מַדַּי

pronoun interrogative and indefinite what? how? aught; used of things, as מִי of persons (Aramaic , מָא, Arabic ; probably apocope from a longer form with n or nt, Assyrian minû (Dl^{HWB 417 f.}), Ethiopic ment; compare W^{CG 123 ff.} K?:ii. 368): —

1. interrogative what ?
\ \ a. in a direct question, before either verbs or nouns 1 Mos 4,10 מֶה עשׂית what hast thou done ? 1 Mos 15,2 מהתֿתןלֿי what wilt thou give me ? 2 Mos 3,13 מַהשְּֿׁמוֺ, 2 Mos 12,26; 2 Mos 13,14 and so very often: מַההִֿיא Zak 5,6 מה אלה Zak 1,9 מָה אַתָּה רֹאֶה Jer 1,11; Amos 7,8 +; Jl Amos 4,14 מה אתם לי; Dom 18,8 מה אתם see Commentaries, vDom 18,24 מה לי עוד what have I still ? Es 21,11 מהמֿלילה what (= how much) of the night (is past) ? = as what ? (qualem ?) Hag 2,3 (compare מִי Amos 7,2); to express surprise, Job 9,12 who shall say to him, מה תעשׂה what doest thou ? Job 22,13; Praed 8,4; Es 45,9; Es 45,10 followed by כִּי, 1 Mos 20,10 מה ראית כי עשׂית what hadst thou in view, that thou hast done, etc.? 1 Mos 31,36; 2 Mos 16,7 וְנַחְנוּ מָה כִּי and what are we, that . . .? 2 Mos 32,21; 4 Mos 22,28; Hab 2,18, etc. Note in particular —
\ \ \ (a) מָה is followed sometimes by a substantive in apposition (against Arabic usage, which does not permit this: W^{AG. ii. § 170}), so that it becomes virtually an adjective: מַהבֶּֿצַע what profit . . .? 1 Mos 37,26; Sl 30,10; Mal 3,14; Es 40,8 מַהדְּֿמוּת, Mal 1,13; Sl 89,48 זְכָראֲֿנִי מֶה חָ֑לֶד (inverted for חֶלֶד אָ֑נִי מַה) remember (of) what (short) duration I am, Praed 1,3; Praed 5,10; Praed 5,15; Praed 6,8; Praed 6,11 (Da^{§ 8, R. 2 K?:iii. 23 f.}); as exclamation, Sl 89,48b Job 26,14. And with the substantive idiomatically at the end (in Arabic preceded then by : W^{AG. ii. § 49. 7}), 1 Sam 26,18 ומַהבֿידי רעה and what is there in my hand, evil ? 1 Sam 20,10 (see 3), 2 Sam 19,29; 2 Sam 24,13; 2 Sam 1,16; מהמֿצאו אבותיכם בי עָוֶל, Praed 11,2; Est 6,3.
\ \ \ (b) מַהזֶּֿה what now ? 1 Sam 10,11, contracted מַזֶּה 2 Mos 4,2 (זֶה 4 c); 1 Mos 3,13 מַהזּֿאֹת עָשִׂיתָ; 1 Mos 12,18; 1 Mos 29,25 מַהזּֿאֹת עָשִׂיתָה לִּי; similarly 1 Mos 26,10; 1 Mos 42,28 +, either what, now, hast thou done ? or what is this that thou hast done ? (see זֶה 4 d).
\ \ \ (c) לְּךָ מַהֿ what to thee ? i.e. what aileth thee ? or what dost thou want ? 1 Mos 21,17 מַהלָּֿךְ הָגָר; Jos 15,18; 2 Sam 14,5; 1 Kong 1,16; 2 Kong 6,28; Ezk 18,2 (accents); followed by כִּי, Dom 18,23 מהלֿך כי נזעקת, 1 Mos 20,9 (compare 1 Sam 11,5 לעם כי יבכו מה), Es 22,1 מַהלָּֿךְ כִּי עָלִיתְ (compare τί παθὼν, τοῦτο ποιεῖς;), Sl 114,5 without כִּי Es 3,15 (compare Qor 57:8; 57:10); with a participle, Jon 1,6 what is it to thee as a sleeper ? (accusative: Da^{§ 70 a} cites Qor 74:50), Ezk 18,2 (if אתם be treated as strengthening לכם).
