Bible Word Study
מָה
mâh · null
מָה
Definition
The Hebrew word מָה (mâh) is an interrogative pronoun meaning 'what?' or 'how?', used to ask questions about identity, nature, quantity, or reason. In its Aramaic occurrences in the books of Ezra and Daniel, it often functions to inquire about specific objects or matters, as in Ezra 4:22 ('whatsoever is commanded'), or to express astonishment at magnitude, as in Daniel 2:15 ('why is the decree so hasty?'). It can also introduce indirect questions about the content or cause of something, such as in Daniel 2:22 ('he knoweth what is in the darkness').
Biblical Usage
This word appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament (Ezra 4:22, 6:9, 7:18, 7:23; Daniel 2:15, 2:22, 2:28, 2:29). It is used in royal decrees and divine revelations to specify required items, question motives, or describe the content of knowledge. For example, it specifies provisions in Ezra 6:9 ('whatsoever they have need of') and introduces the revelation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2:28 ('what shall be in the latter days').
Etymology
This is the Aramaic form corresponding to the Hebrew interrogative מָה (H4100). It derives from a common Semitic root for questioning. The Aramaic usage in the biblical texts reflects the language of the Persian administrative context and court narratives where it was employed.
Semantic Range
Though primarily a grammatical function word, מָה in its Aramaic context appears in key passages about God's sovereign revelation and provision. In Daniel 2, it is used in contexts highlighting God's exclusive knowledge of 'what' will happen in the future (Daniel 2:28-29) and 'what' is in darkness (Daniel 2:22), emphasizing divine omniscience. In Ezra, its use in royal decrees (Ezra 6:9, 7:18-23) underlines God's providential provision for the rebuilding of the temple through pagan authorities. In the Aramaic of the Persian Empire, this was a standard interrogative word used in official documents and dialogue. Its appearance in biblical Aramaic sections reflects the historical setting of the Jewish exile and restoration, where Aramaic was the language of international administration and communication. מָה (mâh, H4100) — The direct Hebrew equivalent, used throughout the Hebrew Old Testament. מִי (mî, H4310) — The interrogative 'who?', used for persons rather than things or concepts.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]