H4487 H4487
To count, number, reckon; to appoint, assign, or destine; passively, to be counted or be appointed.
Manah is one of those compact Hebrew verbs that bridges the concrete and the administrative. At its most tangible, it describes counting dust particles that cannot be numbered (Gen 13:16), tallying money at the temple (2 Kgs 12:10), and God himself numbering the stars and calling them each by name (Ps 147:4). But a natural semantic step — from counting to assigning, from numbering to appointing — gives the verb a second life in administrative and divine-sovereignty contexts. Daniel's rations are 'assigned' by the king (Dan 1:5), and God 'appoints' a gourd, a worm, and a scorching wind for Jonah. The Assyrian cognate manu and Arabic mana ('to assign, apportion') both preserve this dual character. The Nifal passive rounds out the picture: some things simply cannot be counted, a theme that runs from Abraham's promised descendants to Solomon's overwhelmed census-takers.
Senses
1. count, number (Qal active) — To count, number, reckon — the basic Qal active sense across 11 occurrences. Subjects enumerate concrete or metaphorical objects: dust grains (Gen 13:16), Jacob's people (Num 23:10), money (2 Kgs 12:10), stars (Ps 147:4), flocks passing under the shepherd's hand (Jer 33:13), and days (Ps 90:12). Spanish contar and French compter map cleanly to this arithmetical core. David's census command 'Go, number Israel' (2 Sam 24:1) is the paradigmatic political use — counting as an assertion of royal control. 11×
AR["أَحْصَى", "أَحْصِ", "أَنْ-نَعُدَّ", "أَنْ-يَعُدَّ", "عَادٍّ", "عَادُّ", "عُدَّ", "لِ-يَعُدَّ", "وَعَدُّوا", "يَعُدُّ"]·ben["এবং-গুনলেন", "গণনা-কর", "গণনা-করতে", "গণনা-করতে-পারে", "গণনা-করেন", "গণনাকারীর", "গোণ-"]·DE["[למנות]", "[מונה]", "count", "counter-of", "muster-", "und-sie-counted", "zaehlte", "zu-zählen", "zählen"]·EN["and-they-counted", "count", "counted", "counter", "counter-of", "muster-", "to-count", "to-number"]·FR["[למנות]", "[מונה]", "compta", "compte", "de-compter", "et-ils-compta", "muster-", "à-compter"]·heb["ו-ימנו", "ל-מנות", "מונה", "מנה", "תמנה"]·HI["-के-गिनने", "और-गिना", "गिन", "गिन-", "गिन-सकता", "गिनने", "गिनने-के-लिए", "गिनने-वाले", "गिननेवाला", "गिन्ने"]·ID["Untuk-menghitung", "dan-mereka-menghitung", "hitunglah", "hitunglah-", "menghitung", "penghitung", "untuk-menghitung", "yang-menghitung"]·IT["[למנות]", "[מונה]", "a-contare", "conta", "conto", "conto'", "e-essi-contò", "muster-"]·jav["Ingkang-ngetang", "Supados-ngetang", "cacaha", "kanggé-ngitung", "lan-piyambakipun-sami-ngetang", "ngetanga-", "ngétang", "saged-ngétang", "tiyang-ingkang-ngetang"]·KO["그리고-세었다", "세기-를", "세기-위해", "세는-것을", "세는-자의", "세라", "세라-", "세시는-분이시라", "세었는가", "에-세다"]·PT["A-contar", "Conta", "a-contar", "conta", "contar", "contarás", "contou", "e-contavam", "o-que-conta", "para-contar"]·RU["Исчисляющий", "и-посчитали", "исчисли", "исчисли-", "сосчитает", "сосчитать", "считать", "считающего"]·ES["Contando", "Para-contar", "a-contar", "contar", "contó", "cuenta", "cuéntate", "el-que-cuenta", "para-contar", "y-contaban"]·SW["Kuhesabu", "anahesabu", "anayehesabu", "aweza-kuhesabu", "jihesabie-", "kuhesabu", "na-wakahesabu", "wahesabu"]·TR["say", "say-", "sayabilir", "sayan", "sayanın-o", "saymak", "saymak-için", "saymaya", "saymayı", "ve-saydılar"]·urd["اور-گنے", "لِ-گننے", "گن-", "گننا", "گننے", "گننے-والا", "گننے-والے-کے", "گنے", "گِنو"]
