3986. maen
Lexical Summary
maen: refuse

Original Word: מָאֵן
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: ma'en
Pronunciation: mah-ANE
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-ane')
KJV: refuse
NASB: refuse
Word Origin: [from H3985 (מָאֵן - refused)]

1. unwilling

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
refuse

From ma'en; unwilling -- refuse.

see HEBREW ma'en

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from maen
Definition
refusing
NASB Translation
refuse (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מָאֵן verbal adjective refusing, followed by Infinitive, and always of disobeying ׳י; Exodus 7:27; Exodus 9:2; Exodus 10:4 (all J), Jeremiah 38:21.

Topical Lexicon
Overview

The root מָאֵן appears only four times in the Old Testament, always portraying an emphatic, willful refusal in the face of clear divine instruction. Whether voiced by Pharaoh or Zedekiah, the term underscores deliberate resistance to the expressed will of God and thereby invites a cascade of covenant consequences.

Usage in Exodus: The Stubbornness of Pharaoh

Three of the four occurrences cluster in the plague narrative (Exodus 8:2; 9:2; 10:4). Each instance marks a fresh level of obstinacy, linking Pharaoh’s “refusal” directly to escalating judgment.

Exodus 8:2 – “But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.”
Exodus 9:2 – “But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,
Exodus 10:4 – “If you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.”

The literary rhythm is intentional: God announces a warning, Pharaoh refuses, judgment intensifies. This pattern magnifies both divine patience and divine justice. Pharaoh’s repeated מָאֵן signals a hardening that is simultaneously self-chosen and judicial (Exodus 9:34–35), demonstrating that human defiance never overturns God’s redemptive purpose for His people.

Theological Implications of Pharaoh’s Refusal

1. Sovereign Glory – Each plague exposes Egypt’s gods, vindicating the LORD as supreme (Exodus 12:12).
2. Covenant Faithfulness – God’s insistence on Israel’s release fulfills promises made to Abraham (Genesis 15:13-14).
3. Progressive Judgment – Refusal does not halt God’s plan; it intensifies the urgency of repentance while showcasing righteous wrath.

Jeremiah 38: The King’s Reluctance and the Prophet’s Warning

Jeremiah 38:21 relocates the term from Egypt’s throne room to Judah’s:

“But if you keep refusing to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:”

Here King Zedekiah’s refusal is set against the looming Babylonian siege. Unlike Pharaoh, Zedekiah receives an offer of mercy—surrender and live (Jeremiah 38:17). His continued מָאֵן seals Jerusalem’s downfall (Jeremiah 39:1-7). The contrast between divine rescue offered and ruin chosen illustrates that covenant judgment falls not only on Gentile oppressors but also on covenant breakers within Israel.

Patterns of Human Defiance in Scripture

Though limited in frequency, the verb joins a broader biblical motif of refusal:

• Israel refuses to enter the land (Deuteronomy 1:26, using a different Hebrew root).
• Religious leaders refuse to heed prophetic calls (Zechariah 7:11).
• In the New Testament, similar obstinacy surfaces when people “refuse to love the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

The recurrence across eras stresses that hard-heartedness, when met with truth, incurs escalating discipline.

Christological and Pastoral Reflections

1. Greater Exodus – Pharaoh’s refusal heightens the typology of deliverance that ultimately finds fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who liberates His people from a harsher bondage (Luke 9:31; Colossians 1:13).
2. Invitation Versus Refusal – The gospel extends a summons far surpassing Moses’ “let My people go.” Persistent refusal parallels Pharaoh’s fate (Hebrews 3:7-19).
3. Shepherding Hearts – Pastoral ministry must diagnose and confront willful refusal, urging timely repentance lest discipline intensify (Hebrews 12:11-17).

Applications for Ministry

• Preaching – Use the Exodus cycle to warn against incremental hardening.
• Counseling – Identify autonomy cloaked as “personal choice” when it is, in fact, covenant refusal.
• Intercession – Pray for soft hearts; note that divine patience precedes but never negates righteous judgment.

Conclusion

מָאֵן is a succinct yet sobering term. In Pharaoh it manifests unrelenting rebellion; in Zedekiah, tragic vacillation. Both portraits reinforce a single truth: to refuse God’s revealed path is to invite increasing judgment, while yielding opens the door to deliverance and life.

Forms and Transliterations
מָאֵ֥ן מאן mā’ên mā·’ên maEn
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 8:2
HEB: וְאִם־ מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לְשַׁלֵּ֑חַ
NAS: But if you refuse to let [them] go,
KJV: And if thou refuse to let [them] go,
INT: if refuse you to let

Exodus 9:2
HEB: כִּ֛י אִם־ מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לְשַׁלֵּ֑חַ
NAS: For if you refuse to let [them] go
KJV: For if thou refuse to let [them] go,
INT: For if refuse you to let

Exodus 10:4
HEB: כִּ֛י אִם־ מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לְשַׁלֵּ֣חַ
NAS: For if you refuse to let My people
KJV: Else, if thou refuse to let my people
INT: Else if refuse you to let

Jeremiah 38:21
HEB: וְאִם־ מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לָצֵ֑את
KJV: But if thou refuse to go forth,
INT: if refuse you to go

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 3986
4 Occurrences


mā·’ên — 4 Occ.

3985
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