מִי423 H4310
Interrogative pronoun 'who?' asking about identity of persons; also indefinite 'whoever, anyone who' in conditional contexts.
A fundamental interrogative pronoun used to ask about the identity of a person — 'who?' or 'whom?' It appears throughout the Hebrew Bible in direct questions like 'Who told you?' (Gen 3:11) and 'Who is this man?' (Gen 24:65). Cross-linguistically, translations consistently render it with dedicated interrogative pronouns (Spanish quién, French qui, German wer), confirming its primary function. In a smaller set of passages, it shifts to an indefinite or generalizing sense — 'whoever' or 'anyone who' — as in Moses' call 'Whoever is on the LORD's side, come to me' (Exod 32:33) and Gideon's challenge (Judg 7:3), where Spanish quien and French quiconque capture the open-ended reference.
Senses
1. interrogative who/whom — The direct interrogative 'who?' or 'whom?' — by far the dominant usage (413 of 423 occurrences). Functions as subject or object in questions about personal identity, often with prepositional prefixes (to whom, from whom). All major translations map it to dedicated interrogative pronouns: English 'who,' Spanish quién, French qui, German wer/wen. Key passages include God's question in Gen 3:11 and Pharaoh's challenge in Exod 5:2. 413×
AR["مَن", "مَنْ", "مَنْ-"]·ben["কে", "কে-"]·DE["der", "wen-", "wer", "wer-"]·EN["who", "who-"]·FR["qui", "qui-"]·heb["מי"]·HI["किस-ने", "किसने", "कौन", "कौन-"]·ID["Siapa", "Siapakah", "siapa", "siapa-"]·IT["che", "che-"]·jav["Sinten", "sinten", "sinten-"]·KO["누가", "누가-", "누구", "누구-인가", "누구냐", "누구이냐"]·PT["Quem", "quem", "quem-"]·RU["Кто", "кто", "кто-"]·ES["Quién", "quién", "¿quién"]·SW["nani", "ni-nani"]·TR["Kim", "kim", "kim-"]·urd["کس-نے", "کون", "کون-ہے"]
2. indefinite whoever/anyone who — The indefinite or generalizing 'whoever, anyone who' (10x), appearing in conditional or relative clauses where the identity of the person is left open. The conjunctive waw sometimes attaches (and-whoever). German und-wer and French quiconque highlight this shift from specific question to open invitation. Notable in Exod 32:33 (Moses' summons) and 2 Sam 20:11 (Joab's rallying cry). 10×
AR["مَن", "مَن-", "مَنْ", "مَنْ-", "وَمَا-", "وَمَنْ"]·ben["এবং-কে", "এবং-যে-", "কে", "কে-", "যার-", "যে", "যে-", "যেই-"]·DE["und-wer", "und-whoever", "wer", "wer-auch-immer", "whoever", "whoever-"]·EN["and-whoever", "and-whoever-", "whoever", "whoever-"]·FR["et-qui?", "et-quiconque", "qui", "qui?", "quiconque", "quiconque-"]·heb["ו-מי", "ו-מי-", "מי", "מי-", "מי־"]·HI["और-जो", "और-जो-", "कौन-", "जो", "जो-", "जो-भी"]·ID["Siapa-", "dan-siapa", "siapa", "siapa-", "siapapun"]·IT["chi", "chiunque", "e-chi", "e-chiunque", "whoever-"]·jav["Sinten", "lan-sinten", "lan-sinten-", "sinten", "sinten-", "sinten-ingkang"]·KO["그리고-누구", "그리고-누구-", "누가", "누가-", "누구", "누구든", "누구든지", "누구라-"]·PT["Quem", "Quem-", "e-quem", "quem", "quem-", "quem-quer-que"]·RU["Кто-", "и-кто", "и-кто-", "кто", "кто-", "кто-бы-ни"]·ES["al-que", "quien", "quien-", "y-quien", "¿quién"]·SW["na-nani", "na-yeyote", "ni-nani", "yeyote", "yeyote-", "yeyote-ambaye-"]·TR["kim", "kim-", "kimi", "ve-kim"]·urd["اور-جو", "جس-نے", "جو", "جو-", "کوئی-بھی", "کون"]
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
מִי423 pron. interrog. who? of persons, as מָה (q.v.) of things (Ethiopic ሚ but only = What? and How? Assyrian mî, me (rare) JägerBAS. ii. 277, the usually Sem. form for Who? has n, viz. Assyrian mannu, manu (DlHWB 419), Ethiopic መኑ man(n)ū, Aramaic ܡܰܢ, Arabic مَنْ, vulg.-Arabic min, mīn, from a form resembling which, by rejection of n, prob. Heb. מִי: WSG 123 f.):—who? (τίς; quis?) Gn 3:11 מִי…