Original Word: מִי
Part of Speech: pronoun interrogative; feminine
Transliteration: mi
Phonetic Spelling: (me)
Definition: who?Word Origin
a prim. pronoun
Definition
who?
NASB Translation
how (4), O (1), Oh (3), Oh that someone (3), Oh* (13), someone (1), what (19), which (4), who (285), whoever (12), whoever* (4), whom (48), whom* (1), whose (16), would* (7).

מִי₄₂₃ pronoun interrogative who? of persons, as מָה (q. v.) of things (Ethiopic but only = What ? and How ? Assyrian mî, me (rare) Jäger^{BAS. ii. 277}, the usual Semitic form for Who? has n, namely Assyrian mannu, manu (Dl^{HWB 419}), Ethiopic man¥, Aramaic Arabic , Vulgar Arabic min, m£n, from a form resembling which, by rejection of n, probably Hebrew מִי: W^{SG 123 f.}): — who ? (τίς; quis ?) Genesis 3:11 הִגִּיד לְךָ מִי who told thee ? Genesis 24:65 מִי הָאִישׁ הַלָּזֶה who is this man ? Genesis 27:18 מי אתה בני who art thou, my son ? Numbers 22:9; Judges 1:1; Judges 6:29; Judges 15:6; Judges 18:3; Judges 20:18; 2 Samuel 1:8 + often; Ruth 3:9 מִי אָ֑תְּ who art thou, (feminine) ? Isaiah 51:12; of more than one, מִי אֵלָּה who are these ? Genesis 33:5; Genesis 48:8; Isaiah 60:8; מי אתם 2 Kings 10:13; once, more explicitly, מִי זָמִי הַהֹלְכִים Exodus 10:8; = as who ? (i.e. in what condition, or capacity), Amos 7:2 יעקב מי יקום vAmos 7:5; Isaiah 51:19 מִי אֲנַחֲמֵךְ (but Vrss Che Lag Brd Du ׳מִי יְ, as "" מִי יָנוּד), Ruth 3:16 (Be Ke Kö^{iii. 388}). Note in particular:

a. מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied: Genesis 33:8 מי לך כלהֿמחנה הזה who (or what) to thee is all this camp ? Deuteronomy 4:7; Judges 9:28 שְׁכֶם מִי who is Shechem (i.e. the Shechemites) ? Micah 1:5 מִיפֶֿשַׁע יַעֲקֹב הֲלֹא שֹׁמְרוֺן, v^b Songs 3:6; Judges 13:17 מִי שְׁמֶ֑ךָ ( but מה Genesis 32:28; Exodus 3:13: with מי compare מַן in Aramaic Ezra 5:4; Genesis, Exodus ll. cc. ᵑ7; and see Nö^{M. p. 341}). On 1 Samuel 18:18, see II. חַי

b. in the Genitive, בַּתמִֿי אַתְּ whose daughter art thou ? Genesis 24:23,47; 1 Samuel 12:3 (3 t. in verse); 1 Samuel 17:55; Jeremiah 44:28; Job 26:4; Job 33:28; after various prepositions, as אַחֲרֵי מִי 1 Samuel 24:15 (twice in verse); אֶלמִֿי 1 Samuel 6:20; 2 Kings 9:5 +; בְּמִי by whom ? 1 Kings 20:14, לְמִי₂₀ to whom ? whose ? Genesis 32:18 לְמִי אַתָּה, Genesis 38:25; Proverbs 20:20 (6 t.) +; מִמִּי Ezekiel 32:19; Psalm 27:1 (twice in verse); עַלמִֿי 2 Kings 18:20; 2 Kings 19:22; Isaiah 57:4 +; אֶתמִֿי (so always in accusative), 1 Samuel 12:3 (twice in verse); 1 Samuel 28:11; Isaiah 6:8; = with whom ? Job 12:3.

c. in an indirect question, as Genesis 21:26; Genesis 43:22 לא ידענו מי שׂם we do not know who put, etc., Deuteronomy 21:1; Psalm 39:7; Joshua 24:15 בַּחֲרוּ ֗֗֗ אֶתמִֿי תַעֲבֹד֑וּן choose whom ye will serve, after ראה 1 Samuel 14:17, שׁאל 1 Samuel 17:56, הגיד 1 Kings 1:20, הודיע 1 Kings 1:27.

d. ׳מי ב who among ... ? 1 Samuel 22:14; Isaiah 36:20; Isaiah 43:9; Isaiah 48:14 (בהם) Isaiah 42:23; Isaiah 50:10; Haggai 2:3 ( all בכם); מי מן who of ... ? Judges 21:8; 2 Kings 6:11; Isaiah 50:1.

e. strengthened and emphatic forms of interrogative: (a) מי זה (see זה 4b), מי הוא (see הוא 4b β), הוא זה מי Psalm 24:10; Jeremiah 30:21; Esther 7:5 (see ibid.); (b) אֶחָד מִי what single one ... ? Judges 21:8, compare 2 Samuel 7:23 ( = 1 Chronicles 17:21).

f. various rhetorical uses ( often repeated in "" clause, as Psalm 15:1; Psalm 18:32; Isaiah 28:9; Isaiah 29:15): — (a) followed by imperfect it expresses a wish ( the question implying a desire that the person asked for were present ), 2 Samuel 15:4 מִי יְשִׂמֵנִי שֹׁפֵט who will set me judge ? i.e. would that some one would make me judge ! 2 Samuel 23:15 מִי יַשְׁקֵנִי מַיִם = O that one would give me to drink, etc. ! compare Numbers 11:4,18; Malachi 1:10; Psalm 4:7; Psalm 60:11; Psalm 94:16; Isaiah 42:23, and very often in the phrase מִי יִתֵּן who will give? i.e. would that there were. . . ! as Numbers 11:29 נביאים ׳ומי יתן כל עם י = and would that all ׳יs people were prophets! Deuteronomy 28:67 מי יתן ערב = would it were even! Judges 9:29 + (see נָתַן). (b) it expresses contempt (who ? implying the answer no one at all), Exodus 5:2 ׳אשׁר אשׁמע בקולו מי י who is ׳י that I should listen to his voice ? Judges 9:28 מִי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ וּמִי שְׁכֶם כִּי נַעַבְדֶנּוּ, Judges 9:38; 1 Samuel 17:26 who is this Philistine that he should have reproached, etc.? 1 Samuel 25:10 מי דוד ומי בן ישׁי Isaiah 28:9; Job 26:4; Proverbs 30:9 ׳מי י; or modesty (real or assumed), Exodus 3:11 מִי אָנֹכִי כִּי אֵלֵךְ אֶלמַּֿרְעֹה 1 Samuel 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 ? 2 Samuel 7:18; 1 Chronicles 29:14; 2Chron 2:5; or surprise, Isaiah 44:10; Isaiah 49:21. (c) in impassioned prose, and especially in poetry, implying the answer few or none, it is equivalent to a rhetorical negative, Deuteronomy 9:2 מִי יִתְיַצֵּב לִפְנֵי בְנֵי עֲנָק who can stand, etc.? Deuteronomy 30:12 מִי יַעֲלֶהלָּֿנוּ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה Deuteronomy 30:13; 1 Samuel 4:8 ׳מִי יַצִּילֵנוּ וג, 1 Samuel 6:20; 1 Samuel 22:14; 1 Samuel 26:9,15; 2 Samuel 16:10; מי יאמר who shall (or can) say ? Job 9:12; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 8:4; with the perfect (of experience), who has ever . . . ? Numbers 23:10; Deuteronomy 5:23; Isaiah 36:20; Isaiah 66:8 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 18:13 מִי שָׁמַע כָּאֵלֶּה, Jeremiah 23:18 (ᵑ0), Jeremiah 30:21; Job 4:7; Job 9:4 מִי הִקְשָׁה אֵלָיו וַיִּשְׁלָ֑ם, Job 41:3; Proverbs 30:4; Lamentations 3:37; in poetry, very often, as Genesis 49:9 מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ וּכְלָבִיא who can rouse him up ? (i.e. no one), Exodus 15:11 (twice in verse) מִי כָמוֺךָ (so Psalm 35:10 and elsewhere), Numbers 24:9,23; 1 Samuel 2:25 מי יתפלל לו who shall intercede for him ? (i.e. no one), Isaiah 1:12; Isaiah 10:3; Isaiah 40:13,14,18; Isaiah 41:26; Isaiah 42:19; Isaiah 43:9; Isaiah 48:14; Isaiah 50:1; Isaiah 53:1 מִי הֶאֱמִין לִשְׁמֻעָתֵנוּ (i.e. few or none), etc.; Psalm 18:32 ׳מִי אֱלוֺהַּ מִבַּלְעֲדֵי י, Psalm 76:8; Psalm 89:7; Psalm 130:3; Job 21:31; Job 34:29; Jeremiah 17:9; Joel 2:11; Malachi 3:2; מִי לֹא ֗֗֗ Amos 3:8; Jeremiah 10:7; Job 12:9 (compare Job 25:3; Nahum 3:19); (יְשִׁיבֶנָּה) מִי יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ who shall (can) turn it back ? Job 9:12; Job 11:10; Job 23:13; Isaiah 14:27; Isaiah 43:13; Jeremiah 2:24; implying the answer, no one but God, Isaiah 40:12; Isaiah 41:2; Job 38:5; Job 35:6; Job 35:25, etc.; defiantly, Isaiah 50:9 מִי הוּא יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי, Jeremiah 21:13; Jeremiah 49:4 מִי יָבוֺא אֵלַי, Jeremiah 49:19; Obadiah 3; Psalm 12:5 מִי אָדוֺן לָנוּ, Psalm 59:8; Psalm 64:6; Job 9:19 מִי יוֺעִידֵנִי וְאִם לְמִשְׁמָּט, 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: Proverbs 20:6 ואישׁ אמוּנים מי ימצא, Proverbs 24:22 יודע ופיד שׁניהם מי, Proverbs 31:10; Nahum 1:6 לפני זעמו מי יעמד, Psalm 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; Psalm 6:6 בִּשְׁאוֺל מִי יוֺדֶהלָּֿ֑ךְ, Psalm 19:13; and with the nom. pendens, Jeremiah 2:24 תַּאֲנָתָהּ מִי יְשִׁיבֶנָּה, Proverbs 18:14; Job 17:15 וְתִקְוָתִי מִי יְשׁוּרֶנָּה, Job 38:29 וּכְפֹר שָׁמַיִם מִי יְלָדוֺ. (d) מִי יוֺדֵעַ who knoweth ? (Psalm 90:11; Proverbs 24:22), followed by a verbal clause, becomes (compare nescio an) = it may be, perchance, 2 Samuel 12:22 ׳מִי יוֺדֵעַ יְחָנֵּנִי י (Qr וְחַנַּנִי), Joel 2:14 ( = Jonah 3:9) מי יודע ישׁוב ונחם, Esther 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: Psalm 15:1 (twice in verse) (see Psalm 15:2); Psalm 24:3; Psalm 24:8; Psalm 24:10; Isaiah 23:8 מי יעץ ׳זאת וג (Isaiah 23:9 the answ., יְעָצָהּ ׳צ ׳י), Isaiah 33:14 (see Isaiah 33:15f.), Isaiah 37:23; Isaiah 41:2,4; Isaiah 60:8; Isaiah 63:1; Jeremiah 46:7; Songs 3:6, compare Songs 6:10; Songs 8:3; answered by הֲלֹא Exodus 4:11; Isaiah 42:24; Isaiah 45:21; Micah 1:5 (twice in verse).

g. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it: Exodus 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., Isaiah 50:8b מִי בַעַל מִשְׁמָּטִי יִגַּשׁ אֵלַי, Isaiah 54:15; Judges 7:3 מִי יָרֵא וְחָרֵד יָשֹׁב ׳וג who is fearful and trembling ? let him return, Proverbs 9:4,16 מִיפֶֿ֖תִי יָסֻר הֵגָּה, Ezra 1:3 (compare with וְ in apodosis Jeremiah 9:11; Hosea 14:10; Psalm 107:43; Zechariah 4:10 is dubious, on account of anomalous tense and construction); so with מי האישׁ אשׁר ֗֗֗ Deuteronomy 20:5,6,7; Judges 10:18, compare Psalm 25:12. With 1person in apodosis, Exodus 32:33 חָטָא לִי אֶמְחֶגּוּ מִסִּפְרִי מִי אֲשֶׁר, Jeremiah 49:19 ( = Jeremiah 50:44) אֵלָיהָ אֶפְקֹד וּמִי בָחוּר and who is chosen? I will appoint him over her! Isaiah 50:8a; with an imperative in the apodosis Exodus 32:24 (against accents; see Ra) התפרקו למי זהב who hath gold ? break it off you! Genesis 19:12; 1 Samuel 11:12, compare Psalm 34:13f.; without a verb, Exodus 32:26 אלי ׳מי לי who is on J.'s side ? (let him come) to me! so 2 Samuel 20:11 (מי אשׁר); Ecclesiastes 5:9; Ecclesiastes 9:4 (מי אשׁר).

h. once, following a verb (compare מָה

3), any one, 2 Samuel 18:12 שִׁמְרוּמִֿי בַּנַּעַר באבשׁלום Have a care, whosoever ye be, of, etc. (but ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Bu לִי; compare 2 Samuel 18:5).

any man, he, him, O that! What, which, whom would to God

An interrogative pronoun of persons, as mah is of things, who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also (indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction with prefix or suffix -- any (man), X he, X him, + O that! What, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.

see HEBREW mah

בְּמִ֔י במי וָמִ֖י וּלְמִ֖י וּלְמִ֣י ׀ וּלְמִי֙ וּמִ֖י וּמִ֣י וּמִ֤י וּמִ֥י וּמִ֨י וּמִֽי־ וּמִי֙ וּמִי־ ולמי ומי ומי־ לְ֝מִ֗י לְ֭מִי לְֽמִי־ לְמִ֖י לְמִ֞י לְמִ֣י לְמִ֤י לְמִ֥י לְמִ֨י לְמִ֪י לְמִי֙ לְמִי־ למי למי־ מִ֑י מִ֕י מִ֖י מִ֗י מִ֚י מִ֛י מִ֝֗י מִ֝י מִ֞י מִ֠י מִ֣י מִ֣י ׀ מִ֤י מִ֥י מִ֨י מִ֭י מִֽי מִֽי־ מִי֙ מִי֩ מִי־ מִמִּ֖י מִמִּ֣י מִמִּ֥י מי מי־ ממי bə·mî beMi bəmî lə·mî lə·mî- lemi ləmî ləmî- mi mî mî- mim·mî miMi mimmî miSha ū·lə·mî ū·mî ū·mî- uleMi ūləmî uMi ūmî ūmî- vaMi wā·mî wāmîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts