מָאֵן
to refuse
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Stem
- Piel
- An intensive or resultative active stem.
Form
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
- Sequential Imperfect
- An imperfect with prefixed waw — the standard past-narrative form (waw-consecutive imperfect).
- Infinitive Absolute
- An unbound verbal noun, often intensifying or standing in for a finite verb.
- Imperfect
- An incomplete, ongoing, or future action (“he will / would write”).
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
- 2nd Person
- The one addressed (“you”).
Gender
- Common
- Either gender — not distinguished for this form.
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
- Singular
- One.
Every verse where H3985 appears in the Book of Numbers — 3 distinct verses. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Numbers
- Numbers 20:21 וַ/יְמָאֵ֣ן conj + Piel wimpf 3ms Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border: why Israel turned away from him.
- Numbers 22:13 מֵאֵ֣ן Piel pf 3ms Balaam rose up in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak, Get you into your land; for Yahweh refuses to give me leave to go with you.
- Numbers 22:14 מֵאֵ֥ן Piel pf 3ms The princes of Moab rose up, and they went to Balak, and said, Balaam refuses to come with us.
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
“to refuse” is the headline sense of the Hebrew verb מאן (mâʼên). First canonically at Genesis 37:35, it enters the text early. The Hebrew Bible uses it across 39 verses — moderately common. It shares a root with מאן and מאן. The sections below give every sense, occurrence, and version rendering.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H3985 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 39
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 39 distinct verses.
- 17 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 17 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #891
- by frequency
- Top 1000 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 891 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 39 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 39 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 19 verses · 49%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 12 verses · 31%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 8 verses · 21%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 2 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Refused 11×, He refused 6×, Refuseth 4×
- American Standard Version†: Refused 7×, Refuseth 4×, He refused 3×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Refused 11×, He refused 4×, They refuse 4×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Refused 8×, He refused 7×, They refuse 5×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H3985 across 41† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 10 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H3985 across 41† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 20 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H3985 across 40† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 10 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 1 further occurrence.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H3985 across 44† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 4 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 1 sense the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
מאן I Pi. refuse (Qal perhaps be distasteful, cf. Syriac ܡܶܐܢ taeduit, piguit, Aph. be slothful
Piel
- Pf. מֵאֵן Ex 7:14 + 4 times; fs. מֵאֲנָה Je 15:18 + 3 times; מֵאַנְתָּ Ex 10:3, etc.; Impf. יְמָאֵן Ex 22:16; וַיְמָאֵן Gn 37:35 + 8 times etc.; Inf. abs. מָאֵן Ex 22:16;—refuse, (sq. ל with inf. except 6 times) human subj. Gn 37:35 (J), Je 31:15; Ex 22:16(×2) Nu 20:21; 22:14 (all E), Dt 25:7; 1 S 8:19; 2 S 2:23; 13:9; 1 K 20:35; 21:15 Est 1:12; Je 50:33 cf. Jb 6:7 ψ 77:3 Pr 21:25 Je 15:18; without Inf. וַיְמָאֵן וַיֹּאמֶר Gn 39:8; 48:19 (both J), 1 S 28:23; also 2 K 5:16; especially of refusing to obey י׳’s commands Ex 4:23; 7:14; 10:3; 16:28 (all J), Ne 9:17; also ψ 78:10 Pr 21:7; Ho 11:5, v. especially Je 3:3; 5:3(×2); 8:5; 9:5; 11:10 cf. 25:28, Zc 7:11; without Inf. = be recusant Pr 1:24; Is 1:20; once subj. י׳ Nu 22:13 (E). e.g. Exodus 7:14
מאן II verb. refusing, sq. Inf., and always of disobeying י׳
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. Pi. refuse (Qal perhaps be distasteful, cf. Syriac ܡܶܐܢ taeduit, piguit, Aph. be slothful; NH Pi., as term. techn. of girl, refuse to acknowledge marriage contract; poss. akin to Ethiopic መነነ reject; Arabic مَأَنَ is sustain, maintain);—
II. adj.verb. refusing, sq. Inf., and always of disobeying י׳; Ex 7:27; 9:2; 10:4 (all J), Je 38:21.
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: a primitive root
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
מַאן
- (cmp. מָא) who?, what?, which?; (relat.) who, which. [Targ. מַן.] Sabb. 57ᵃ, a. fr. מ׳ דכר וכ׳, v. דְּכַר I. Yeb. 107ᵇ מ׳ לא הודו לו who is meant by ‘they did not agree with him’? Ib., a. fr. מ׳ תנא who is the authority for the law just quoted?, i.e. whose opinion is here represented?—Ḥull. 50ᵃ אמר מ׳ דהו somebody said; Bets. 27ᵃ; M. Kat. 22ᵃ; (Nidd. 48ᵃ ר׳ זירא). Y. Kil. IX, 32ᵇ פוק חזי מ׳ בעי וכ׳ go out and see who it is that wants thee outside (an intimation of a teacher’s displeasure); Gen. R. s. 33 (some ed. מַן). Ber. 30ᵇ; Ḥull. 7ᵃ חזי מ׳ גברא וכ׳ see how great a man gives testimony about him. Y. Maas. Sh. II, 53ᵇ bot. מ׳ דאמר וכ׳ according to him who says &c.; a. v. fr.—V. מַן.
מָאַן
- , Pi. מֵיאֵן, מֵאֵן (b. h.; v. אֵין) to deny, refuse, esp.
