החלום הזה what is this dream which thou hast dreamt? 44:15 Jos 22:16 Ju 8: 1; 15:11 ; 20:12 1 S 29:3 מָה הָעִבְרִים האלה , 1 K 9:13 מה הערים האלה אשׁר נתתה לי , 2 K 9:22 ; 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 ( cf. הֲ b , מִי f c ): ( a ) Gn 23:15 land worth 400 shekels …, מה היא what is it? (i.e. it is something quite insignificant), 27:37 Ju 8:3 עשׂות ככם ומה־יכלתי , 14:18 Ho 9: 5; 10:3 ψ 30:10 ; 56:5 Jb 15: 9; 16:6 ; 21:21 ; 22:13 , 17 La 2:13 Ct 5:9 מַה־דֹּודֵךְ מִדֹּוד what is thy beloved (more) than a(nother) beloved? || לא , 1 K 12:16 מַה־לָּנוּ חֵלֶק בְּדָוִד וְלֹא־נַחֲלָה בְּבֶן יִשַׁי ( 2 S 20:1 אֵין־לָנוּ הֵלֶק וג׳ ), Jb 16:6 . ( b ) sq. כִּי ( כִּי 1 f ), Gn 20:9 ; 37:26 מַה־בֶּצַע כִּי נַהֲרֹג what profit (is it) that we should slay him? Ex 16:7 Nu 16:11 Hb 2:18 2 K 8:13 what is thy servant, the dog, that he should do , etc.? and often in poetry, as ψ 8:5 מָה אנושׁ כי תזכרנו what is man that thou rememberest him? Jb 6:11 מַה־כֹּחִי כִּי אֲיַחֵל , v 11b 7:1 7; 15:12f , 14 ; 16:3 ; 21:15 + ( cf. מִי f b ). Hence, ( c ) in the formula of repudiation, or emphatic denial, ( וְלָכֶם ) מַה־לִּי וָלָךְ what is there (common) to me and to thee? i.e. what have I to do with thee? • Ju 11:12 2 S 16:10 מה לי ולכם , 19:23 1 K 17:18 2 K 3:13 2 Ch 35:2 1; cf. Jos 22:24 2 K 9:1 8, 19 ; rather differently, without וְ , • Je 2:18 מה לך לדרך מ׳ what is there to thee with reference to the way to Egypt? Ho 14:9 מַה־לֹּו לַעֲצַבִּים , cf. ψ 50:16 ( לְסַפֵּר ); with את , • Je 23:28 מַה־לַתֶּבֶן אֶת־הַבָּר beside (or in comparison with ) the wheat? cf. τί ἐµοὶ (ἡµῖν) καὶ σοί ; Mt 8:29 Mk 5:7 Jn 2: 4; and Arabic مَا لِى وَلَﻩُ ( mā lī walahu ) e. = whatsoever ( cf. מִי g ): ( a ) Ju 9:48 ראיתם עשׂיתי מהרו עשׂו כמוני מה אתם , lit. what do you see (that) I have done? hasten, and do like me ( = whatever ye see, etc.), 2 S 21:4 אעשׂה לכם מה אתם אמרים , Jb 6:24 ; with the apod. introd. by וְ , 1 S 20:4 מה תאמר נפשׁך ואעשׂה לך ; Est 5:3 וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ מַה־ … בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ , v 6 7: 2; 9:12 ; hence in the late and strange idiom of Ch., it sinks twice almost to the rel. what , 1 Ch 15:13 כי לְמַבָּרִאשֹׁונָה לא אתם
because ye were not (employed) for what was at first (on the former occasion), J etc., 2 Ch 30:3 לְמַדַּי according to what was sufficient ( = in sufficient numbers), cf. Est 9:26 . ( b ) מַה־שֶּׁ- (late: frequently in Mishn. , etc.), whatever, what ( cf. מִי אֲשֶׁר , מִי g end ): • Ec 1:9 מַה־שֶּׁהָיָה הוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה , lit. what is that which hath been? it is that which shall be ( = whatever hath been, it is that which shall be), v 9 3:1 5, 22 ; 6:10 ; 7:24 ; 8:7 ; 10:14 .
2.
Used adverbially:
a.
as an
interrogative:
(
a
)
how?
especially in expressing what is regarded as an impossibility,
Gn 44:16
מַה־נִּצְטַדָּ˜ק
how
shall we justify ourselves?
Nu 23:8
(×2) 1 S 10:27
מַה־יּשִׁעֵנוּ זֶה
,
2 K 4:43 Jb 9:
2;
25:4
(×2) 31:1
Mishn. Mishna.