מֵן
𐤌𐤍
mên
H4482 preposition
SILEX Entry
Definition
A noun functioning as a preposition or marker whose primary meaning involves 'portion, part, or piece,' often as part of expressions indicating a segment or component of something. It is also used in poetic or musical contexts to specify 'a (musical) string' or 'stringed instrument,' i.e., one element of a composite whole or an instrument defined by its divided parts (strings). In rare prepositional usage (Psalm 68:24), it marks origin or source, translated 'from'; but this is not the standard preposition min (מִן).
Semantic Range
part, portion, piece, component of a whole; string (of an instrument); stringed instrument; prepositional marker for 'from' (rare, poetic)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root מנה (m-n-h), meaning 'to count, allot, apportion.' The precise form מֵן is rare and likely represents a dialectal or poetic variant, especially in Psalms. It should not be confused with the more common preposition מִן (min), 'from.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
מֵן appears only in poetic contexts, especially in the Psalms (Psalm 45:9, 68:25, 150:4), with each instance reflecting its sense as a 'part' or 'portion.' When used with reference to musical instruments, it refers to a part, specifically a string or stringed instrument, as stringed instruments were classified by their component parts. In Psalm 68:25, it serves as a prepositional marker, but this usage is distinct from the dominant Biblical Hebrew preposition מִן. Later translations, including KJV, sometimes render it as 'from,' 'whereby,' or 'stringed instrument;' these choices reflect context rather than the underlying lexical sense, and can obscure the sense of a 'part' or 'component.' The word's infrequent appearance and specialized contexts make it a marked poetic or technical term rather than general vocabulary. There is no evidence that this word was used in everyday Israelite speech for 'part,' 'portion,' or as the standard 'from.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to apportion; a part; hence,; a musical chord (as parted into strings); in (the same) (Psalm 68:23), stringed instrument (Psalm 150:4), whereby (Psalm 45:8 (defective plural)).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מנה (m-n-h) — to count, allot, apportion
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4487 | מָנָה | to be counted |
| H4488 | מָנֶה | the appointed measure |
| H4489 | מֹנֶה | measured intervals |
| H4490 | מָנָה | the assigned portion |
| H4503 | מִנְחָה | with the apportioned offering |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4482-01 |
בְּ/מִנִּ֥ים | beminim | HR/Ncmpa |
with stringed instruments | with strings | 1 |
H4482-02 |
מִנִּ֥י | mini | HR |
stringed-instruments-gladden-you | from me | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4482-02 |
Psalms 45:9 | מִנִּ֥י | mini | HR |
stringed-instruments-gladden-you | from me |
H4482-01 |
Psalms 150:4 | בְּ/מִנִּ֥ים | beminim | HR/Ncmpa |
with stringed instruments | with strings |