ma · what; why

What it means

ma (מָה) is an Aramaic word of the Bible that means “what; why”.

What; with "for", "why?", "what for?" (Aramaic).

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. An Aramaic word for asking «what» or «why», or for exclaiming «how great!».

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• what ×6
• Why ×3
• how ×2
• whatever ×2

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Ezra×4
• Daniel×9

• Ezra 4:22

  And be careful of negligence in acting on this. Why should the damage grow to the harm of kings?”

• Ezra 6:9

  And whatever is needed, young bulls, rams, and lambs for burnt offerings to the Elah of the heavens, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are in Jerusalem, let it be given to them day by day without negligence,

• Ezra 7:18

  And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, you shall do it according to the will of your Elah.

• Ezra 7:23

  All that is by the order of the Elah of the heavens, let it be done exactly for the house of the Elah of the heavens; for why should there be anger upon the kingdom of the king and his sons?

• Daniel 2:15

  He answered and said to Arioch, the captain of the king, “Why is the law so harsh from before the king?” Then Arioch made known the matter to Daniel.

• Daniel 2:22

  He reveals the deep things and the hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.

• Daniel 2:28

  But there is an Elah in the heavens who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the last days. Your dream and the visions of your head on your bed are these:

• Daniel 2:29

  You, O king, your thoughts on your bed came up about what will be after this; and the one who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will be.

• Daniel 2:45

  Inasmuch as you saw that from the mountain a stone was cut out, not by hands, and it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, a great Elah has made known to the king what will be after this. And the dream is certain, and its interpretation trustworthy.”

• Daniel 4:3

  His signs, how great! And his wonders, how mighty! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom, and his dominion is with generation and generation.

• Daniel 4:35

  And all the inhabitants of the earth are counted as nothing, and according to his will he does among the army of the heavens and the inhabitants of the earth; and there is no one who can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”

And 2 more times.