- 1. (of a woman betrothed in childhood, on arriving at majority) to protest against, to annul one’s marriage. Yeb. XIII, 1 אין מְמָאֲנִין אלא ארוסות only betrothed (not married) women may have their obligation cancelled. Ib. מְמָאֶנֶת והיא קטנה וכ׳ she may protest (have her marriage cancelled) even while yet a minor, and even four or five times in succession. Ib. 2 איזו … שצריכה למָאֵן what minor is bound to make declaration (before leaving her husband)?—Ib. 4 הממאנת באיש וכ׳ if a woman refuses her husband by declaration, he is permitted to marry her kindred (who otherwise would be forbidden to him); a. v. fr.
- 2. to advise a protest. Eduy. VI, 1 שמְמָאֲנִים וכ׳ that the court eventually advises women married as minors to protest; Nidd. 8ᵃ; Ber. 27ᵃ.—V. מִיאוּן.
מָאן
- (v. preced.) [thing,]
- 1. vessel, utensil. Targ. Ps. II, 9. Targ. Lev. XI, 33; a. fr. (interch. with מָן, מַן).—B. Kam. 17ᵇ מ׳ תבירא תבר it was a broken vessel he broke. Ib. בתר תבר מ׳ אזלינן we judge by the final cause by which the vessel was broken; a. v. fr.—Pl. מָאנִין, מָאנַיָּא, מָאנֵי, מָנ׳. Targ. Ex. XI, 2; a. fr.—Sabb. 105ᵇ תבר מ׳ תבירי broke broken vessels (pretending to be angry); a. fr.
- 2. (cmp. כֶּלִי) garment, dress. Ib. 113ᵇ; Snh. 94ᵃ קרי למָאנֵיה וכ׳ called his dress (garments) &c., v. כָּבֵד I; B. Kam. 91ᵇ למאני (corr. acc.; v. Rabb. D. S. a. l.).—B. Mets. 47ᵃ במ׳ דכשר למקני ביה (symbolical possession has been given) by means of a garment fit for the purpose; a. fr.—Pl. as ab. Ber. 6ᵃ. Y. Kil. IX, 32ᵇ top; Y. Keth. XII, 35ᵃ top מָאנוֹי, v. בְּזַע; a. fr.
- 3. (= h. קַנְקַן) [handle,] coulter of the plough. B. Mets. 80ᵃ
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 31 distinct written forms H3985 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that stem’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| מֵאֲנ֖וּ | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Common, Plural | Hosea 11:5 | 6 |
| וַ/יְמָאֲנ֣וּ | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Plural | 1 Samuel 8:19 | 3 |
| וַ/יְמָאֵ֣ן | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | Genesis 48:19 | 3 |
| מֵאֲנ֥וּ | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Common, Plural | Jeremiah 9:6 | 2 |
| וַ/יְמָאֵ֓ן | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | Genesis 39:8 | 1 |
| וַ/יְמָאֵ֖ן | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | 2 Samuel 13:9 | 1 |
| וַ/יְמָאֵ֗ן | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | 1 Samuel 28:23 | 1 |
| וַ/יְמָאֵ֥ן | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | 1 Kings 20:35 | 1 |
| וַ/יְמָאֵֽן | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | 2 Kings 5:16 | 1 |
| וַ/יְמָאֵן֙ | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | Genesis 37:35 | 1 |
| וַ/תְּמָאֵ֑נוּ | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 2nd Person, Masculine, Plural | Proverbs 1:24 | 1 |
| וַ/תְּמָאֵ֖ן | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 2nd Person, Masculine, Singular | Exodus 4:23 | 1 |
| וַ/תְּמָאֵ֞ן | Verb, Piel, Sequential Imperfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular | Esther 1:12 | 1 |
| יְמָאֲנ֛וּ | Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Plural | Jeremiah 25:28 | 1 |
| יְמָאֵ֛ן | Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | Exodus 22:17 | 1 |
| מֵ֝אֲנ֗וּ | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Common, Plural | Proverbs 21:7 | 1 |
| מֵֽאֲנָה֙ | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular | Jeremiah 15:18 | 1 |
| מֵֽאֲנוּ֙ | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Common, Plural | Jeremiah 11:10 | 1 |
| מֵֽאַנְתֶּ֔ם | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 2nd Person, Masculine, Plural | Exodus 16:28 | 1 |
| מֵאֲנָ֖ה | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular | Psalms 77:2 | 1 |
| מֵאֲנָ֛ה | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular | Jeremiah 31:15 | 1 |
| מֵאֲנָ֣ה | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Feminine, Singular | Job 6:7 | 1 |
| מֵאֵ֖ן | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | Exodus 7:14 | 1 |
| מֵאֵ֣ן | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | Numbers 22:13 | 1 |
| מֵאֵ֥ן | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | Numbers 22:14 | 1 |
| מֵאֵ֨ין | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | Deuteronomy 25:7 | 1 |
| מֵאֵן֙ | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 3rd Person, Masculine, Singular | 1 Kings 21:15 | 1 |
| מֵאַ֔נְתָּ | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 2nd Person, Masculine, Singular | Exodus 10:3 | 1 |
| מֵאַ֖נְתְּ | Verb, Piel, Perfect, 2nd Person, Feminine, Singular | Jeremiah 3:3 | 1 |
| מָאֵ֧ן | Verb, Piel, Infinitive Absolute | Exodus 22:17 | 1 |
| תְּמָאֲנ֖וּ | Verb, Piel, Imperfect, 2nd Person, Masculine, Plural | Isaiah 1:20 | 1 |
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H3985, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
Compare all same-root words → They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 35 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 39 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 37:35
- Exodus 4:23
- Numbers 20:21
- Deuteronomy 25:7
- 1 Samuel 8:19
- 2 Samuel 2:23
- 1 Kings 21:15
- 2 Kings 5:16
- Esther 1:12
- Job 6:7
- Psalms 77:2
- Proverbs 1:24
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
