מַדַּי
𐤌𐤃𐤉
madday
H4078
SILEX Entry
Definition
An adverb meaning 'enough, sufficiently, as much as, as often as,' indicating sufficiency or adequacy in regard to time, extent, or quantity. Used primarily to express that something is as much as is needful or as often as necessary.
Semantic Range
enough, sufficiently, as much as, as often as, in sufficient measure; referencing adequate quantity, frequency, or degree
Root / Etymology
Compound formation, likely from the interrogative מה (mah, 'what?') and the noun דַּי (day, 'enough, sufficient'), functioning together to convey the sense of 'how much is enough?' or 'as much as is sufficient.' In this context, מַדַּי serves as an adverbial expression derived from these elements.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַדַּי appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible, typically in poetic or wisdom texts (e.g., Proverbs 25:16; Proverbs 25:27; Ezekiel 21:28[=21:33]). Its use is restricted to expressing adequacy or sufficient measure, often in reference to moderation—how much is appropriate, or as much as is needed. English translations often render it as 'enough' or 'sufficiently,' but the original term may communicate a nuance of proper measure, in relation to time or quantity, that may be obscured by simple English equivalents. The element דַּי on its own means 'enough,' but מַדַּי emphasizes the idea of that measure being reached or not exceeded. In later Hebrew, this compound construction diminishes in frequency, with דַּי alone becoming more common. There is no association with ethnic or geographic identity.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מָה and דַּי; what (is) enough, i.e. sufficiently; sufficiently.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordWord Forms
0 distinct forms
No word forms found for this Strong's number.
Occurrences in Scripture
0 total occurrences
No occurrences found.