מִי

H4310. mi
מִי423 pronoun interrogative who? of persons, as מָה (q. v.) of things (Ethiopic but only = What ? and How ? Assyrian mî, me (rare) JägerBAS. ii. 277, the usual Semitic form for Who? has n, namely Assyrian mannu, manu (DlHWB 419), Ethiopic man¥, Aramaic Arabic , Vulgar Arabic min, m£n, from a form resembling which, by rejection of n, probably Hebrew מִי: WSG 123 f.): — who ? (τίς; quis ?) Gen 3:11 מִי לְךָ הִגִּיד who told thee ? Gen 24:65 הַלָּזֶה הָאִישׁ מִי who is this man ? Gen 27:18 בני אתה מי who art thou, my son ? Num 22:9; Jdg 1:1; Jdg 6:29; Jdg 15:6; Jdg 18:3; Jdg 20:18; 2Sa 1:8 + often; Rth 3:9 אָ֑תְּ מִי who art thou, (feminine) ? Isa 51:12; of more than one, אֵלָּה מִי who are these ? Gen 33:5; Gen 48:8; Isa 60:8; אתם מי 2Ki 10:13; once, more explicitly, הַהֹלְכִים זָמִי מִי Exo 10:8; = as who ? (i.e. in what condition, or capacity), Amo 7:2 יקום מי יעקב vAmos 7:5; Isa 51:19 אֲנַחֲמֵךְ מִי (but Vrss Che Lag Brd Du יְ ׳מִי, as || יָנוּד מִי), Rth 3:16 (Be Ke Köiii. 388). Note in particular:
a. מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied: Gen 33:8 הזה כלהֿמחנה לך מי who (or what) to thee is all this camp ? Deu 4:7; Jdg 9:28 מִי שְׁכֶם who is Shechem (i.e. the Shechemites) ? Mic 1:5 שֹׁמְרוֺן הֲלֹא יַעֲקֹב מִיפֶֿשַׁע, vb Son 3:6; Jdg 13:17 שְׁמֶ֑ךָ מִי ( but מה Gen 32:28; Exo 3:13: with מי compare מַן in Aramaic Ezr 5:4; Genesis, Exodus ll. cc. ᵑ7; and see NöM. p. 341). On 1Sa 18:18, see II. חַי
b. in the Genitive, אַתְּ בַּתמִֿי whose daughter art thou ? Gen 24:23, Gen 24:47; 1Sa 12:3 (3 t. in verse); 1Sa 17:55; Jer 44:28; Job 26:4; Job 33:28; after various prepositions, as מִי אַחֲרֵי 1Sa 24:15 (twice in verse); אֶלמִֿי 1Sa 6:20; 2Ki 9:5 +; בְּמִי by whom ? 1Ki 20:14, לְמִי20 to whom ? whose ? Gen 32:18 אַתָּה לְמִי, Gen 38:25; Pro 20:20 (6 t.) +; מִמִּי Eze 32:19; Psa 27:1 (twice in verse); עַלמִֿי 2Ki 18:20; 2Ki 19:22; Isa 57:4 +; אֶתמִֿי (so always in accusative), 1Sa 12:3 (twice in verse); 1Sa 28:11; Isa 6:8; = with whom ? Job 12:3.
c. in an indirect question, as Gen 21:26; Gen 43:22 שׂם מי ידענו לא we do not know who put, etc., Deu 21:1; Psa 39:7; Jos 24:15 תַעֲבֹד֑וּן אֶתמִֿי ֗֗֗ בַּחֲרוּ choose whom ye will serve, after ראה 1Sa 14:17, שׁאל 1Sa 17:56, הגיד 1Ki 1:20, הודיע 1Ki 1:27.
d. ב ׳מי who among ... ? 1Sa 22:14; Isa 36:20; Isa 43:9; Isa 48:14 (בהם) Isa 42:23; Isa 50:10; Hag 2:3 ( all בכם); מן מי who of ... ? Jdg 21:8; 2Ki 6:11; Isa 50:1.
e. strengthened and emphatic forms of interrogative: (a) זה מי (see זה 4b), הוא מי (see הוא 4b β), מי זה הוא Psa 24:10; Jer 30:21; Est 7:5 (see ibid.); (b) מִי אֶחָד what single one ... ? Jdg 21:8, compare 2Sa 7:23 ( = 1Ch 17:21).
