מֵאֲשֶׁר17 H0834c
Compound relative preposition: from which/whom/where; than (comparative); because/since (causal)
The Hebrew compound preposition me'asher joins the separative min ('from') with the relative particle 'asher to create a versatile grammatical tool. In most occurrences it marks source or origin — 'from the one who,' 'from the place where' — as when Jacob's wealth came 'from what' belonged to Laban (Gen 31:1). It also functions comparatively, meaning 'more than,' as in the striking notice that the forest devoured more than the sword consumed (2 Sam 18:8). In two instances it has grammaticalized fully into a causal conjunction meaning 'because' or 'since' (Isa 43:4), a trajectory paralleled by French parce que and German weil.
Senses
1. from which/whom/where (source-relative) — The source-relative function: me'asher introduces a relative clause governed by the separative preposition min, yielding 'from which,' 'from whom,' or 'from the place where.' In Gen 31:1 the wealth Jacob gained 'from what belonged to our father' uses this construction, and in Exod 29:27 the priestly portions come 'from that which' was the ram of ordination. Spanish de lo que and French de lequel mirror the compound structure neatly. 10×
AR["عَمَّنْ","مَا","مِمَّا","مِمّا","مِنَ-الَّذِي","مِنَ-الَّذِينَ","مِنْ-حَيْثُ","وَ-مِمّا"]·ben["-কি-থেকে","-যদি-না","এবং-থেকে-যা","এবং-যা-থেকে","থেকে-যা","যাদের-থেকে","যেখান-থেকে"]·DE["[מאשר]","und-von-dem-was","und-von-welcher","von-was","von-welcher","von-wo"]·EN["and-from-that","and-from-which","from-those-who","from-what","from-where","from-which","from-who","from-whom"]·FR["[מאשר]","de-lequel","de-où","de-quoi","et-de-ce","et-de-lequel"]·heb["ו-מ-אשר","מ-אשר"]·HI["उसका हाथ","उसके","उससे-जो","और-उससे-जो","जहा̃-से","जो","जो-से","से-जो"]·ID["dan-dari-yang","dari-mana","dari-mereka-yang","dari-yang"]·IT["[מאשר]","da-che","da-dove","e-da-che","e-da-quello"]·jav["ingkang","lan-saking-ingkang","lan-saking-punapa-ingkang","menapa-ingkang","saking-ingkang","saking-punapa-ingkang","saking-pundi"]·KO["-에서","그것을-에서","그리고-에서-그","그리고-에서-그-","로부터-그-","에게서-그것은","에서-그-","에서-그-를","에서-그것","에서-누구에게서"]·PT["a-quem","daquilo-que","de-onde","de-que","do-que","dos-que","e-de-que"]·RU["где","и-от-того-что","из-тех-что","из-того-что","от-того-который","от-того-что","того-кому"]·ES["de-aquel-que","de-donde","de-lo-que","de-los-que","de-quien","y-de-lo-que"]·SW["atamnyoshea","kutoka-ambaye","kutoka-kile-ambacho","kutoka-kwa-yeye","kutoka-mahali","kutoka-miongoni-mwa-wale","kutoka-nini","na-kutoka-ambaye","na-kutoka-kwa-vilivyokuwa"]·TR["-dan","-dan-ki","eğer-ki-","hangisinden","kim-ki","kinden","nerede","seyleri","ve-hangisinden","ve-olanlardan"]·urd["-اُس-سے-جو","اس-کے","اور-اُس-سے-جو","اور-جو","جو","جہاں-سے","سے-جو"]
2. than (comparative-relative) — The comparative function: min carries its 'greater than' force through the relative clause, producing constructions like 'more than those who' or 'than that which.' The hailstones killed more than the sword (Josh 10:11); Samson slew more at his death than in his life (Judg 16:30). German als jene and Spanish mas que los que preserve the comparative particle plus relative pronoun pattern. Eccl 3:22 extends it philosophically. 5×
AR["أَكثَرُ","إِلَّا-","مِمَّنْ-مِنَ","مِمّا-","مِنَ-الَّذينَ"]·ben["ছাড়া-যে-","তাদের-চেয়ে-যারা","থেকে-যাদের","যাদের-চেয়ে"]·DE["als-den","als-jene","als-wer","mehr-als","von-welcher"]·EN["more-than","than-that","than-those","than-who","than-whom"]·FR["de-qui","plus-que","que-ces","que-que","que-qui"]·heb["מ-אשר"]·HI["इससे-कि-","उनसे-जो","उनसे-ज्यादा","उससे-जो","मेअशर"]·ID["dari-apa-yang","daripada-yang","selain"]·IT["che-chi","che-quelli","da-dove","di-chi","più-di"]·jav["katimbang","saking-ingkang","saking-ingkang-","tinimbang-ingkang"]·KO["그것-보다","보다","보다-그들","보다-그들-은"]·PT["do-que","mais-do-que","mais-que","senão-que"]·RU["более-чем","лучше-чем","чем","чем-которые"]·ES["más-de-lo-que","más-que","más-que-los-que","que-los-que"]·SW["kuliko","kuliko-wale","zaidi-ya"]·TR["-den-ki","daha-çok","den-ki","hali-disinda"]·urd["اس-سے-کہ","اُس-سے-زیادہ-جو","اُن-سے","اُن-سے-زیادہ-جو","جو-سے"]
3. because (causal conjunction) — The causal-conjunction function: me'asher has grammaticalized into a subordinating conjunction meaning 'because' or 'since,' introducing a reason clause. In Isa 43:4 God declares 'since you are precious in my sight,' and in Num 6:11 the Nazirite offers a sacrifice 'because he sinned.' French parce que and German weil capture this logical subordination, showing how a spatial preposition can drift into causal territory across languages. 2×
AR["لِأَنَّكَ","مِمَّا"]·ben["কারণ-যা","যেহেতু"]·DE["[מאשר]","weil"]·EN["Because","because"]·FR["[מאשר]","parce-que"]·heb["מ-אשר"]·HI["इससे-जो","जब-से"]·ID["Karena","karena"]·IT["[מאשר]","perche"]·jav["Jalaran","saking-punapa-ingkang"]·KO["에서","에서-그것"]·PT["desde-que","porque"]·RU["из-за-того-что","потому-что"]·ES["de-que","desde-que"]·SW["Kwa-sababu","kutoka-ambaye"]·TR["-den-ki","Cunku"]·urd["اُس-سے-جو","چونکہ"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
מֵאֲשֶׁר17 a. from (or than) that which (him, them, etc., that …) Gn 31:1; Ex 29:27(×2) Nu 6:11 (see Lv 4:26) Jos 10:11; Ju 16:30; Is 47:13 +; than that … †Ec 3:22; לְבַד מֵאֲשֶׁר †Est 4:11. b. adv. from (the place) where: supr. 4 b (γ). c. conj. from (the fact) that …, since †Is 43:4.