Aramaic word · H4479

מָן

man-

who?

A Biblical Aramaic word, from the parts of the Old Testament written in Aramaic. Why Aramaic?

Appears 10 times in 10 verses of the Aramaic of the Old Testament. ·

What it means

who?, what?, whoever, whosoever

Aramaic of mah (מָה "what?" H4100)

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

Where it appears

Ezra · 3
  1. Ezra 5:3 מַן־ who?

    At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

  2. Ezra 5:4 מַן־ what?

    They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?”

  3. Ezra 5:9 מַן־ who?

    So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

Daniel · 7
  1. Daniel 3:6 וּמַן־ and whoever

    And whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”

    Here: The question word 'who' becomes, with the next word, a general 'whoever'. The 'and' ties this penalty straight onto the command of verse 5.

  2. Daniel 3:11 וּמַן־ and whoever

    and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.

    Here: The question word "who" with "and" in front. Joined to the next word it means "and whoever". The "and" ties this penalty clause onto the decree quoted in verse 10.

  3. Daniel 3:15 וּמַן־ and who?

    Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the statue I have made, very good. But if you refuse to worship, you will be thrown at once into the blazing fiery furnace. Then what god will be able to deliver you from my hands?”

    Here: Opens a mocking question that expects the answer 'no one'.

  4. Daniel 4:17 וּלְמַן־ and to whomever

    This decision is the decree of the watchers, the verdict declared by the holy ones, so that the living will know that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes, setting over it the lowliest of men.’

    Here: "And to whomever": the choice is left completely open, with no class or merit required.

  5. Daniel 4:25 וּלְמַן־ and to whomever

    You will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field. You will feed on grass like an ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.

    Here: "And to whomever". Put first for emphasis: the one who receives power is God's choice.

  6. Daniel 4:32 וּלְמַן־ and to whomever

    You will be driven away from mankind to live with the beasts of the field, and you will feed on grass like an ox. And seven times will pass you by, until you acknowledge that the Most High rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whom He wishes.”

    Here: 'And to whoever.' With dî it forms an open-ended 'to anyone at all.'

  7. Daniel 5:21 וּלְמַן־ and to whomever

    He was driven away from mankind, and his mind was like that of a beast. He lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like an ox, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of mankind, setting over it whom He wishes.

    Here: 'And whoever': the choice of ruler is open-ended and belongs to God alone.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.