2. appoint, assign, destine (Piel/Qal) — To appoint, assign, destine — 10 occurrences in the Piel stem and occasionally Qal with volitional force. Here the semantic shift from 'counting' to 'allotting' is complete: God 'destines' the unfaithful for the sword (Isa 65:12), the king 'assigns' daily provisions (Dan 1:5), and Jonah's God 'appoints' a great fish, a plant, a worm, and a wind (Jonah 1:17; 4:6-8). Spanish dispuso/asigno and Korean jeonghada ('to determine, fix') both select appointment vocabulary distinct from counting. The Piel intensification suits the deliberate, authoritative nature of these assignments. 10×
AR["عَيَّنَ", "عَيَّنَهُ", "عُدَّتْ", "فَ-أَعَدَّ", "مَن", "وَ-عَيَّنَ", "وَ-عَيَّنْتُكُمْ"]·ben["-এবং-আমি-নির্ধারণ-করব", "এবং-নিযুক্ত-করলেন", "কে", "গণনা-করা-হয়েছে", "নিযুক্ত-করেছেন"]·DE["[וימן]", "[ומניתי]", "[מנה]", "appoint", "bestimmte", "und-bestimmte"]·EN["And-I-shall-destine", "and-appointed", "and-he-appointed", "appoint", "appointed", "are-appointed-"]·FR["[ומניתי]", "compter", "et-fixer", "fixer"]·heb["ו-ימן", "ו-מניתי", "מינה", "מן", "מנו"]·HI["और-गिनूँगा-मैं", "और-ठहराया", "गिनी-गई-", "ठहराया", "तैयार-कर"]·ID["Dan-menyediakanlah", "dan-menetapkan", "dan-menyediakanlah", "ditentukan", "ditunjuk", "kiranya", "maka-Aku-menetapkan-kamu", "menetapkan"]·IT["[ומניתי]", "are-appointed", "conto'", "e-preparò", "preparare"]·jav["Lan-Kawula-badhe-nèmtoaken", "Lan-nemtokaken", "dipun-temtokaken", "dipun-ètung", "lan-mirsani", "nemtokaken", "sampun"]·KO["그러나-예비하셨으니라", "그리고-내가-정하겠다", "그리고-예비하셨으니라", "그리고-정했다", "누가", "배정했다", "임명했다", "정했다"]·PT["E-designou", "E-destinarei", "designou", "e-designou", "foram-contadas", "ordena"]·RU["И-назначил", "и-назначил", "и-предназначу", "кто", "назначил", "отсчитаны"]·ES["Y-asignó", "Y-dispuso", "Y-os-destinaré", "asignó", "fueron-contadas", "y-dispuso", "¿quién?"]·SW["Na-akaamuru", "agize", "aliamuru", "imehesabiwa", "na-akaamuru", "na-nitawaandikia"]·TR["Ve-belirledi", "Ve-hazırladı", "Ve-sayacagim", "atadı", "belirledi", "sayıldı-", "tayin-et", "ve-hazırladı"]·urd["اور-مقرر-کیا", "اور-میں-نے-تمہیں-گنا", "مقرر-کی-گئیں", "مقرر-کیا", "مقرر-کیا-تھا", "کَون"]
3. be counted, be numbered (Nifal) — To be counted, be numbered — the Nifal passive, appearing 6 times. The theological flavor is often one of immeasurable abundance: Abraham's offspring 'cannot be numbered' (Gen 13:16), Solomon's assembled animals 'could not be counted' (1 Kgs 8:5; 2 Chr 5:6), and the crooked 'cannot be counted' among the straight (Eccl 1:15). Spanish contarse/podian-ser-numerados and German gezahlt-werden both mark the passive voice cleanly. The Nifal tolerative sense — 'able to be numbered' — gives these passages their rhetorical force. 6×
