what. In Jer. 23:33 את־מַה־מַּשָּׂא rd. אַתֶּם הַמּשׂא ye are the burden.
With adj. and verbs מה has the sense of how. Gen. 28:17 מַה־נּוֹרָא how terrible! 2 K. 4:43 מָה אֶתֵּן זֶה לִפְנֵי מֵאָה אִישׁ how shall I set such a thing before a hundred people? Ex. 10:26, Job 9:2, Ps. 133:1.
(c) The interrog. pron. strengthen themselves by זֶה &c. to add vividness to the question. 1 S. 17:55 בֶּן־מִי־זֶה הַנַּעַר whose son (I wonder) is the lad? 1 S. 10:11 מַה־זֶּה הָיָה לְבֶן־קִישׁ what in the world has come over the son of Kish? Gen. 3:13; 27:20, Jud. 18:24, 2 S. 12:23, Ps. 24:8.
§ 8. In the indirect sentence the interrog. remains without change. Gen. 21:26 לֹא יָדַעְתִּי מִי עָשָׂה I do not know who did it. 43:22, Jud. 13:6, 1 S. 17:56. The interrog. are also used as indef. pron., whoever, whoso, whatever, aught. Jud. 7:3 מִי יָרֵא ··· יָשֹׁב whoever is afraid let him return. Ex. 32:26 מִי לַֽיהוה אֵלַי whoever is for Je., Unto me (let him come)! 2 S. 18:12 שִׁמְרוּ מִי have a care whoever ye be! Ex. 24:14, Is. 54:15. — 1 S. 19:3 וְרָאִיתִי מָה וְהִגַּדְתִּי לָךְ and if I observe aught I will tell thee. 2 S. 18:23 וִיהִי־מָה אָרוּץ be what may I will run! Nu. 23:3, Job 13:13; 26:7, Pr. 9:13. In some sentences of this form, however, the strict interrog. sense is probably still to be retained. Deu. 20:5, Jud. 10:18; 21:5, Is. 50:8. The form מי אשׁר is also used, Ex. 32:33, 2 S. 20:11, cf. מַה־שּׁ Ecc. 1:9.
Rem. 1. The neut. מה may be used of persons if their circumstances or relations be inquired of, as 1 S. 29:3 what are these Hebrews? On the other hand, מי is used of things when the idea of a person is involved, Jud. 13:17 who is thy name? (as usual in Syr.), but generally what in this case, Gen. 32:28. Mic. 1:5, cf. 1 S. 18:18 (rd. חַיִּי my clan), 2 S. 7:18, Gen. 33:8, Jud. 9:28. Some cases are peculiar, and suggest a provincial or colloquial use of מי for מה; e.g. Ru. 3:16 מִי־אַתְּ בִּתִּי with Jud. 18:18 מָה אַתֶּם, Am. 7:2, 5
