What does מָה · אַתָּה mean in the Bible?
".
Hebrew · H4100, H859
מָה־אַתֶּם לִי
Properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when? ); but also exclamation, what! (including how! ), or indefinitely what (including whatever , and even relatively, that which ); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses · thou and thee , or (plural) ye and you
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
מָה H4100 properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when? ); but also exclamation, what! (including how! ), or indefinitely what (including whatever , and even relatively, that which ); often used with prefixes in various adverbial or conjunctive senses
Pronunciation māh
Interrogative pronoun functioning as existential probe; shifts from question to exclamation to indefinite reference depending on context.
Open lexicon entry →
אַתָּה H859 thou and thee , or (plural) ye and you
Pronunciation ʾatāh
Second person pronoun marking direct address and covenant relationship in dialogical contexts
Open lexicon entry →
What does מָה־אַתֶּם לִי (māh-ʾattem lî) mean in the Bible?
מָה · אַתָּה is a Hebrew phrase meaning "A confrontational divine question challenging the nations' presumed claim or grievance against the LORD.".
Full entry for מָה־אַתֶּם לִי (H4100, H859) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H4100, H859?
H4100, H859 is connected to 1,854 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. A confrontational divine question challenging the nations' presumed claim or grievance against the LORD.
Strong's H4100, H859
Lexical occurrences 1,854 verses Source Gloss
A confrontational divine question challenging the nations' presumed claim or grievance against the LORD.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Cross-Language Connections
Greek words that correspond to or develop the meaning of this Hebrew word in the New Testament.
G2982 LXX equivalent Greek
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain