young man Absalom all right?” And Ahimaaz replied, “When Joab sent the king’s servant and your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I do not know what it was.”
  31. 2 Samuel 19:10לָמָ֥ה · why
    But Absalom, the man we anointed over us, has died in battle. So why do you say nothing about restoring the king?”
  32. 2 Samuel 19:11לָ֤מָּה · Why
    Then King David sent this message to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests: “Say to the elders of Judah, ‘Why should you be the last to restore the king to his palace, since the talk of all Israel has reached the king at his quarters?
  33. 2 Samuel 19:12וְלָ֧מָּה · So why
    You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to restore the king?’
  34. 2 Samuel 19:22מַה־ · what
    And David replied, “Sons of Zeruiah, what have I to do with you, that you should be my adversaries today? Should any man be put to death in Israel today? Am I not indeed aware that today I am king over Israel?”
  35. 2 Samuel 19:25לָ֛מָּה · why
    And he came from Jerusalem to meet the king, who asked him, “Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?”
  36. 2 Samuel 19:28וּמַה־ · What
    For all the house of my grandfather deserves death from my lord the king, yet you have set your servant among those who eat at your table. What further right, then, do I have to keep appealing to the king?”
  37. 2 Samuel 19:29לָ֛מָּה · Why
    The king replied, “Why say any more? I hereby declare that you and Ziba are to divide the land.”
  38. 2 Samuel 19:34כַּמָּ֗ה · How many
    But Barzillai replied, “How many years of my life remain, that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?
  39. 2 Samuel 19:35וְלָמָּה֩ · Why
    I am now eighty years old. Can I discern what is good and what is not? Can your servant taste what he eats or drinks? Can I still hear the voice of singing men and women? Why should your servant be an added burden to my lord the king?
  40. 2 Samuel 19:36וְלָ֙מָּה֙ · why
    Your servant will go with the king only a short distance past the Jordan; why should the king repay me with such a reward?
  41. 2 Samuel 19:42וְלָ֤מָּה · Why
    And all the men of Judah replied to the men of Israel, “We did this because the king is our relative. Why does this anger you? Have we ever eaten at the king’s expense or received anything for ourselves?”
  42. 2 Samuel 20:19לָ֥מָּה · Why
    I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”
  43. 2 Samuel 21:3מָ֥ה · What; וּבַמָּ֣ה · How
    So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”
  44. 2 Samuel 21:4מָֽה־ · Whatever
    The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied.
  45. 2 Samuel 24:3לָ֥מָּה · But why
    But Joab replied to the king, “May the LORD your God multiply the troops a hundred times over, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”
  46. 2 Samuel 24:13מָה־ · how
    So Gad went and said to David, “Do you choose to endure three years of famine in your land, three months of fleeing the pursuit of your enemies, or three days of plague upon your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should reply to Him who sent me.”