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Aramaic

What

מָאStrong’s H3964

ma

Appears in 1 verse of the Old Testament

In short

Ma is the Aramaic word usually translated “whatever”. It appears in 1 verse of the Old Testament.

“Moreover I make a decree what ye shall do to the elders of these Jews for the building of this house of God: that of the king’s goods, even of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith expenses be given unto these men, that they be not hindered.”
Ezra 6:8 KJV
Meaning
  1. What, whateverwhat? · whatever, what, whatsoever · how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)
How it's translated
  • to whatever 1

Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.

Where it's used most
  • Ezra 1

1 book in all.

Related words
Explore in Scripture
    Aramaic dictionary

    מָא ma · what

    1) what, whatever 1a) what? 1b) whatever, what, whatsoever 1c) how?, why?, wherefore? (with prefixes)

    From STEPBible’s Hebrew lexicon (based on Brown-Driver-Briggs).

    Webster's 1828 Dictionary

    How the English word “what” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.

    WHAT, pronoun

    relative or substitute. [G., Latin See Wight.]

    1. That which.
    2. Which part.
    3. what is the substitute for a sentence or clause of a sentence.
    4. what is used as an adjective, of both genders, often in specifying sorts or particulars.
    All definitions and other forms of “what”
    1. what is much used in asking questions. what sort of character is this? what poem is this? what man is this we see coming?
    2. what time, at the time or on the day when.
    3. To how great a degree.
    4. Whatever.
    5. Some part, or some.
    6. what is sometimes used elliptically for what is this, or how is this?“WHAT! Could ye not watch with me one hour?” Matthew 26:40
    7. what is used interrogatively and elliptically, as equivalent to what will be the consequence? what will follow? As in the phrase, what if I undertake this business myself?

    WHAT, noun

    Fare; things; matter. [Not in use.]

      Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.

      Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Aramaic, not from any one translation.