מְא֫וּמָה32 H3972
anything, something — an indefinite pronoun, typically in negative contexts meaning 'nothing at all'
Me'umah is an indefinite pronoun meaning 'anything' or 'something,' appearing 32 times almost exclusively in negative or conditional sentences where it effectively means 'nothing whatsoever.' Its etymology is debated — possibly from mah u-mah ('what and what,' i.e., 'whatever') or from an old accusative meaning 'speck, particle' (compare French 'point' used as a negator). The word concentrates in patriarchal and early monarchic narratives: God commands Abraham not to do 'anything' to Isaac (Gen 22:12), Jacob insists Laban need not give him 'anything' (Gen 30:31), and Samuel challenges Israel to name 'anything' he has taken unjustly (1 Sam 12:4-5). It also appears in legal euphemisms for wrongdoing (Gen 40:15). Multilingual glosses converge on indefinite pronouns: Spanish 'algo/nada,' French 'quelque chose,' German 'irgendetwas.'
Senses
1. anything, something — An indefinite pronoun used overwhelmingly in negative clauses to mean 'nothing at all, not anything.' Abraham is told not to do me'umah to Isaac (Gen 22:12), Jacob refuses me'umah from Laban (Gen 30:31), and Samuel claims he has taken me'umah from no one (1 Sam 12:4-5). The word also appears in euphemistic negation for wrongdoing (Gen 40:15). Its Assyrian cognates mamman/mimma confirm the generalizing indefinite function. 32×
AR["جَاءَ", "شَيءٌ", "شَيئاً", "شَيئًا", "شَيْءٌ", "شَيْءٍ", "شَيْءَ", "شَيْئًا"]·ben["কিছু", "কিছুই"]·DE["anything", "in-seiner-Hand", "irgendetwas", "um-irgendetwas"]·EN["anything"]·FR["quelque-chose", "quoi-que-ce-soit"]·heb["מאומה", "מאומה"]·HI["कुछ", "कुछ-भि", "कुछ-भी", "भी"]·ID["apa pun", "apa-apa", "apa-pun", "apapun", "sesuatu", "sesuatu-pun"]·IT["anything", "qualsiasi-cosa"]·jav["menapa-menapa", "punapa-kemawon", "punapa-punapa"]·KO["무엇도", "무엇을", "무엇이든지", "아무것도"]·PT["algo", "coisa", "coisa-alguma", "nada", "qualquer-coisa"]·RU["ничего", "ничего.", "чего-либо", "что-либо"]·ES["algo", "cosa", "cosa-alguna", "nada"]·SW["chochote", "kitu", "kitu-chochote", "sababu"]·TR["bir-şey", "birşey", "hicbir-sey", "hiçbir-şey", "hiçbirşey", "şey"]·urd["کچھ", "کچھ-بھی"]
Gen 22:12, Gen 30:31, Gen 39:6, Gen 39:9, Gen 39:23, Gen 40:15, Num 22:38, Deut 13:17, Deut 24:10, Judg 14:6, 1 Sam 12:4, 1 Sam 12:5 (+20 more)
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
מְא֫וּמָה32 pron.indef. anything (according to Thes from מָה וּמָה, like quidquid, against which is the Mil‘el tone; according to Ol254, 255, 386 Köii. 146 an old accus. from מאוּם in sense of speck, particle, cf. Fr point: in Assyrian manman (proposes who? who?), assim. mamman, or manma (man, who? + generalizing ma), mamma, is any one, minma (min, what? + ma), mimma, is anything, Dl§ 60,DlHWB…