---
title: מָאֵן — refuse · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מָאֵן (3986), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 4 times: refuse. BDB 1906: vb. Pi. refuse (Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מָאֵן

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«מָאֵן» in the Tanakh dictionary: **refuse** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 4 times · **Key:** 3986 · **BDB:** מָאֵן

### Glosses

\[are\].refusing (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

refuse [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/3986/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. Pi. refuse (Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/3986/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. Pi. refuse (Qal perhaps be distasteful, cf. Syriac ܡܶܐܢ taeduit, piguit, Aph. be slothful; NH Pi., as term. techn. of girl, refuse to acknowledge marriage contract; poss. akin to Ethiopic መነነ reject; Arabic مَأَنَ is sustain, maintain);— Pf. מֵאֵן Ex 7:14 + 4 times; fs. מֵאֲנָה Je 15:18 + 3 times; מֵאַנְתָּ Ex 10:3, etc.; Impf. יְמָאֵן Ex 22:16; וַיְמָאֵן Gn 37:35 + 8 times etc.; Inf. abs. מָאֵן Ex 22:16;—refuse, (sq. ל with inf. except 6 times) human subj. Gn 37:35 (J), Je 31:15; Ex 22:16(×2) Nu 20:21; 22:14 (all E), Dt 25:7; 1 S 8:19; 2 S 2:23; 13:9; 1 K 20:35; 21:15 Est 1:12; Je 50:33 cf. Jb 6:7 ψ 77:3 Pr 21:25 Je 15:18; without Inf. וַיְמָאֵן וַיֹּאמֶר Gn 39:8; 48:19 (both J), 1 S 28:23; also 2 K 5:16; especially of refusing to obey י׳’s commands Ex 4:23; 7:14; 10:3; 16:28 (all J), Ne 9:17; also ψ 78:10 Pr 21:7; Ho 11:5, v. especially Je 3:3; 5:3(×2); 8:5; 9:5; 11:10 cf. 25:28, Zc 7:11; without Inf. = be recusant Pr 1:24; Is 1:20; once subj. י׳ Nu 22:13 (E).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 0 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מָאֵן» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/3986/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Exodus 9:2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/EXO.9.2/)

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כִּ֛י אִם־מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לְשַׁלֵּ֑חַ וְעוֹדְךָ֖ מַחֲזִ֥יק בָּֽם׃

*Word for word:* (dm) if \[are\].refusing you to let.\[them\].go and still you \[are\].keeping.hold on them

*JPS 1917:* For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

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[Jeremiah 38:21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JER.38.21/)

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וְאִם־מָאֵ֥ן אַתָּ֖ה לָצֵ֑את זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר הִרְאַ֖נִי יְהוָֽה׃

*Word for word:* and if \[are\].refusing you to go.out this \[is\].the thing which he has.shown.me Yahweh

*JPS 1917:* But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shown me:

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