מִי423 pronoun interrogative who? of persons, as מָה (q. v.) of things (Ethiopic but only = What ? and How ? Assyrian mî, me (rare) JägerBAS. ii. 277, the usual Semitic form for Who? has n, namely Assyrian mannu, manu (DlHWB 419), Ethiopic man¥, Aramaic Arabic , Vulgar Arabic min, m£n, from a form resembling which, by rejection of n, probably Hebrew מִי: WSG 123 f.): — who ? (τίς; quis ?) [Gen 3:11] הִגִּיד לְךָ מִי who told thee ? [Gen 24:65] מִי הָאִישׁ הַלָּזֶה who is this man ? [Gen 27:18] מי אתה בני who art thou, my son ? [Num 22:9]; [Judg 1:1]; [Judg 6:29]; [Judg 15:6]; [Judg 18:3]; [Judg 20:18]; [2Sam 1:8] + often; [Ruth 3:9] מִי אָ֑תְּ who art thou, (feminine) ? [Isa 51:12] of more than one, מִי אֵלָּה who are these ? [Gen 33:5]; [Gen 48:8]; [Isa 60:8] מי אתם [2Kgs 10:13] once, more explicitly, מִי זָמִי הַהֹלְכִים [Exod 10:8] = as who ? (i.e. in what condition, or capacity), [Amos 7:2] יעקב מי יקום v[Amos 7:5]; [Isa 51:19] מִי אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (but Vrss Che Lag Brd Du ׳מִי יְ, as || מִי יָנוּד), [Ruth 3:16] (Be Ke Köiii. 388). Note in particular:
\ \ a. מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied: [Gen 33:8] מי לך כלהֿמחנה הזה who (or what) to thee is all this camp ? [Deut 4:7]; [Judg 9:28] שְׁכֶם מִי who is Shechem (i.e. the Shechemites) ? [Mic 1:5] מִיפֶֿשַׁע יַעֲקֹב הֲלֹא שֹׁמְרוֺן, vb [Song 3:6]; [Judg 13:17] מִי שְׁמֶ֑ךָ ( but מה [Gen 32:28]; [Exod 3:13]: with מי compare מַן in Aramaic [Ezra 5:4] Genesis, Exodus ll. cc. ᵑ7; and see NöM. p. 341). On [1Sam 18:18], see II. חַי
\ \ b. in the genitive, בַּתמִֿי אַתְּ whose daughter art thou ? [Gen 24:23]; [Gen 24:47]; [1Sam 12:3] (3 t. in verse); [1Sam 17:55]; [Jer 44:28]; [Job 26:4]; [Job 33:28] after various prepositions, as אַחֲרֵי מִי [1Sam 24:15] (twice in verse); אֶלמִֿי [1Sam 6:20]; [2Kgs 9:5] +; בְּמִי by whom ? [1Kgs 20:14], לְמִי20 to whom ? whose ? [Gen 32:18] לְמִי אַתָּה, [Gen 38:25]; [Prov 20:20] (6 t.) +; מִמִּי [Ezek 32:19]; [Ps 27:1] (twice in verse); עַלמִֿי [2Kgs 18:20]; [2Kgs 19:22]; [Isa 57:4] +; אֶתמִֿי (so always in accusative), [1Sam 12:3] (twice in verse); [1Sam 28:11]; [Isa 6:8] = with whom ? [Job 12:3].
\ \ c. in an indirect question, as [Gen 21:26]; [Gen 43:22] לא ידענו מי שׂם we do not know who put, etc., [Deut 21:1]; [Ps 39:7]; [Josh 24:15] בַּחֲרוּ ֗֗֗ אֶתמִֿי תַעֲבֹד֑וּן choose whom ye will serve, after ראה [1Sam 14:17], שׁאל [1Sam 17:56], הגיד [1Kgs 1:20], הודיע v[1Kgs 1:27].
\ \ d. ׳מי ב who among ... ? [1Sam 22:14]; [Isa 36:20]; [Isa 43:9]; [Isa 48:14] (בהם) [Isa 42:23]; [Isa 50:10]; [Hag 2:3] ( all בכם); מי מן who of ... ? [Judg 21:8]; [2Kgs 6:11]; [Isa 50:1].
\ \ e. strengthened and emphatic forms of interrogative:
\ \ \ (a) מי זה (see זה 4 b), מי הוא (see הוא 4 b β), הוא זה מי [Ps 24:10]; [Jer 30:21]; [Esth 7:5] (see ibid.);
\ \ \ (b) אֶחָד מִי what single one ... ? [Judg 21:8], compare [2Sam 7:23] ( = [1Chr 17:21]). feminine various rhetorical uses ( often repeated in || clause, as [Ps 15:1]; [Ps 18:32]; [Isa 28:9]; [Isa 29:15]): — (a) followed by imperfect it expresses a wish ( the question implying a desire that the person asked for were present ), [2Sam 15:4] מִי יְשִׂמֵנִי שֹׁפֵט who will set me judge ? i.e. would that some one would make me judge ! [2Sam 23:15] מִי יַשְׁקֵנִי מַיִם = O that one would give me to drink, etc. ! compare [Num 11:4]; [Num 11:18]; [Mal 1:10]; [Ps 4:7]; [Ps 60:11]; [Ps 94:16]; [Isa 42:23], and very often in the phrase מִי יִתֵּן who will give? i.e. would that there were. . . ! as [Num 11:29] נביאים ׳ומי יתן כל עם י = and would that all ׳י's people were prophets! [Deut 28:67] מי יתן ערב = would it were even! [Judg 9:29] + (see נָתַן). (b) it expresses contempt (who ? implying the answer no one at all), [Exod 5:2] ׳אשׁר אשׁמע בקולו מי י who is ׳י that I should listen to his voice ? [Judg 9:28] מִי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וּמִי שְׁכֶם כִּי נַעַבְדֶנּוּ, v[Judg 9:38]; [1Sam 17:26] who is this Philistine that he should have reproached, etc.? [1Sam 25:10] מי דוד ומי בן ישׁי [Isa 28:9]; [Job 26:4]; [Prov 30:9] ׳מי י; or modesty (real or assumed), [Exod 3:11] מִי אָנֹכִי כִּי אֵלֵךְ אֶלפַּֿרְעֹה [1Sam 18:18] ומי חיי מי אנכי who am I, and who is my clan (חַיִּי), that I should be the king's son-in-law ? [2Sam 7:18]; [1Chr 29:14]; [2Chr 2:5] or surprise, [Isa 44:10]; [Isa 49:21]. (c) in impassioned prose, and especially in poetry, implying the answer few or none, it is equivalent to a rhetorical negative, [Deut 9:2] מִי יִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי בְנֵי עֲנָק who can stand, etc.? [Deut 30:12] מִי יַעֲלֶהלָּֿנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה v[Deut 30:13]; [1Sam 4:8] ׳מִי יַצִּילֵנוּ וג, [1Sam 6:20]; [1Sam 22:14]; [1Sam 26:9]; [1Sam 26:15]; [2Sam 16:10] מי יאמר who shall (or can) say ? [Job 9:12]; [Prov 20:9]; [Eccl 8:4] with the perfect (of experience), who has ever . . . ? [Num 23:10]; [Deut 5:23]; [Isa 36:20]; [Isa 66:8] (twice in verse); [Jer 18:13] מִי שָׁמַע כָּאֵלֶּה, [Jer 23:18] (ᵑ0), [Jer 30:21]; [Job 4:7]; [Job 9:4] מִי הִקְשָׁה אֵלָיו וַיִּשְׁלָ֑ם, [Job 41:3]; [Prov 30:4]; [Lam 3:37] in poetry, very often, as [Gen 49:9] מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ וּכְלָבִיא who can rouse him up ? (i.e. no one), [Exod 15:11] (twice in verse) מִי כָמוֺךָ (so [Ps 35:10] and elsewhere), [Num 24:9]; [Num 24:23]; [1Sam 2:25] מי יתפלל לו who shall intercede for him ? (i.e. no one), [Isa 1:12]; [Isa 10:3]; [Isa 40:13]; [Isa 40:14]; [Isa 40:18]; [Isa 41:26]; [Isa 42:19]; [Isa 43:9]; [Isa 48:14]; [Isa 50:1]; [Isa 53:1] מִי הֶאֱמִין לִשְׁמֻעָתֵנוּ (i.e. few or none), etc.; [Ps 18:32] ׳מִי אֱלוֺהַּ מִבַּלְעֲדֵי י, [Ps 76:8]; [Ps 89:7]; [Ps 130:3]; [Job 21:31]; [Job 34:29]; [Jer 17:9]; [Joel 2:11]; [Mal 3:2] מִי לֹא ֗֗֗ [Amos 3:8]; [Jer 10:7]; [Job 12:9] (compare [Job 25:3]; [Nah 3:19]); (יְשִׁיבֶנָּה) מִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ who shall (can) turn it back ? [Job 9:12]; [Job 11:10]; [Job 23:13]; [Isa 14:27]; [Isa 43:13]; [Jer 2:24] implying the answer, no one but God, [Isa 40:12]; [Isa 41:2]; [Isa 35:6]; [Isa 35:25], etc.; defiantly, [Isa 50:9] מִי הוּא יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי, [Jer 21:13]; [Jer 49:4] מִי יָבוֺא אֵלַי, v[Jer 49:19]; [Obad 1:3]; [Ps 12:5] מִי אָדוֺן לָנוּ, [Ps 59:8]; [Ps 64:6]; [Job 9:19] מִי יוֺעִידֵנִי וְאִם לְמִשְׁפָּט, [Job 13:19] מִי הוּא יָרִיב עִמָּדִי who is he that will contend with me ? [Job 17:3]; [Job 41:2]. Notice in examples of this kind the frequent order of words: [Prov 20:6] ואישׁ אמוּנים מי ימצא, [Prov 24:22] יודע ופיד שׁניהם מי, [Prov 31:10]; [Nah 1:6] לפני זעמו מי יעמד, [Ps 147:17] קֹרָתוֺ מי יעמד לפני, [Job 4:2] וַעְצֹר בְּמִלִּין מִי יוּכ֑ל, [Job 26:14]; [Job 38:37]; [Job 39:5]; [Job 41:5]; [Job 41:6]; [Ps 6:6] בִּשְׁאוֺל מִי יוֺדֶהלָּֿ֑ךְ, [Ps 19:13] and with the nom. pendens, [Jer 2:24] תַּאֲנָתָהּ מִי יְשִׁיבֶנָּה, [Prov 18:14]; [Job 17:15] וְתִקְוָתִי מִי יְשׁוּרֶנָּה, [Job 38:29] וּכְפֹר שָׁמַיִם מִי יְלָדוֺ.