AR["أَنْ-يُحْصَى", "أُحْصِيَ", "تُعَدُّ", "يُعَدُّ"]·ben["গণনা-করা", "গণনা-করা-যাবে", "গণনা-হবে", "গণনা-হয়েছিল", "সংখ্যা-করা-যায়"]·DE["[ימנו]", "[נמנה]", "bestimmte", "gezählt-werden-wird", "kann-sein-numbered", "koennte-sein-numbered"]·EN["can-be-numbered", "could-be-numbered", "to-be-counted", "was-numbered", "will-be-counted"]·FR["--être-compta", "[ימנו]", "[נמנה]", "peut-être-dénombra", "pourrait-être-dénombra", "à-compter"]·heb["יימנה", "ימנה", "ימנו", "ל-הימנות", "נמנה"]·HI["गिन-जयेग", "गिना-गया", "गिनी-जाए", "गिनी-जाना", "गिने-जाते-थे"]·ID["Dia-dihitung", "dapat-diangka", "dapat-dibilang", "dapat-dihitung", "dihitung"]·IT["[ימנו]", "[נמנה]", "per-a-essere-counted", "potrebbe-essere-contò", "può-essere-contò", "will-essere-contò"]·jav["badhé-kaétang", "dipunetang", "dipunétang", "saged-diitung", "saged-dipun-etang", "saged-dipuncacah"]·KO["세어졌느니라", "세어지기를", "세어지리라", "세어질-것이다", "셋-수-있었다", "헤아릴-수-있다"]·PT["foi-contado", "numerados", "numeravam-se", "ser-contada", "será-contada", "será-contado"]·RU["исчислится", "исчислялись", "причислен", "сосчитается", "сосчитать", "сосчитаться."]·ES["contarse", "fue-contado", "podían-ser-numerados", "puede-ser-contado", "será-contada", "serán-numerados"]·SW["alihesabiwa", "hawakuhesabika", "idadiwa", "kuhesabiwa", "na-hawakadiriki", "utahesabika"]·TR["hesaplanabilir", "hesaplanırlardı", "sayilamaz", "sayildi", "sayılacak", "sayılır"]·urd["شمار-کیے-جا-سکتے", "شمار-ہوتے-تھے", "گنا-گیا", "گنی", "گنی-جائے", "گنی-جائے-گی"]
4. be appointed (Pual) — To be appointed — a single Pual (passive intensive) occurrence at 1 Chronicles 9:29, where certain Levites 'were appointed' over the furnishings and utensils of the sanctuary. The Pual stem signals that the appointment was formally enacted upon them by an external authority, distinct from the active Piel 'to appoint.' Spanish designados captures the resultant-state passive well. Though only one occurrence, the morphological distinction from both the Qal passive (Nifal) and the active appointive (Piel) warrants separate recognition. 1×
AR["مُوَكَّلُونَ"]·ben["নিযুক্তরা"]·DE["[ממנים]"]·EN["appointed"]·FR["[ממנים]"]·heb["ממנים"]·HI["नियुक्त"]·ID["yang-ditugaskan"]·IT["[ממנים]"]·jav["kapasang"]·KO["임명된-자들"]·PT["designados"]·RU["назначенные"]·ES["designados"]·SW["waliteuliwa"]·TR["atanmışlar"]·urd["مقرر"]
Related Senses
H3605 1. all, every, whole (5352×)H0559 1. say, speak, tell (5297×)G3004 1. say, tell, speak (2226×)H1696 1. speak, say, tell (Piel) (1105×)H0259 1. one (cardinal numeral) (940×)H8147 1. cardinal number two (666×)G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)G3956 1. all (collective plural) (616×)H7121 1. call, summon, name (575×)H3967 1. cardinal numeral hundred (550×)H1419a 1. great, large (general quality) (486×)H6680 1. command, order, charge (483×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H7969 1. cardinal number three (431×)H0505 1. cardinal number thousand (427×)H7651 1. seven (cardinal number) (393×)G1520 1. cardinal number one (339×)H6240 1. ten (cardinal number) (334×)H6242 1. twenty (cardinal number) (315×)H2568 1. cardinal number five (309×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מָנָה vb. count, number, reckon, assign (NH id.; Assyrian manû DlHWB 416; Arabic مَنَى assign, apportion; Aramaic ܡܢܳܐ, מְנָא);— Qal Pf. מָנָה Nu 23:10; וּמָנִ֫יתִי Is 65:12; Impf. 2 ms. תִּמְנֶה־ 1 K 20:25; וַיִּמְנוּ 2 K 12:11; Imv. מְנֵה 2 S 24:1; Inf. cstr. לִמְנוֹת Gn 13:16 + 4 times; Pt. מוֹנֶה Je 33:13 ψ 147:4;— 1. count, number (cf. סָפַר) dust (grains) Gn 13:16 (J), cf. עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב…