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.

Usage patterns

Old TestamentNew Testament

Occurrences

751 total
  1. Genesis 2:19מַה־ · what
    And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and He brought them to the man to see what he would name each one. And whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
  2. Genesis 3:13מַה־ · What
    Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied, “and I ate.”
  3. Genesis 4:6לָ֚מָּה · Why; וְלָ֖מָּה · and why
    “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen?
  4. Genesis 4:10מֶ֣ה · What
    “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
  5. Genesis 12:18מַה־ · What; לָ֚מָּה · Why
    So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife?
  6. Genesis 12:19לָמָ֤ה · Why
    Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!”
  7. Genesis 15:2מַה־ · what
    But Abram replied, “O Lord GOD, what can You give me, since I remain childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
  8. Genesis 15:8בַּמָּ֥ה · how
    But Abram replied, “Lord GOD, how can I know that I will possess it?”
  9. Genesis 18:13לָ֣מָּה · Why
    And the LORD asked Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Can I really bear a child when I am old?’
  10. Genesis 20:9מֶֽה־ · What; וּמֶֽה־ · How
    Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”
  11. Genesis 20:10מָ֣ה · What
    Abimelech also asked Abraham, “What prompted you to do such a thing?”
  12. Genesis 21:17מַה־ · What is wrong
    Then God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, “What is wrong, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he lies.
  13. Genesis 21:29מָ֣ה · Why
    …and Abimelech asked him, “Why have you set apart these seven ewe lambs?”
  14. Genesis 23:15מַה־ · but what
    “Listen to me, my lord. The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead.”
  15. Genesis 24:31לָ֤מָּה · Why
    “Come, you who are blessed by the LORD,” said Laban. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”
  16. Genesis 25:22לָ֥מָּה · Why
    But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD,
  17. Genesis 25:32וְלָמָּה־ · so what good
    “Look,” said Esau, “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?”
  18. Genesis 26:10מַה־ · What
    “What is this you have done to us?” asked Abimelech. “One of the people could easily have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.”
  19. Genesis 27:20מַה־ · How
    But Isaac asked his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” “Because the LORD your God brought it to me,” he replied.
  20. Genesis 27:37מָ֥ה · What
    But Isaac answered Esau: “Look, I have made him your master and given him all his relatives as servants; I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?”
  21. Genesis 27:45לָמָ֥ה · Why
    …until your brother’s rage against you wanes and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”
  22. Genesis 27:46לָ֥מָּה · what good
    Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?”
  23. Genesis 28:17מַה־ · How
    And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven!”
  24. Genesis 29:15מַה־ · what
    Laban said to him, “Just because you are my relative, should you work for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”
  25. Genesis 29:25מַה־ · What; וְלָ֖מָּה · Why
    When morning came, there was Leah! “What have you done to me?” Jacob said to Laban. “Wasn’t it for Rachel that I served you? Why have you deceived me?”
  26. Genesis 30:31מָ֣ה · What
    “What can I give you?” Laban asked. “You do not need to give me anything,” Jacob replied. “If you do this one thing for me, I will keep on shepherding and keeping your flocks.
  27. Genesis 31:26מֶ֣ה · What
    Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!
  28. Genesis 31:27לָ֤מָּה · Why
    Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.
  29. Genesis 31:30לָ֥מָּה · But why
    Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”
  30. Genesis 31:32מָ֥ה · if anything
    If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
  31. Genesis 31:36מַה־ · What; מַ֣ה · For what
    Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?
  32. Genesis 31:37מַה־
    You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.
  33. Genesis 31:43מָֽה־ · Yet what
    But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?
  34. Genesis 32:27מַה־ · What
    “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied.
  35. Genesis 32:29לָ֥מָּה · Why
    And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.
  36. Genesis 33:15לָ֣מָּה · Why
    “Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
  37. Genesis 37:10מָ֛ה · What
    He told his father and brothers, but his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream that you have had? Will your mother and brothers and I actually come and bow down to the ground before you?”
  38. Genesis 37:15מַה־ · What
    …a man found him wandering in the field and asked, “What are you looking for?”
  39. Genesis 37:20מַה־ · what
    “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. We can say that a vicious animal has devoured him. Then we shall see what becomes of his dreams!”
  40. Genesis 37:26מַה־ · What
    Then Judah said to his brothers, “What profit will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
  41. Genesis 38:16מַה־ · What
    Not realizing that she was his daughter-in-law, he went over to her and said, “Come now, let me sleep with you.” “What will you give me for sleeping with you?” she inquired.
  42. Genesis 38:18מָ֣ה · What
    “What pledge should I give you?” he asked. She answered, “Your seal and your cord, and the staff in your hand.” So he gave them to her and slept with her, and she became pregnant by him.
  43. Genesis 38:29מַה־
    But when he pulled his hand back and his brother came out, she said, “You have broken out first!” So he was named Perez.
  44. Genesis 39:8מַה־ · with anything
    But he refused. “Look,” he said to his master’s wife, “with me here, my master does not concern himself with anything in his house, and he has entrusted everything he owns to my care.
  45. Genesis 42:1לָ֖מָּה · Why
    When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why are you staring at one another?”