Hebrew · H4100

מָה

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

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מָה H4100

Pronunciation māh

What does מָה (māh) mean in the Bible?

מָה (māh): Interrogative pronoun functioning as existential probe; shifts from question to exclamation to indefinite reference depending on context.

Full entry for מָה (H4100) · Open the biblical lexicon

Questions this entry answers

What does מָה (māh) mean in the Bible?

מָה (māh): Interrogative pronoun functioning as existential probe; shifts from question to exclamation to indefinite reference depending on context.

How does the BSB render H4100?

The BSB source-word alignment has 751 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include what (293), Why (183), how (78), . . . (37), and what (13).

Where does מָה (māh) appear in Scripture?

The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 2:19. Its strongest book concentrations include 1 Samuel (67), Psalms (66), Genesis (63), Job (63).

Source Word Evidence

BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.

How English Renders It

what 293× Genesis 2:19, Genesis 3:13, Genesis 4:10, Genesis 12:18

Why 183× Genesis 4:6, Genesis 12:18, Genesis 12:19, Genesis 18:13

how 78× Genesis 15:8, Genesis 20:9, Genesis 27:20, Genesis 28:17

. . . 37× Genesis 31:37, Genesis 38:29, Numbers 13:19, Numbers 22:32

and what 13× 2 Kings 20:14, Esther 2:11, Esther 9:12, Job 21:15

What [is] 9× 1 Samuel 20:1, 2 Samuel 12:21, Esther 5:3, Esther 5:6

- 7× Numbers 13:19, Numbers 13:20, 1 Kings 3:5, 1 Kings 14:14

and how 6× Judges 16:5, Judges 16:6, Proverbs 15:23, Ecclesiastes 6:11

So why 5× 1 Samuel 9:21, 1 Samuel 15:19, 1 Samuel 19:5, 2 Samuel 19:12

Why then 5× Judges 12:3, 1 Samuel 2:29, 1 Samuel 26:15, Job 10:18

How many 4× Genesis 47:8, 2 Samuel 19:34, Job 13:23, Psalms 119:84

Whatever 4× 1 Samuel 20:4, 2 Samuel 21:4, Ecclesiastes 6:10, Nahum 1:9

and why 3× Genesis 4:6, Job 15:12, Malachi 2:15

but what 3× Genesis 23:15, Job 6:25, Jeremiah 5:31

But why 3× Genesis 31:30, Numbers 9:7, 2 Samuel 24:3

For what 3× Genesis 31:36, Psalms 39:7, Jeremiah 23:28

Then what 3× Joshua 7:9, 1 Samuel 15:14, 2 Kings 4:14

to what 3× Judges 7:11, Psalms 85:8, Isaiah 40:18

Who 3× Exodus 16:8, Numbers 16:11, Job 21:15

and 2× Psalms 133:1, Song Of Solomon 7:6

By what means 2× 1 Kings 22:21, 2 Chronicles 18:20

For why 2× 1 Samuel 27:5, Ezekiel 33:11

How often 2× Job 21:17, Psalms 78:40

No matter what 2× 2 Samuel 18:22, 2 Samuel 18:23

the source 2× Judges 16:6, Judges 16:15

what is left 2× Isaiah 21:11

What is the matter 2× Judges 18:23, Judges 18:24

What right 2× Psalms 50:16, Jeremiah 11:15

What use 2× Job 30:2, Jeremiah 6:20

what will you gain 2× Jeremiah 2:18

[and] 1× Job 3:12

[Let us] 1× Job 19:28

and ‘What 1× Jeremiah 23:37

and because of all 1× Esther 9:26

and experienced 1× Esther 9:26

And what [is] 1× Judges 14:18

And whatever 1× Numbers 23:3

and whose speech 1× Jeremiah 5:15

anything 1× 1 Samuel 19:3

but how 1× Job 9:2

do I have 1× Judges 18:24

enough 1× 2 Chronicles 30:3

For how then 1× Exodus 33:16

For what [is] 1× Job 31:2

For who 1× Exodus 16:7

he asked, “what 1× Esther 1:15

how {could} 1× 2 Kings 8:13

How long 1× Psalms 35:17

How much 1× Proverbs 16:16

How then 1× Job 31:1

if anything 1× Genesis 31:32

is much 1× Song Of Solomon 4:10

many 1× Zechariah 7:3

Now what [is] 1× Esther 9:12

Of what 1× Isaiah 2:22

Oh, how 1× Psalms 119:97

On what 1× Job 38:6

one 1× Jeremiah 4:30