\ \ \ (d) פֹה (לִי) מַהלְּֿךָ = what hast thou (have I) here ? Dom 18,3; 1 Kong 19,9; Es 22,16; Es 52,5.
\ \ \ (e) in the genitive, Jer 8,9 וְחָכְמַתמֶֿה לָהֶם, and wisdom of what (= what kind of wisdom) is theirs ? 4 Mos 23,3 (see below 3).
\ \ b. often in an indirect question, as after ראה, 1 Mos 2,19 to see מהיֿקראלֿו what he would call it, 1 Mos 37,20 וְנִרְאֶה מהיֿהיו חלֹמֹתיו to what his dreams will come, 4 Mos 13,19f.; Hab 2,1 הִכִּיר 1 Mos 31,32 ידע 1 Mos 39,8; 2 Mos 2,4 לדעת מהיֵּֿעָשֶׂה לו, 2 Mos 16,15; 2 Mos 32,1; Job 34,4 שׁמע 4 Mos 9,8 ׳וְאשׁמעה מהיֿצוה י (compare Sl 85,9), 2 Sam 17,5 פֹּרַשׁ 4 Mos 15,34 שׁאל 1 Kong 3,5; 2 Kong 2,9 הֵבִין Job 6,24; Job 23,5: 4 Mos 13,18 מה היא וראיתם את הארץ, Sl 39,5; Es 41,22 הראשׁנות מָה הֵנָּה הַגִּידוּ. — In some such cases it approximates in meaning to the simple rel., as Jer 7,17; Jer 33,24; Mik 6,5; Mik 6,8; Job 34,33.
\ \ c. = of what kind ? (German was für ein ... ?), with an insinuation of blame, or reproach, or contempt: 1 Mos 37,10 מה החלום הזה what is this dream which thou hast dreamt? 1 Mos 44,15; Jos 22,16; Dom 8,1; Dom 15,11; Dom 20,12; 1 Sam 29,3 מָה הָעִבְרִים האלה, 1 Kong 9,13 מה העדים האלה אשׁר נתתה לי, 2 Kong 9,22; 2 Kong 18,19.
\ \ d. מה is often used in questions to which the answer little, or nothing, is expected, and it thus becomes equivalent to a rhetorical negative (compare הֲ b, מִי f c):
\ \ \ (a) 1 Mos 23,15 land worth 400 shekels..., מה היא what is it ? (i.e. it is something quite insignificant), 1 Mos 27,37; Dom 8,3 עשׂות ככם ומהיֿכלתי, Dom 14,18; Hos 9,5; Hos 10,3; Sl 30,10; Sl 56,5; Job 15,9; Job 16,6; Job 21,21; Job 22,13; Job 22,17; Klg 2,13; Hoj 5,9 מַהאדּוֺדֵךְ מִדּוֺד what is thy beloved (more) than a(nother) beloved ? || לא, 1 Kong 12,16 מַהלָּֿנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוֺד וְלֹאנַֿחֲלָה בְּבֶן יִשַׁי (2 Sam 20,1 ׳אֵיןלָֿנוּ חֵלֶק וג), Job 16,6.
\ \ \ (b) followed by כִּי (כִּי 1 f), 1 Mos 20,9; 1 Mos 37,26 מַהבֶּֿצַע כִּי נַהֲרֹג what profit (is it) that we should slay him ? 2 Mos 16,7; 4 Mos 16,11; Hab 2,18; 2 Kong 8,13 what is thy servant, the dog, that he should do, etc.? and often in poetry, as Sl 8,5 מָה אנושׁ כי תזכרנו what is man that thou rememberest him ? Job 6,11 מַהכֹּֿחִי כִּי אֲיַחֵל, vJob 6,11 b Job 7,17; Job 15,12f; Job 15,14; Job 16,3; Job 21,15 + (compare ׳מִ f b). Hence,
\ \ \ (c) in the formula of repudiation, or emphatic denial, (וְלָכֶם) מַהלִּֿי וָלָךְ what is there (common) to me and to thee ? i.e. what have I to do with thee ? Dom 11,12; 2 Sam 16,10 מה לי ולכם, 2 Sam 19,23; 1 Kong 17,18; 2 Kong 3,13; 2 Kron 35,21 compare Jos 22,24; 2 Kong 9,18; 2 Kong 9,19 rather differently, without וְ, Jer 2,18 ׳מה לך לדרך מ what is there to thee with reference to the way to Egypt ? Hos 14,9 מַהאלּוֺ לַעֲצַבִּים, compare Sl 50,16 (לְסַפֵּר); with את, Jer 23,28 מַהלַֿתֶּבֶן אֶתהַֿבָּר beside (or in comparison with) the wheat ? compare τί ἐμοὶ(ἡμῖν)καὶ σοί; Matt 8,29; Mark 5,7; Joh 2,4 and Arabic
\ \ e. = whatsoever (compare מִי g):
\ \ \ (a) Dom 9,48 ראיתם עשׂיתי מהרו עשׂו כמוני מה אתם, literally what do you see (that) I have done ? hasten, and do like me (= whatever ye see, etc.), 2 Sam 21,4 אעשׂה לכם מה אתם אמרים, Job 6,24 with the apodosis introduced by וְ, 1 Sam 20,4 מה תאמר נפשׁך ואעשׂה לך; Est 5,3 בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ ֗֗֗ וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ מַהֿ, vEst 5,6; Est 7,2; Est 9,12 hence in the late and strange idiom of Chronicles, it sinks twice almost to the rel. what, 1 Kron 15,13 כי לְמַבָּרִאשׁוֺנָה לא אתם because ye were not (employed) for what was at first (on the former occasion), J. etc., 2 Kron 30,3 לְמַדַּי according to what was sufficient (= in sufficient numbers), compare Est 9,26.
\ \ \ (b) -מַהשֶּֿׁ (late: frequently in Mishna, etc.), whatever, what (compare מִי אֲשֶׁר, מִי
\ \ g. end): Praed 1,9 מַהשֶּֿׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, literally what is that which hath been ? it is that which shall be (= whatever hath been, it is that which shall be), vPraed 1,9; Praed 3,15; Praed 3,22; Praed 6,10; Praed 7,24; Praed 8,7; Praed 10,14.

2. Used adverbially:
\ \ a. as an interrogative:
\ \ \ (a) how ? especially in expressing what is regarded as an impossibility, 1 Mos 44,16 מַהנִּֿצְטַדָּ֑ק how shall we justify ourselves ? 4 Mos 23,8 (twice in verse); 1 Sam 10,27 מַהיּֿשִׁעֵנוּ זֶה, 2 Kong 4,43; Job 9,2; Job 25,4 (twice in verse); Job 31,1 I made a covenant with my eyes, ׳וּמָה אֶתְבּוֺנֵן עַל ב and how should I look upon a maid ? (ᵐ5 οὐ, ᵑ9 non), Ord 20,24 דַּרְכּוֺ וְאָדָם מַהיָּֿבִין; in an indirect question, 2 Mos 10,26; Sl 39,5 ֵ˜אדְעָה מֶהחָֿדֵל אָ֑נִי; מַהזֶּֿה, how, now ? (in surprise), 1 Mos 27,20 מַהזֶּֿה מִהַרְתָּ לִמְצאֹ בְּנִי, Dom 18,24; 1 Kong 21,5; 2 Kong 1,5.
\ \ \ (b) why ? 2 Mos 14,15 אֵלַי מַה תִּצְעַק, 2 Mos 17,2 (twice in verse); 2 Kong 6,33; 2 Kong 7,3; Sl 42,6 מַהתִּֿשְׁתּוֺחֲחִי עלי, Job 15,12 +; Hoj 8,4 I adjure you מַהתָּֿעִירוּ וּמַהתְּֿעוֺרֲרוּ, why will ye stir up, etc.? (i.e. do not: || אִם Hoj 2,7; Hoj 3,5). — The transition from the interrogative to the negative, to which in Hebrew there is an approximate (see above: especially 1 Kong 12,16; Job 31,1; Hoj 8,4), is in Arabic complete, being there used constantly in the sense of not (compare Walker^{Hebraica. xii. 244 ff.}; Kö^{iii, 478}).
\ \ b. as an exclamation, how ...! with adjectives and verbs, 1 Mos 28,17 מַהנּֿוֺרָא הַמָּקוֺם הַזֶּה how dreadful is this place! 1 Mos 38,29; 4 Mos 24,5 מַהטֹּֿבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ, Es 52,7; Sl 3,2 מה רבו, Sl 8,2 מה אדיר, Sl 21,2; Sl 36,8, etc., Hoj 4,10 (twice in verse); Hoj 7,2 ironically, 2 Sam 6,20; Jer 2,33; Jer 2,36; Job 26,2; Job 26,3.

3. indefinite pronoun anything, aught, 4 Mos 23,3 וּדְבַרמַֿהיַּֿרְאֵנִי וְהִגַּדְתִּי לָ֑ךְ and he will shew me the matter of aught, and I will tell thee (= if he shew me... I will, etc., Dr^{§ 149}), 1 Sam 19,3 וְרָאִיתִי מָה וִהִגַּדְתִּי לָ֑ךְ = and if I see aught, I will, etc., 1 Sam 20,10 אוֺ מַהיַּֿעַנִךָ אָבִיךָ קָשָׁה if perchance thy father shall answer thee aught that is harsh (order, 1 a a), 2 Sam 18,22 וִיהִימָֿה אָרוּצָהנָּֿא but let there happen what may (literally aught), I will run, v2 Sam 18,23 (compare Job 13,13 וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָה), vJob 13,29 וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מָה (compare Ord 9,13), Ord 25,8. compare Kö^{iii. § 65.}

4. With prepositions:
\ \ a. בַּמָּה₉, בַּמֶּה₁₉ wherein ? 2 Mos 22,26; Dom 16,5; 1 Sam 14,38 (indirect question; We בְּמִי); and so according to the various senses of בְּ: whereby ? 1 Mos 15,8; 2 Mos 33,16; Mal 1,2; Mal 1,6; Mal 1,7; Mal 2,17; Mal 3,7–8 wherewith ? 1 Sam 6,2; 2 Sam 21,3; Mik 6,6 by what means ? Dom 16,5 וּבַמֶּה נוּכַל לוֺ; at what (worth) ? Es 2,22 for what ? 2 Kron 7,21 (|| 1 Kong 9,8 עלמֿה).
\ \ b. יַעַן מֶה Hag 1,9 because of what ?
\ \ c. כַּמָּה, כַּמֶּה, properly the like of what ? (Arabic , Syriac ); hence
\ \ \ (a) how much ? how many ? ׳כַּמָּה יְמֵי וגו 1 Mos 47,8; 2 Sam 19,35; Sl 119,84; Job 13,23 עַד כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים 1 Kong 22,16 (= 2 Kron 18,15); כַּמָּה how often ? Job 21,17 (i.e. how seldom !); in an indirect question, how much ? Zak 2,6 (twice in verse). As an exclamation, Zak 7,3 as I have done זֶה כַמֶּה שָׁנִים now (זֶה 4 i), how many years ! Sl 78,40 כַּמָּה how often !
\ \ \ (b) for how long ? Sl 35,17 כמה תראה, Job 7,19.
