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מָאֵן

𐤌𐤀𐤍

mâʼên

H3986 verb

SILEX Entry

Root מ-א-ן to refuse, to decline, to be unwilling

Definition

To refuse, to be unwilling, to decline or reject a request, command, suggestion, or opportunity. The term denotes a deliberate and often persistent act of declining participation or compliance, whether in response to verbal invitation or implied expectation.

Semantic Range

to refuse, to decline, to be unwilling, to reject a request, to not consent

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root מאן (מ-א-ן), which carries the core idea of refusal or denial. The verbal form expresses deliberate unwillingness or resistance in response to an external stimulus or demand.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verb מָאֵן appears primarily in narrative contexts, describing characters who express clear and emphatic refusal—such as Joseph rejecting Potiphar's wife's advances (Genesis 39:8), Jacob refusing to be comforted (Genesis 37:35), or Israelite leaders refusing divine calls or instructions. It frequently emphasizes the subject's agency and determination. The term remains relatively stable across biblical periods and does not acquire additional technical meanings in exilic or post-exilic literature. מָאֵן is distinguished from other Hebrew terms like סָרַב (sārav, 'to refuse', more common in later Hebrew) in that מָאֵן is found predominantly in classical Hebrew, often within literary storytelling. English translations such as 'refused' or 'was unwilling' typically capture the basic sense, but may not fully convey the persistence or forcefulness sometimes implied in biblical contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from מָאֵן; unwilling; refuse.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3984 מָאן to containers of
H3985 מָאֵן she adamantly refused

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H3986-01 מָאֵ֥ן maen HVprmsa you refuse the one who refuses 4

Occurrences in Scripture

4 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H3986-01 Exodus 7:27 מָאֵ֥ן maen HVprmsa you refuse the one who refuses
H3986-01 Exodus 9:2 מָאֵ֥ן maen HVprmsa you refuse the one who refuses
H3986-01 Exodus 10:4 מָאֵ֥ן maen HVprmsa you refuse the one who refuses
H3986-01 Jeremiah 38:21 מָאֵ֥ן maen HVprmsa you refuse the one who refuses
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