or 1× 1 Samuel 19:17

or ‘What 1× Jeremiah 23:35

or what 1× Nehemiah 2:16

so how 1× Proverbs 20:24

so what good 1× Genesis 25:32

the first time 1× 1 Chronicles 15:13

the source of 1× Judges 16:5

this will last 1× Psalms 74:9

vvv 1× Psalms 89:47

What [about] 1× 1 Samuel 29:3

What [gain comes] 1× Ecclesiastes 6:8

What [good] 1× Isaiah 1:11

what [may] 1× Job 13:13

what [more] 1× Ecclesiastes 2:12

What [shall I say] 1× Proverbs 31:2

What [troubles] 1× 1 Samuel 11:5

what [will be] 1× Deuteronomy 32:20

what a nuisance 1× Malachi 1:13

What better way 1× 1 Samuel 29:4

What else 1× Exodus 22:27

What exists 1× Ecclesiastes 3:15

what good 1× Genesis 27:46

What have we to do 1× 2 Kings 3:13

What is 1× 1 Samuel 4:6

What is that 1× Exodus 4:2

What is the issue between you and me 1× 2 Chronicles 35:21

What is wrong 1× Genesis 21:17

what it was 1× 2 Samuel 18:29

what then 1× Ecclesiastes 5:11

what was troubling him 1× Esther 4:5

Why was it 1× Psalms 114:5

Will You never 1× Job 7:19

with anything 1× Genesis 39:8

With what 1× Micah 6:6

Yet what 1× Genesis 31:43

you what 1× Zechariah 1:9

Show sample aligned rows

Usage map

A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.

First aligned row Genesis 2:19

Aligned rows 751

Books represented 37

Genesis 63 Exodus 33 Leviticus 1 Numbers 30 Deuteronomy 6 Joshua 13 Judges 41 Ruth 2 1 Samuel 67 2 Samuel 45 1 Kings 19 2 Kings 24 1 Chronicles 8 2 Chronicles 18 Ezra 1 Nehemiah 7 Esther 18 Job 63 Psalms 66 Proverbs 16 Ecclesiastes 28 Song Of Solomon 13 Isaiah 28 Jeremiah 50 Lamentations 6 Ezekiel 16 Daniel 3 Hosea 6 Joel 3 Amos 4 Jonah 6 Micah 8 Nahum 1 Habakkuk 5 Haggai 2 Zechariah 20 Malachi 11

Source forms

מַה־ 218x mah- Genesis 2:19, Genesis 3:13, Genesis 12:18, Genesis 15:2

וּמַה־ 38x ū·mah- Genesis 44:16, Judges 8:3, Judges 15:11, Judges 18:3

מָֽה־ 32x māh- Genesis 31:43, Genesis 44:15, Exodus 18:14, Joshua 22:16

לָ֥מָּה 28x lām·māh Genesis 25:22, Genesis 27:46, Genesis 31:30, Genesis 32:29

מָ֣ה 26x māh Genesis 20:10, Genesis 21:29, Genesis 30:31, Genesis 38:18

לָ֤מָּה 24x lām·māh Genesis 24:31, Genesis 31:27, Exodus 2:20, Exodus 17:3

לָ֣מָּה 22x lām·māh Genesis 18:13, Genesis 33:15, Numbers 9:7, Numbers 27:4

מָ֥ה 22x māh Genesis 27:37, Genesis 31:32, Exodus 3:13, Exodus 17:4

Parsing patterns

Interrogative 588x Genesis 2:19, Genesis 3:13, Genesis 4:10, Genesis 12:18

Conjunctive waw | Interrogative 111x Genesis 4:6, Genesis 20:9, Genesis 29:25, Genesis 44:16

Preposition-b | Interrogative 24x Genesis 15:8, Exodus 22:27, Judges 6:15, Judges 16:5

Preposition-l | Interrogative 10x Genesis 4:6, Genesis 27:46, Exodus 2:20, 1 Samuel 4:3

Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Interrogative 5x Exodus 33:16, Judges 16:5, Judges 16:6, 1 Samuel 29:4

Preposition-k | Interrogative 5x Genesis 47:8, 2 Samuel 19:34, 1 Kings 22:16, Job 7:19

Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Interrogative 3x Genesis 25:32, 1 Samuel 19:5, 1 Samuel 27:5

Conjunctive waw, Article | Adjective - feminine singular 1x 1 Chronicles 15:13

Sources

MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain

Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0

Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0

STEPBible Data — CC BY 4.0

Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain

Full license details

מָה

What does מָה (māh) mean in the Bible?

What does מָה (māh) mean in the Bible?

How does the BSB render H4100?

Where does מָה (māh) appear in Scripture?

Evidence Summary

Source Gloss