f. various rhetorical uses ( often repeated in || clause, as Psa 15:1; Psa 18:32; Isa 28:9; Isa 29:15): — (a) followed by imperfect it expresses a wish ( the question implying a desire that the person asked for were present ), 2Sa 15:4 שֹׁפֵט יְשִׂמֵנִי מִי who will set me judge ? i.e. would that some one would make me judge ! 2Sa 23:15 מַיִם יַשְׁקֵנִי מִי = O that one would give me to drink, etc. ! compare Num 11:4, Num 11:18; Mal 1:10; Psa 4:7; Psa 60:11; Psa 94:16; Isa 42:23, and very often in the phrase יִתֵּן מִי who will give? i.e. would that there were. . . ! as Num 11:29 י עם כל יתן ׳ומי נביאים = and would that all ׳יs people were prophets! Deu 28:67 ערב יתן מי = would it were even! Jdg 9:29 + (see נָתַן). (b) it expresses contempt (who ? implying the answer no one at all), Exo 5:2 י מי בקולו אשׁמע ׳אשׁר who is ׳י that I should listen to his voice ? Jdg 9:28 נַעַבְדֶנּוּ כִּי שְׁכֶם וּמִי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ מִי, Jdg 9:38; 1Sa 17:26 who is this Philistine that he should have reproached, etc.? 1Sa 25:10 ישׁי בן ומי דוד מי Isa 28:9; Job 26:4; Pro 30:9 י ׳מי; or modesty (real or assumed), Exo 3:11 אֶלמַּֿרְעֹה אֵלֵךְ כִּי אָנֹכִי מִי 1Sa 18:18 אנכי מי חיי ומי who am I, and who is my clan (חַיִּי), that I should be the king's son-in-law ? 2Sa 7:18; 1Ch 29:14; 2Ch 2:5; or surprise, Isa 44:10; Isa 49:21. (c) in impassioned prose, and especially in poetry, implying the answer few or none, it is equivalent to a rhetorical negative, Deu 9:2 עֲנָק בְנֵי לִפְנֵי יִתְיַצֵּב מִי who can stand, etc.? Deu 30:12 הַשָּׁמַיְמָה יַעֲלֶהלָּֿנוּ מִי Deu 30:13; 1Sa 4:8 וג יַצִּילֵנוּ ׳מִי, 1Sa 6:20; 1Sa 22:14; 1Sa 26:9, 1Sa 26:15; 2Sa 16:10; יאמר מי who shall (or can) say ? Job 9:12; Pro 20:9; Ecc 8:4; with the perfect (of experience), who has ever . . . ? Num 23:10; Deu 5:23; Isa 36:20; Isa 66:8 (twice in verse); Jer 18:13 כָּאֵלֶּה שָׁמַע מִי, Jer 23:18 (ᵑ0), Jer 30:21; Job 4:7; Job 9:4 וַיִּשְׁלָ֑ם אֵלָיו הִקְשָׁה מִי, Job 41:3; Pro 30:4; Lam 3:37; in poetry, very often, as Gen 49:9 וּכְלָבִיא יְקִימֶנּוּ מִי who can rouse him up ? (i.e. no one), Exo 15:11 (twice in verse) כָמוֺךָ מִי (so Psa 35:10 and elsewhere), Num 24:9, Num 24:23; 1Sa 2:25 לו יתפלל מי who shall intercede for him ? (i.e. no one), Isa 1:12; Isa 10:3; Isa 40:13-14, Isa 40:18; Isa 41:26; Isa 42:19; Isa 43:9; Isa 48:14; Isa 50:1; Isa 53:1 לִשְׁמֻעָתֵנוּ הֶאֱמִין מִי (i.e. few or none), etc.; Psa 18:32 י מִבַּלְעֲדֵי אֱלוֺהַּ ׳מִי, Psa 76:8; Psa 89:7; Psa 130:3; Job 21:31; Job 34:29; Jer 17:9; Joe 2:11; Mal 3:2; ֗֗֗ לֹא מִי Amo 3:8; Jer 10:7; Job 12:9 (compare Job 25:3; Nah 3:19); (יְשִׁיבֶנָּה) יְשִׁיבֶנּוּ מִי who shall (can) turn it back ? Job 9:12; Job 11:10; Job 23:13; Isa 14:27; Isa 