I made a covenant with my eyes, וּמָה אֶתְבֹּונֵן עַל ב׳ and how should I look upon a maid? ( Ö οὐ , É non ), Pr 20:24 דַּרְכֹּו וְאָדָם מַה־יָּבִין ; in an indirect question, Ex 10:26 ψ 39:5 אֵֽדְעָה מֶה־חָדֵל אָ˜נִי ; מַה־וֶּה how, now? (in surprise), Gn 27:20 מַה־זֶה מִהַרְתָּ לִמְצֹא בְּנִי , Ju 18:24 1 K 21:5 2 K 1: 5. ( b ) why? Ex 14:15 אֵלַי מַה תִּצְעַק , 17:2 (×2) 2 K 6:3 3; 7:3 ψ 42:6 מַה־תִּשְׁתֹּוחֲחִי עלי , Jb 15:12 +; Ct 8:4 I adjure you מַה־תָּעִירוּ וּמַה־תְּעֹורֲרוּ , why will ye stir up, etc.? (i.e. do not: || אִם 2: 7; 3:5 ).—The transition from the interrog. to the neg., to which in Heb. there is an approx. (especially 1 K 12:16 [ cf. 2 S 20: 1] Jb 6:5 ; 31:1 Ct 5: 8; 8:4 ), is in Arabic complete, مَا ( mā ) being there used constantly in the sense of not ( cf. Walker Hbr . xii. 244 ff. ; Kö iii. 478).
b. as an exclam. , how … ! with adjectives and verbs, Gn 28:17 מַה־נֹּורָא הַמָּקֹום הַזֶּה how dreadful is this place! 38:29 Nu 24:5 מַה־טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ , Is 52:7 ψ 3:2 מה רבו , 8:2 מה אדיר , 21:2 ; 36:8 , etc., Ct 4:10 (×2); 7:2 ; ironically, 2 S 6:20 Je 2:3 3, 36 Jb 26: 2, 3 .
3.
Indef.
pron.
anything, aught
,
Nu 23:3
וּדְבַר־מַה־יַּרְאֵנִי וְהִגַּדְתִּי לָ˜ךְ
and he will shew me the matter of
aught
, and I will tell thee (
=
if he shew me … I will, etc.,
Dr
§ 149),
1 S 19:3
וְרָאִיתִי מָה וִהִגַּדְתִּי
לָ˜ךְ
=
and if I see aught, I will, etc.,
20:10
אֹו מַה־יַּעַנְךָ אָבִיךָ קָשָׁה
if perchance thy father shall answer thee
aught
that is harsh (order,
1 a
a
),
2 S 18:22
וִיהִי־מָה אָרוּצָה־נָּא
but let there happen
what may
(lit.
aught
), I will run,
v
23
(
cf.
Jb 13:13
וְיַעֲבֹר עָלַי מָה
),
v
29
וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מָה
(
cf.
Pr 9:1
3),
Pr 25:8
.
Cf.
Kö
iii
. § 65
.
4. With preps.: a. בַּתָּה 9 , בַּמֶּה 19 wherein? Ex 22:26 Ju 16:5 1 S 14:38 (indirect question; We בְּמִי ); and so according to the various senses of בְּ : whereby? Gn 15:8 Ex 33:16 Mal 1: 2, 6 , 7 ; 2:17 ; 3:7–8 ; wherewith? 1 S 6:2 2 S 21:3 Mi 6:6 ; by what means? Ju 16:5 וּבַמֶּה נוּכַל לֹו ; at what (worth)? Is 2:22 ; for what? 2 Ch 7:21 ( || 1 K 9:8 על־מה ). b. יַעַן מֶה •Hg 1:9 because of what? • c. כַּמָּה , כַּמֶּה , proposes the like of what? ( Arabic كَمْ ( kam ), Syriac ܟܡܳܐ
(
kmo
)
)
; hence (
a
)
how much? how many?
כַּמָּה יְמֵי וגו׳
Gn 47:8 2 S 19:35
ψ 119:84
Jb 13:2
3;
עַד כַּמֶּה פְעָמִים
1 K 22:16
(
=
2 Ch 18:1
5);
כַּמָּה
how often?
Jb 21:17
(i.e. how seldom!); in an indirect question,
how much?
Zc 2:6
(×2). As an exclamation,
Zc 7:3
as I have done
זֶה כַמֶּה שָׁנִים
now (
זֶה
4 i
),
how many
years!
ψ 78:40
כַּמָּה
how often!
(
b
)
for how long?
ψ 35:17
כמה תראה
,
Jb 7:19
.
d.
לָ˜מָּה
,
לָמָ˜ה
(
לָמָ˜ה
mostly before the gutturals
א
,
ה
,
ע
, and
י׳
[i.e.
אֲדֹנָי
], but twice besides,
ψ 42:10
;
43:2
;
לָ˜מָּה
also occurs before gutt., in five
Dr S. R. Driver, Hebrew Tenses;