Lexical Summary
meumah: Anything, something, nothing
Original Word:מְאוּמָה
Part of Speech:pronoun indefinite
Transliteration:muwmah
Pronunciation:meh-oo-mah
Phonetic Spelling:(meh-oo'-maw)
KJV: fault, + no(-ught), ought, somewhat, any ((no-))thing
NASB:anything, valuable, any sort, fault, something, thing
Word Origin:[apparently a form ofH3971 (מאוּם מוּם - defect)]
1. (properly) a speck or point
2. (by implication) something
3. with negative, nothing
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fault, nothing, ought, somewhat, any nothing
Apparently a form ofm'uwm; properly, a speck or point, i.e. (by implication) something; with negative, nothing -- fault, + no(-ught), ought, somewhat, any ((no-))thing.
see HEBREWm'uwm
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
mumDefinitionanything
NASB Translationany sort (1), anything (13), anything* (1), fault (1), nothing* (11), something (1), thing (1), valuable (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
32 (according to Thes from , like
quidquid, against which is the
Mil`el tone; according to Ol
254, 255, 386 Kö
ii. 146 an old accusative from in sense of
speck, particle, compare French
point: in Assyrian
manman (properly
who ? who ?), assimilated
mamman, or
manma (
man, who ? + Generalizing
ma),
mamma, is
any one, minma (
min, what ? + ma),
mimma, is
anything, Dl
§ 60, HWB 418 f; W
SG 125 f.); —
anything, usually in negative sentences, as
Genesis 22:12 (euphem. for
something bad),
Genesis 30:31 ,
Genesis 39:6,9;
Genesis 40:15 (euphemism),
1 Samuel 12:4,5;
1 Samuel 20:26,39;
1 Samuel 25:7,15,21;
1 Samuel 29:3 etc.,
Judges 14:6 ,
Ecclesiastes 5:141 Kings 18:43 literally nought of
anything !Jeremiah 39:12 ; strengthened by
Genesis 39:23;
2 Samuel 3:35; after =
surely not,
2 Samuel 3:35; in interrogative sentence
Numbers 22:38; in affirm. sentence
Deuteronomy 24:10 a pledge of (= consisting in)
anything,
2 Samuel 13:2 (euphemism),
2 Kings 5:20. Used adverbially,
1 Samuel 21:3 let no one know of the matter
in anything at all.
, [] see .
[], see II. .
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Usage Overviewמְאוּמָה (meʾumah) functions as an indefinite pronoun that denotes “anything,” “something,” or, when used with a negative, “nothing at all.” It carries no inherent moral or qualitative charge; its significance comes from the context in which either no restriction (anything) or total exclusion (nothing) is intended.
Distribution across Canon
The form appears about thirty–two times, sprinkled from Genesis to Malachi. The heaviest concentrations are in the patriarchal narratives of Genesis, the Deuteronomic discourses, and the historical books. In most occurrences it is paired with a negative particle, underscoring completeness—either complete freedom to act or complete abstention.
Representative Passages
•Genesis 22:12 – “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him.” In the binding of Isaac, the word seals the divine prohibition of even the slightest harm.
•Genesis 30:31 – “You shall not give me anything.” Jacob trusts God’s provision rather than Laban’s wages.
•Genesis 39:23 – “The warden did not concern himself with anything under Joseph’s care.” Joseph’s faithfulness makes human oversight unnecessary.
•Deuteronomy 24:10 – “When you lend your neighbor anything, do not enter his house to retrieve the pledge.” The term widens the scope of the law to every possible loan.
•1 Samuel 25:36 – Nabal “held a feast… like a king’s feast; and Nabal’s heart was merry within him, for he was very drunk; so she told him nothing at all until daybreak.” Abigail’s restraint averts bloodshed.
•2 Kings 4:2 – “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” The widow’s meager resources invite miraculous provision.
•Nehemiah 5:12 – “We will restore these and require nothing from them.” Restoration is not partial but whole.
•Job 34:19 – God “shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of His hands.” Nothing can sway divine justice.
•Jeremiah 39:12 – “Take him and look after him; do not harm him, but treat him as he requests.” Jeremiah is protected from any injury.
Themes of Integrity and Obedience
1. Total Obedience: InGenesis 22:12, withholding “anything” would have nullified Abraham’s obedience. Meʾumah underscores the demand for wholehearted faith.
2. Absolute Integrity: Joseph’s prison oversight (Genesis 39:23) and Samuel’s public accounting (1 Samuel 12:4) both affirm that nothing crooked could be found in their stewardship.
3. Thorough Mercy: InNehemiah 5:12 the nobles promise to exact “nothing,” illustrating the covenant ideal of restorative justice.
Divine Provision and Remembering
When humans confess they have “nothing,” God often responds with provision. The widow’s oil (2 Kings 4) and Elijah’s request of the Zarephath widow (1 Kings 17:12) show that perceived lack is the prelude to divine supply. Conversely, when Israel is warned not to forget God's commands by adding “anything” or leaving “nothing” undone, the word reminds the nation that blessings are covenant–conditional (Deuteronomy 13:18).
Covenant Faithfulness
Meʾumah heightens the totalizing nature of covenant obligations. In Deuteronomy, the people are to withhold “nothing” from the poor (15:7), charge “nothing” for basic humanitarian loans (24:10–13), and add “nothing” to God’s word (4:2). Thus the tiny pronoun guards both mercy toward neighbor and fidelity toward God.
Pastoral and Devotional Implications
• Wholeness of Heart: The believer should not hold back “anything” from the Lord (Romans 12:1 echoes this principle).
• Integrity in Stewardship: Christian leaders are called to such transparency that others need “look to nothing” beyond their word (1 Timothy 3:2).
• Confidence in Lack: When resources appear to be “nothing,” faith looks to God who multiplies loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:17).
Echoes in the New Testament
Though meʾumah itself is Hebrew, its concept resurfaces in the Greek oudén (“nothing”). Jesus affirms, “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Paul testifies that he “withheld nothing that was profitable” (Acts 20:20). The believer’s sufficiency in Christ fulfills the Old Testament pattern: confessing lack apart from God yet holding back nothing from Him.
Conclusion
A single word that can mean “anything” or “nothing” reinforces the comprehensive claims of God upon His people and the thoroughness of His providential care. Whether prohibiting even the slightest harm to Isaac, requiring absolute fairness in commerce, or highlighting a widow’s utter dependence, מְאוּמָה presses the reader to consider whether anything is being withheld from devotion to the Lord—or whether, by grace, nothing is lacking for life and godliness.
Forms and Transliterations
וּמְא֖וּמָה וּמְא֙וּמָה֙ ומאומה לִמְאֽוּמָה׃ למאומה׃ מְא֑וּמָּה מְא֑וּמָה מְא֔וּמָה מְא֖וּמָה מְא֗וּמָה מְא֙וּמָה֙ מְא֛וּמָה מְא֣וּמָה מְאֽוּמָה׃ מאומה מאומה׃ lim’ūmāh lim·’ū·māh limUmah mə’ūmāh mə’ūmmāh mə·’ū·māh mə·’ūm·māh meUmah meUmmah ū·mə·’ū·māh ūmə’ūmāh umeUmah
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