בַּ/מֶּ֥ה
𐤁/𐤌𐤄
bameh
over what
or מַה; or מָ; or מַ; also מֶה; a primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses; how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.
Proverbs 4:19 · Word #6
Lexicon H4100
| Lemma | מָה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤌𐤄 |
| Transliteration | mâh |
| Strong's | H4100 |
| In-context | over what |
Morphology HR/Ti
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | T — Particle — Function word |
| Subtype | i — Interrogative — Interrogative |
SIBI-P1 H4100-02
in what?
| Root | מה (m-h) |
| Core Meanings | interrogation, whatness, inquiry, specification of thing or manner |
| Semantic Range | in what, by what, with what, through what means, in what way, why (literally ‘in what?’ expressing cause) |
| Conceptual Significance | This interrogative form probes the basis, means, or grounds of an action or claim. In biblical discourse it often exposes motives, challenges assumptions, or invites reflection on the source or method by which something occurs, highlighting the importance of discernment and accountability before YHWH. |
| Morphological Notes | Preposition בְּ (assimilated with dagesh in מ) + interrogative particle מָה/מֶה; invariant interrogative form with prefixed preposition; no gender or number marking. |
| Rendering Rationale | The form בַּמֶּה combines the preposition בְּ (“in, with, by”) with the interrogative particle מָה (“what?”). The rendering “in what?” preserves both the interrogative force of the root מה and the prefixed prepositional sense, allowing contextual nuances such as means (“by what?”) or manner (“in what way?”). |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root מה (interrogation, whatness, inquiry, specification of thing or manner)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H4100-01 |
bamah | with what? |
H3964-01 |
bamah | with what? |
H1117-01 |
bamah | with what? |
Word Usage (750 occurrences of H4100)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis 2:19 | מַה | mah | what |
| Genesis 3:13 | מַה | mah | What |
| Genesis 4:6 | לָ֚/מָּה | lamah | Why |