לְ/מָ֤ה
𐤋/𐤌𐤄
mâh
why
Interrogative pronoun and adverb used primarily to inquire about the identity, nature, extent, quantity, cause, or manner of a thing or situation; also used in exclamatory sentences to express surprise, emphasis, or intensity (often translated 'what!', 'how!', 'how much!'). In some occurrences, it functions as an indefinite pronoun ('whatever', 'anything') or relative marker ('that which').
Ezra 7:23 · Word #13
Lexicon H4101
| Lemma | מָה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤌𐤄 |
| Transliteration | mâh |
| Strong's | H4101 |
| Definition | Interrogative pronoun and adverb used primarily to inquire about the identity, nature, extent, quantity, cause, or manner of a thing or situation; also used in exclamatory sentences to express surprise, emphasis, or intensity (often translated 'what!', 'how!', 'how much!'). In some occurrences, it functions as an indefinite pronoun ('whatever', 'anything') or relative marker ('that which'). |
Morphology AR/Pixcs
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | P — Pronoun — Substitutes for a noun |
| Subtype | i — Interrogative — Interrogative |
| Gender | c — Common — Common (both genders) |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
Common Translation
| Phrase | why |
SIBI-P1 Translation H4101-02
for what?
| Morphological Notes | Interrogative particle מָה with prefixed preposition לְ; particle functioning adverbially to inquire about purpose or reason. |
| Rendering Rationale | The form combines the preposition לְ ("to/for") with the interrogative מָה ("what?"). Rendering it as "for what?" preserves both the interrogative force of the root and the prefixed preposition without collapsing it into the contextual gloss "why." |
View full lexicon entry for H4101 →
SILEX v2
SIBI-P2 (Context-Aware)
lest
| Same as P1 | No — adjusted for context |
| Rationale | 'For what?' is not correct here; the phrase introduces a negative purpose ('lest there be wrath'). 'Lest' captures the syntactical function in this context. |