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מָאֵן

𐤌𐤀𐤍

mâʼên

H3985 verb

SILEX Entry

Root מ־א־ן to refuse, to withhold consent, to be unwilling

Definition

To refuse, decline, or reject an offer, request, or command, sometimes with a sense of determined unwillingness or obstinate resistance. The word is often used to express adamant refusal, sometimes with emotional or volitional force, and is not limited to casual or polite declination. In narrative and legal contexts, it denotes an intentional act of not consenting or not granting one’s compliance.

Semantic Range

to refuse, to decline, to reject, to be unwilling, to withhold consent, to be obstinate, to not comply

Root / Etymology

From the root מול (מ־א־ן), the root carries the basic sense of withholding or holding back. מָאֵן develops from this core idea to denote an active or purposeful refusal. The root meaning 'to refuse' corresponds directly to the primary lexical sense of the derived verb.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מָאֵן appears throughout much of the Hebrew Bible in various historical periods, including narratives (e.g., Joseph refusing advances—Genesis 39:8; individuals refusing proposals or requests—1 Samuel 8:19, 2 Kings 5:16). The term often carries an undertone of firm resolve, as opposed to more neutral or passive terms implying simple absence of agreement (cf. סָרַב sârav in later Hebrew, which can be softer or more formalized). English translations usually render it as 'refuse,' 'decline,' or 'be unwilling,' but may underplay the word’s forceful and sometimes emotional connotation. In some contexts, it appears with intensifiers (e.g., מֵאֵן לִשְׁמֹעַ 'refused to listen'), underscoring determination. No clear semantic shift occurs from earlier to later biblical periods, though its frequency provides insight into evolving sociolinguistic norms around refusal, dissent, or assertion of will.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to refuse; refuse, [idiom] utterly.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

מאן (m-ʾ-n) — to refuse, to withhold consent, to be unwilling

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3984 מָאן to containers of
H3986 מָאֵן the one who refuses

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3985-06 מֵאֲנ֖וּ meanu HVpp3cp they refuse they adamantly refused 10
H3985-13 וַ/יְמָאֵן֙ vayemaen HC/Vpw3ms but he refused and he adamantly refused 9
H3985-07 מֵאֵ֖ן meen HVpp3ms refused he adamantly refused 4
H3985-02 מֵֽאֲנָה֙ meanah HVpp3fs refuses she adamantly refused 4
H3985-12 וַ/יְמָאֲנ֣וּ vayemaanu HC/Vpw3mp and they refused and they adamantly refused 3
H3985-10 וַ/תְּמָאֵ֖ן vatemaen HC/Vpw2ms but she refused and you firmly refused 2
H3985-05 מֵֽאַנְתֶּ֔ם meanetem HVpp2mp do you refuse you refused 1
H3985-08 מֵאֵ֨ין meeyn HVpp3ms refuses he firmly refused 1
H3985-14 יְמָאֲנ֛וּ yemaanu HVpi3mp they refuse they firmly refuse 1
H3985-04 מֵאַ֖נְתְּ meanete HVpp2fs you refused you refused 1

Occurrences in Scripture

41 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3985-13 Genesis 37:35 וַ/יְמָאֵן֙ vayemaen HC/Vpw3ms but he refused and he adamantly refused
H3985-13 Genesis 39:8 וַ/יְמָאֵ֓ן vayemaen HC/Vpw3ms but he refused and he adamantly refused
H3985-13 Genesis 48:19 וַ/יְמָאֵ֣ן vayemaen HC/Vpw3ms But he refused and he adamantly refused
H3985-10 Exodus 4:23 וַ/תְּמָאֵ֖ן vatemaen HC/Vpw2ms but you refuse and you firmly refused
H3985-07 Exodus 7:14 מֵאֵ֖ן meen HVpp3ms he refuses he adamantly refused
H3985-03 Exodus 10:3 מֵאַ֔נְתָּ meaneta HVpp2ms will you refuse you adamantly refused
H3985-05 Exodus 16:28 מֵֽאַנְתֶּ֔ם meanetem HVpp2mp do you refuse you refused
H3985-01 Exodus 22:16 מָאֵ֧ן maen HVpa refuses the refusing one
H3985-15 Exodus 22:16 יְמָאֵ֛ן yemaen HVpi3ms to give he refuses
H3985-13 Numbers 20:21 וַ/יְמָאֵ֣ן vayemaen HC/Vpw3ms and refused and he adamantly refused
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