43:13; Jer 2:24; implying the answer, no one but God, Isa 40:12; Isa 41:2; Job 38:5; Job 35:6; Job 35:25, etc.; defiantly, Isa 50:9 יַרְשִׁיעֵנִי הוּא מִי, Jer 21:13; Jer 49:4 אֵלַי יָבוֺא מִי, Jer 49:19; Obadiah 3; Psa 12:5 לָנוּ אָדוֺן מִי, Psa 59:8; Psa 64:6; Job 9:19 לְמִשְׁמָּט וְאִם יוֺעִידֵנִי מִי, Job 13:19 עִמָּדִי יָרִיב הוּא מִי 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: Pro 20:6 ימצא מי אמוּנים ואישׁ, Pro 24:22 מי שׁניהם ופיד יודע, Pro 31:10; Nah 1:6 יעמד מי זעמו לפני, Psa 147:17 לפני יעמד מי קֹרָתוֺ, Job 4:2 יוּכ֑ל מִי בְּמִלִּין וַעְצֹר, Job 26:14; Job 38:37; Job 39:5; Job 41:5; Job 41:6; Psa 6:6 יוֺדֶהלָּֿ֑ךְ מִי בִּשְׁאוֺל, Psa 19:13; and with the nom. pendens, Jer 2:24 יְשִׁיבֶנָּה מִי תַּאֲנָתָהּ, Pro 18:14; Job 17:15 יְשׁוּרֶנָּה מִי וְתִקְוָתִי, Job 38:29 יְלָדוֺ מִי שָׁמַיִם וּכְפֹר. (d) יוֺדֵעַ מִי who knoweth ? (Psa 90:11; Pro 24:22), followed by a verbal clause, becomes (compare nescio an) = it may be, perchance, 2Sa 12:22 י יְחָנֵּנִי יוֺדֵעַ ׳מִי (Qr וְחַנַּנִי), Joe 2:14 ( = Jon 3:9) ונחם ישׁוב יודע מי, Est 4:14 מי אם יודע. (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: Psa 15:1 (twice in verse) (see Psa 15:2); Psa 24:3; Psa 24:8; Psa 24:10; Isa 23:8 וג ׳זאת יעץ מי (Isa 23:9 the answ., ׳י ׳צ יְעָצָהּ), Isa 33:14 (see Isa 33:15f.), Isa 37:23; Isa 41:2, Isa 41:4; Isa 60:8; Isa 63:1; Jer 46:7; Son 3:6, compare Son 6:10; Son 8:3; answered by הֲלֹא Exo 4:11; Isa 42:24; Isa 45:21; Mic 1:5 (twice in verse).
g. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it: Exo 24:14 אליהם יִגַּשׁ דברים בעל מי, literally Who hath a cause ? let him draw nigh unto them, i.e. whoso hath a cause, let him, etc., Isa 50:8b אֵלַי יִגַּשׁ מִשְׁמָּטִי בַעַל מִי, Isa 54:15; Jdg 7:3 ׳וג יָשֹׁב וְחָרֵד יָרֵא מִי who is fearful and trembling ? let him return, Pro 9:4, Pro 9:16 הֵגָּה יָסֻר מִיפֶֿ֖תִי, Ezr 1:3 (compare with וְ in apodosis Jer 9:11; Hosea 14:10; Psa 107:43; Zec 4:10 is dubious, on account of anomalous tense and construction); so with ֗֗֗ אשׁר האישׁ מי Deu 20:5-6, Deu 20:7; Jdg 10:18, compare Psa 25:12. With 1person in apodosis, Exo 32:33 אֲשֶׁר מִי מִסִּפְרִי אֶמְחֶגּוּ לִי חָטָא, Jer 49:19 ( = Jer 50:44) בָחוּר וּמִי אֶפְקֹד אֵלָיהָ and who is chosen? I will appoint him over her! Isa 50:8a; with an imperative in the apodosis Exo 32:24 (against accents; see Ra) זהב למי התפרקו who hath gold ? break it off you! Gen 19:12; 1Sa 11:12, compare Psa 34:13f.; without a verb, Exo 32:26 לי ׳מי אלי who is on J.'s side ? (let him come) to me! so 2Sa 20:11 (אשׁר מי); Ecc 5:9; Ecc 9:4 (אשׁר מי).
h. once, following a verb (compare מָה
3), any one, 2Sa 18:12 באבשׁלום בַּנַּעַר שִׁמְרוּמִֿי Have a care, whosoever ye be, of, etc. (but ᵑ9 ᵑ6 ᵐ5 Bu לִי; compare 2Sa 18:5).