מִי

who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction wit…

Definition

The Hebrew word מִי (mîy) is a primary interrogative pronoun meaning 'who?' It is used almost exclusively to ask about persons, as in God's question to Adam, 'Who told you that you were naked?' (Genesis 3:11). In a less common but significant idiomatic usage, it can also refer to things, as in the rhetorical question 'Who can stand before his indignation?' (Nahum 1:6), where 'who' implies 'what person or thing.' Furthermore, it functions as an indefinite pronoun meaning 'whoever' or 'anyone who,' establishing conditional statements, such as in the covenant formula 'whoever curses you I will curse' (Genesis 12:3).

Biblical Usage

מִי appears over 340 times across all genres of the Old Testament, from narrative to poetry and prophecy. Its core use is to pose direct questions about identity or responsibility, as seen when Abraham's servant asks Rebekah, 'Whose daughter are you?' (Genesis 24:23). In poetic and prophetic books, it often introduces rhetorical questions that highlight God's supreme power or human limitation, like 'Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?' (Isaiah 40:12). Its indefinite use ('whoever') is common in legal and wisdom contexts, setting forth general principles (e.g., Exodus 21:12).

Etymology

מִי is a primitive, indeclinable interrogative pronoun of persons. It is the personal counterpart to the neuter interrogative מָה (māh, H4100), meaning 'what?' The two words form the fundamental pair for asking questions in Biblical Hebrew. Its form is stable throughout the language's history, with no clear derivation from a verbal root, indicating it is one of the basic building blocks of the language.

Semantic Range

This word is theologically significant as it frames humanity's fundamental questions directed toward God and God's searching questions toward humanity. It marks moments of divine inquiry that expose human condition, like God's 'Where are you?' followed by 'Who told you?' in Genesis 3. Conversely, it expresses human awe and inquiry into God's nature and acts, central to Israel's worship (e.g., Psalm 24:3, 'Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD?'). Understanding מִי enriches reading by highlighting these dialogical encounters—the search for identity, responsibility, and the boundaries between the human and the divine.

In the ancient Near Eastern context, questions beginning with 'who' were not merely requests for information but could be charged rhetorical tools in disputes, legal settings, and poetic taunts. A question like 'Who are you?' (Genesis 27:18) could challenge authority or status. The use of 'who' for things, while idiomatic to modern readers, was a natural Hebrew poetic device to personify forces or concepts when questioning their capability in comparison to Yahweh.

מָה (māh, H4100) — The neuter interrogative 'what?', used primarily for things, non-persons, or abstract qualities. אֵי (ʾêy, H335) — An interrogative adverb meaning 'where?', asking about location rather than personal identity.

Word Details

Scripture References