מָן
𐤌𐤍
mân
H4478 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Edible substance supernaturally provided as food for the Israelites during their desert wandering, described as resembling coriander seed, white in color and tasting like wafers with honey. In biblical usage, מָן refers to this unique food, sometimes accompanied by narrative emphasis on its miraculous or mysterious origin, and the questions it prompted among the Israelites.
Semantic Range
manna (the miraculous food provided by YHWH to the Israelites in the wilderness); something mysterious or inexplicable; [rare and context-specific] whatness, substance called forth by inquiry
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root מה ('what?', 'what is it?') or from a similar interrogative form, alluding to the Israelites’ response מָן הוּא ('What is it?') when first encountering the substance (Exodus 16:15). The word may have originated as an exclamation and later designated the substance itself.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term מָן appears exclusively in the wilderness narratives (primarily Exodus 16, Numbers 11) describing the Israelites' journey after the exodus from Egypt. In these contexts, it refers specifically to the food provided by YHWH. Ancient Near Eastern parallels suggest other peoples also used plant-based resins (e.g., secretions from tamarisk trees, sometimes called 'manna'), but the biblical מָן is depicted as unique, with supernatural qualities and clear theological significance. Later Second Temple and early Jewish literature sometimes interprets מָן symbolically, but those meanings arise post-biblically. English tradition uses 'manna,' following the Septuagint's rendering, but the etymological origin and referent are specific to the Hebrew text and wilderness tradition. The term is not used to denote 'bread' generically nor food in general outside the miracle accounts, differing from לחם.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מָה; literally a whatness (so to speak), i.e. manna (so called from the question about it); manna.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מה (m-h) — what, inquire, question
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1099 | בְּלִימָה | what? |
| H1117 | בָּמָה | in what? |
| H4100 | מָה | with what? |
| H4101 | מָה | for what? |
| H4479 | מָן | what-substance |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4478-01 |
הַ/מָּן֙ | haman | HTd/Ncmsa |
the manna | the what-is-it | 6 |
H4478-02 |
מָ֣ן | man | HTi |
manna | manna | 6 |
H4478-04 |
וְ/הַ/מָּ֕ן | vehaman | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
And the manna | and the manna | 1 |
H4478-03 |
וּ/מַנְ/ךָ֙ | umanekha | HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms |
and-your-manna | and your manna | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
14 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4478-02 |
Exodus 16:15 | מָ֣ן | man | HTi |
What is it? | manna |
H4478-02 |
Exodus 16:31 | מָ֑ן | man | HNcmsa |
manna | manna |
H4478-02 |
Exodus 16:33 | מָ֑ן | man | HNcmsa |
of manna | manna |
H4478-01 |
Exodus 16:35 | הַ/מָּן֙ | haman | HTd/Ncmsa |
the manna | the what-is-it |
H4478-01 |
Exodus 16:35 | הַ/מָּן֙ | haman-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
the manna | the what-is-it |
H4478-01 |
Numbers 11:6 | הַ/מָּ֥ן | haman | HTd/Ncmsa |
the manna | the what-is-it |
H4478-04 |
Numbers 11:7 | וְ/הַ/מָּ֕ן | vehaman | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
And the manna | and the manna |
H4478-01 |
Numbers 11:9 | הַ/מָּ֖ן | haman | HTd/Ncmsa |
the manna | the what-is-it |
H4478-01 |
Deuteronomy 8:3 | הַ/מָּן֙ | haman | HTd/Ncmsa |
the manna | the what-is-it |
H4478-02 |
Deuteronomy 8:16 | מָן֙ | man | HNcmsa |
manna | manna |