\ \ \ (d) מִי יוֺדֵעַ who knoweth ? ([Ps 90:11]; [Prov 24:22]), followed by a verbal clause, becomes (compare nescio an) = it may be, perchance, [2Sam 12:22] ׳מִי יוֺדֵעַ יְחָנֵּנִי י (Qr וְחַנַּנִי), [Joel 2:14] ( = [Jonah 3:9]) מי יודע ישׁוב ונחם, [Esth 4:14] יודע אם מי.
\ \ \ (e) especially in poetry, a question with מי, to which the answer follows, is an effective mode of affirming a fact, or introducing a description: [Ps 15:1] (twice in verse) (see v[Ps 15:2]); [Ps 24:3]; [Ps 24:8]; [Ps 24:10]; [Isa 23:8] מי יעץ ׳זאת וג ([Isa 23:9] the answ., יְעָצָהּ ׳צ ׳י), [Isa 33:14] (see v[Isa 33:15]f.), [Isa 37:23]; [Isa 41:2]; [Isa 41:4]; [Isa 60:8]; [Isa 63:1]; [Jer 46:7]; [Song 3:6], compare [Song 6:10]; [Song 8:3] answered by הֲלֹא [Exod 4:11]; [Isa 42:24]; [Isa 45:21]; [Mic 1:5] (twice in verse).
\ \ g. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it: [Exod 24:14] מי בעל דברים יִגַּשׁ אליהם, literally Who hath a cause ? let him draw nigh unto them, i.e. whoso hath a cause, let him, etc., [Isa 50:8]b מִי בַעַל מִשְׁפָּטִי יִגַּשׁ אֵלַי, [Isa 54:15]; [Judg 7:3] מִי יָרֵא וְחָרֵד יָשֹׁב ׳וג who is fearful and trembling ? let him return, [Prov 9:4]; [Prov 9:16] מִיפֶֿ֖תִי יָסֻר הֵגָּה, [Ezra 1:3] (compare with וְ in apodosis [Jer 9:11]; [Hos 14:10]; [Ps 107:43]; [Zech 4:10] is dubious, on account of anomalous tense and construction); so with מי האישׁ אשׁר ֗֗֗ [Deut 20:5]; [Deut 20:6]; [Deut 20:7]; [Judg 10:18], compare [Ps 25:12]. With 1 person in apodosis, [Exod 32:33] חָטָא לִי אֶמְחֶגּוּ מִסִּפְרִי מִי אֲשֶׁר, [Jer 49:19] ( = [Jer 50:44]) אֵלָיהָ אֶפְקֹד וּמִי בָחוּר and who is chosen? I will appoint him over her! [Isa 50:8]a; with an imperative in the apodosis [Exod 32:24] (against accents; see Ra) התפרקו למי זהב who hath gold ? break it off you! [Gen 19:12]; [1Sam 11:12], compare [Ps 34:13]f.; without a verb, [Exod 32:26] אלי ׳מי לי who is on J.'s side ? (let him come) to me! so [2Sam 20:11] (מי אשׁר); [Eccl 5:9]; [Eccl 9:4] (מי אשׁר).
\ \ h. once, following a verb (compare מָה 3), any one, [2Sam 18:12] שִׁמְרוּמִֿי בַּנַּעַר באבשׁלום Have a care, whosoever ye be, of, etc. (but ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Bu לִי; compare v[2Sam 18:5]).
The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon
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