\ \ d. לָ֫מָּה, לָמָ֫ה (לָמָ֫ה mostly before the gutturals א, ה, ע and ׳י [i.e. אֲדֹנָי], but twice besides, Sl 42,10; Sl 43,2 לָ֫מָּה also occurs before guttural, in five places noted by Masoretes on Sl 43,2, namely 1 Sam 28,15; 2 Sam 2,22; 2 Sam 14,31; Sl 49,6; Jer 15,18, and before ךְ 1 Mos 4,6; 2 Sam 14,13; 2 Sam 24,3; Praed 2,15), לָ֫מָה Job 7,20, לָ֫מֶה 1 Sam 1,8 (3 t. in verse), for what reason ? why? 1 Mos 4,6 למה חרה לך why art thou angry ? 1 Mos 24,31, etc.; often strengthened by זֶה (זֶה 4 e), 1 Mos 18,13; 1 Mos 32,30 (= Dom 13,18) למה זה תשׁאל לשׁמי, Dom 33,15; 2 Mos 2,20; 2 Mos 5,22; 2 Mos 17,3, etc., Jer 6,20; Jer 20,18 +; 1 Mos 25,22 זה אנכי אם כן למהֿ if so, why, then, am I ? (why do I continue to live ?); = to what purpose (followed by לִ person), 1 Mos 27,46 למה לי חיים, Es 1,11; Jer 6,20; Amos 5,18 למה זה ׳לכם יום י, Job 30,2 in an indirect question, 1 Sam 6,3; Dan 10,20. Note especially
\ \ \ (a) in expostulations, 1 Mos 12,18 למה לא הגדת לי why didst thou not tell me, etc. ? v1 Mos 12,19; 1 Mos 29,25; 1 Mos 31,27; 1 Mos 42,1; 1 Mos 43,6; 1 Sam 21,15; 1 Sam 22,13; 1 Sam 24,10; Sl 22,2; Sl 44,24; Sl 44,25; Sl 74,1; Sl 74,11 + often;
\ \ \ (b) with an imperfect, often deprecating, or introducing rhetorically, the reason why something should, or should not, be done, why should . . .? 1 Sam 19,5; 1 Sam 19,17; 1 Sam 20,8 but to thy father (emphatic) למה זה תביאני, why shouldst thou bring me ? 1 Sam 20,32 מה עשׂה למה יומת why should he be put to death ? 2 Sam 13,26; 2 Sam 16,9; 2 Sam 20,19; 2 Kong 14,10, etc.: in such cases, it approximates in meaning to lest (compare Phoenician CIS^{i. 2, 21} יסגרינם אלנם לָםָ ne tradant eos dii), and is in ᵐ5 often rendered by μήποτε, as 1 Mos 27,45 למה אשׁכל why should I be bereaved, etc. ? 2 Mos 32,12 יאמרו מצרים למה Neh 6,3; Sl 79,10; Sl 115,2; Praed 7,16, μή, Jer 40,15, ἵνα μή, 1 Mos 47,19; 2 Sam 2,22; 2 Kron 25,16; Praed 5,5; Praed 7,17, or ὅπως μή, Joel 2,17 (in 1 Sam 19,17; 2 Sam 13,26, paraph. by εἰ μή); and, connected with the foregoing sentence by אשׁר, or שֶׁ, in late, or dialect., Hebrew it actually has that meaning, Dan 1,10 אֲשֶׁר לָמָּה יִרְאֶה lest he see, Hoj 1,7 שַׁלָּמָ֫ה אֶהְיֶה lest I become (so in Aramaic לְמָה דִּי Ezr 7,23, דִּילְמָא ᵑ7, Syriac , both regularly = lest).
\ \ e. עַדמָֿה (Sl 4,3 עַדמֶֿה) until when ? how long ? 4 Mos 24,22 (aposiop.), Sl 4,3; Sl 79,5; Sl 89,47 in indirect question, Sl 74,9 (compare עד אנה, עד מתי). feminine עַלמָֿה, and עַלמֶֿה, upon what ? Job 38,6; 2 Kron 32,10 upon what ground ? wherefore ? 4 Mos 22,32 עַלמָֿה הִכִּיתָ אֶתאֲֿתֹנְךָ, 5 Mos 29,23 (compare 1 Kong 9,8; Jer 22,8), Es 1,5; Jer 8,14; Jer 9,11; Jer 16,10; Ezk 21,12; Sl 10,13; Job 13,14 (probably dittograph from vJob 13,13); עלמֿהזֿה Neh 2,4. In an indirect question, Job 10,2 הוֺדִיעֻנִי עַל מַהתְּֿרִיבֻנִי, Est 4,5 לָדַעַת מַהזֶּֿה וְעַלמַֿהוֶּֿה.