מי יקום יעקב how shall J. stand? Is. 51:19. The Mass. on Mic. 6:5 states that the Orientals use מי for מה.
Rem. 2. In phrases like מַה־בֶּצַע what profit? Gen. 37:26, the original consn. was probably What is the profit? (appos. at least is not allowable in Ar.). Ps. 30:10, Is. 40:18, Mal. 3:14, Ps. 89:48, Job 26:14. In a number of cases the words are separated, Jer. 2:5 מַה־מָּֽצְאוּ בִי עָוֶל what evil? and second word might be adverb. acc. 1 S. 26:18; 20:10, 2 S. 19:29; 24:13, 1 K. 12:16. The similar use of מי is against acc., Deu. 3:24; 4:7, Jud. 21:8, 2 S. 7:23, 1 Chr. 17:21. — Song 5:9 מה מִדּוֹד what sort of beloved? is no evidence for gen., which cannot be the relation of the words.
Rem. 3. These uses of מה are to be noted. Jud. 1:14 מַה־לָּךְ what hast thou? i.e. what ails thee? what dost thou mean, want, &c.? Gen. 21:17, 1 S. 11:5, Jon. 1:6. — Jud. 11:12 מַה־לִּי וָלָךְ what have I to do with thee? 2 S. 16:10; 19:23. 2 K. 9:18, 19 מַה־לְּךָ וּלְשָׁלוֹם. Cf. Jer. 2:18, Ps. 50:16. Without and with second word, Hos. 14:9. Passages like 1 K. 12:16, 2 Chr. 10:16, Song 8:4, show how מה naturally passes over to be a negative, not. (Ar.).
Rem. 4. The expression אֵי זֶה is an interrog. adj. which? what? Jon. 1:8 אֵי מִוֶּה עַם אַתָּה of what people art thou? 2 S. 15:2 אֵי מִוֶּה עִיר אַתָּה of what city? 1 K. 13:12; 22:24, 2 K. 3:8, 2 Chr. 18:23, Is. 66:1, Jer. 6:16, Job 38:19, 24, Ecc. 11:6. The fem., Jer. 5:7 אֵי לָזֹאת for what? In many cases אי זה is merely where?
THE RELATIVE PRONOUN
§ 9. The word אֲשֶֹׁר is of uncertain derivation. Its usage differs according as it is preceded by what we call the antecedent, or is not.
When the antecedent is expressed אשׁר seems a conjunctive word, serving to connect the antecedent with what we call the relative clause. In this case אשׁר, besides being uninflected, is incapable of entering into regimen, admitting neither prep. nor את of acc., but possibly stands in apposi-
