---
title: מָתַי — when · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מָתַי (4970), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 43 times: when. BDB 1906: interrog.adv. when. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מָתַי

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«מָתַי» in the Tanakh dictionary: **when** — 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:** 43 times · **Key:** 4970 · **BDB:** מָתַי

### Glosses

when? (43)

### Meaning (OSHB)

when [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4970/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

interrog.adv. when [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4970/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** interrog.adv. when? (Arabic مَتَى Assyrian mati: in NH and Aramaic with the interrog. אַי, אֵימָתִי, אֵימָת, ܐܶܡܰܬܝ ), in OT only of future time: alone, †Gn 30:30 מָתַי אעשׂה גם אנכי לביתי when shall I also do, etc.? Am 8:5 ψ 41:6; 42:3; 94:8; 101:2; 119:82, 84 Pr 6:9b; 23:35 Jb 7:4 מָתַי אָקוּם, Ne 2:6. לְמָתַי against when? †Ex 8:5 לְמָתַי אַעְתִּיר לְךָ. עַד־מָתַי until when? how long? sq. impf. Ex 10:7 עד מתי יהיה זה לנו למוקשׁ, 1 S 1:14 Je 4:14, 21 ψ 74:10; 82:2; 94:3 Pr 1:22 +, sq. ptcp. 1 S 16:1 1 K 18:21 עַד־מָתַי אַתֶּם פֹּסְחִים עַל־שְׁתֵּי הַסְּעִפִּים, sq. pf. †Ex 10:3 ψ 80:5; עַד מָתַי לֹא †2 S 2:26 Ho 8:5 Zc 1:12; alone, Is 6:11 וָאֹמַר עַד־מָתַי אֲדֹנָי, Hb 2:6 הוֹי הַמַּרְבֶּה לֹא־לוֹ עַד־מָתַי; with an aposiop., ψ 6:4 וְאַתָּה י׳ עַד־מָתָ֑י, 90:13. b. אַחֲרֵי מָתַי עוֹד after how long yet? †Je 13:27.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech not compared, 33 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (5 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech not compared, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מָתַי» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4970/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Jeremiah 4:21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JER.4.21/)

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עַד־מָתַ֖י אֶרְאֶה־נֵּ֑ס אֶשְׁמְעָ֖ה ק֥וֹל שׁוֹפָֽר׃ס

*Word for word:* until when? will.I.see a.standard will.I.hear \[the\].sound of.a.trumpet

*JPS 1917:* How long shall I see the standard, shall I hear the sound of the horn?

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[Psalms 94:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.94.3/)

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עַד־מָתַ֖י רְשָׁעִ֥ים ׀ יְהוָ֑ה עַד־מָ֝תַ֗י רְשָׁעִ֥ים יַעֲלֹֽזוּ׃

*Word for word:* until when? wicked.\[people\] O.Yahweh until when? wicked.\[people\] will.they.exult

*JPS 1917:* LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?

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