מֵאֵן
𐤌𐤀𐤍
mêʼên
H3987 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To refuse, reject, or decline through an act of will or intention; to be unwilling, often with a sense of determined or deliberate opposition to a request or command. In various narrative and legal contexts, it expresses an active, willful resistance or non-compliance.
Semantic Range
to refuse, to be unwilling, to decline, to reject, to withhold compliance, to oppose or resist a request or command
Root / Etymology
From the root מאן (m-ʼ-n), whose core meaning is to refuse or to be unwilling. The form מֵאֵן (mêʼên) is a verb in the piel stem, often indicating an emphatic or repeated act of refusal rather than a passive state.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, מֵאֵן is most commonly used to describe someone (or occasionally an animal, as in Num 22:13 regarding Balaam’s donkey) actively declining to perform an action or accept a proposal. It frequently occurs in narratives with kings, prophets, or patriarchs refusing requests or proposals (e.g., Joseph refusing Potiphar's wife in Gen 39:8; Pharaoh repeatedly refusing to let the Israelites leave in Exodus). The verb often carries a sense of deliberate or resolute opposition. While English translations sometimes render it as 'refuse,' 'decline,' or 'be unwilling,' the Hebrew term typically suggests more than a simple negative response, indicating inner resolve or sustained opposition over time. The piel (intensive/causative) stem is most common, highlighting an emphatic sense of refusal. The root מאן is relatively rare outside biblical usage and lacks clear cognates in other Semitic languages, making it uniquely biblical. Related terms in Hebrew, such as סָרַב (sārav), also mean 'to refuse' but are far less common in the Bible.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מָאֵן; refractory; refuse.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מאנ (m-ʾ-n) — to refuse, to be unwilling, to reject
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3987-01 |
הַֽ/מֵּאֲנִ֣ים | hameanim | HTd/Vprmpa |
who refuse | the refusing ones | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3987-01 |
Jeremiah 13:10 | הַֽ/מֵּאֲנִ֣ים | hameanim | HTd/Vprmpa |
who refuse | the refusing ones |