Lexical Summary
manah: To count, number, reckon, assign, appoint
Original Word:מָנָה
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:manah
Pronunciation:maw-NAH
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-naw')
KJV: appoint, count, number, prepare, set, tell
NASB:appointed, numbered, number, count, counted, appoint, counts
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to weigh out
2. (by implication) to allot or constitute officially
3. also to enumerate or enroll
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
appoint, count, number, prepare, set, tell
A primitive root; properly, to weigh out; by implication, to allot or constitute officially; also to enumerate or enroll -- appoint, count, number, prepare, set, tell.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto count, number, reckon
NASB Translationappoint (1), appointed (9), count (3), counted (2), counts (1), destine (1), muster (1), number (4), numbered (5), numbers (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew
id.; Assyrian
manû Dl
HWB 416; Arabic
assign, apportion; Aramaic
, ); —
PerfectNumbers 23:10;Isaiah 65:12;Imperfect2masculine singular1 Kings 20:25;2 Kings 12:11;Imperative2 Samuel 24:1;Infinitive constructGenesis 13:16 4t.;ParticipleJeremiah 33:13;Psalm 147:4; —
count, number (compare ) dust (grains)Genesis 13:16 (J), compareNumbers 23:10 (JE); money2 Kings 12:11; stars ( )Psalm 147:4; flockJeremiah 33:13 (symbol of peace); daysPsalm 90:12; people, army2 Samuel 24:1;1 Chronicles 21:1,17, compare1 Chronicles 27:24 (object omitted);1 Kings 20:25.
reckon, assign, appointIsaiah 65:12 (with play onIsaiah 65:11).
PerfectIsaiah 53:12;ImperfectGenesis 13:16;1 Kings 3:8;1 Kings 8:5 2Chronicles 5:6;Infinitive constructEcclesiastes 1:15; —
be counted, numbered, of descendantsGenesis 13:16 (J), of people1 Kings 3:8 ("" ); of sacrificial animals1 Kings 8:5 2Chronicles 5:6 (both ""id.); indefiniteEcclesiastes 1:15.
be reckoned, assigned (a place), of servant ofIsaiah 53:12 (with ).
(late and in poetry) (Biblical Aramaic and . ); —PerfectDaniel 1:10,11;Job 7:3;ImperfectJonah 2:1 4t.;ImperativePsalm 61:8;appoint, ordain, foodDaniel 1:10,Daniel 1:5 (followed by ), officerDaniel 1:11 (followed by ); nights of weariness ()Job 7:3 (subject indefinite; followed by ); in story of Jonah, object. fishJonah 2:1, ricinusJonah 4:6; wormJonah 4:7, windJonah 4:8 (all subject b>); objectPsalm 61:8 (subject ).
Participle plural1 Chronicles 9:29appointed, of porters (followed by ).
Topical Lexicon
מָנָה
Overview
The verb מָנָה threads through the Old Testament in roughly twenty-eight occurrences, carrying the twin ideas of “counting/numbering” and “assigning/appointing.” These two senses are never far apart: what is carefully counted can also be precisely allotted, and what is appointed has first been reckoned. Scripture uses the root to reveal both the finitude of human life and the meticulous sovereignty of God, who numbers stars and days, prepares circumstances, and allots portions to kings and commoners alike.
Counting and Numbering
1. Patriarchal Promises: The first uses appear in Genesis, where God stretches Abraham’s faith by inviting him to “count the stars, if you are able” (Genesis 15:5) and by promising descendants beyond what anyone could “count” (Genesis 13:16; 24:60). The verb underscores the certainty and incalculable magnitude of the covenant promise.
2. National Census Imagery: Balaam exclaims, “Who can count the dust of Jacob?” (Numbers 23:10), echoing the Abrahamic motif and stressing Israel’s divinely granted fruitfulness.
3. Wisdom on Life’s Brevity:Psalm 90:12 pleads, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom,” reminding believers that life’s brevity leads to accountable stewardship.Job 14:5 states that mankind’s days are already “determined,” exhibiting God’s foreknowledge.
4. Cosmic Magnitude:Psalm 147:4 credits the Lord who “determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name,” linking counting with personal care.
Appointing, Assigning, Preparing
1. Providential Appointments in Jonah: Four times in Jonah the Lord “appoints” circumstances—“a great fish” (Jonah 1:17), “a plant” (Jonah 4:6), “a worm” (Jonah 4:7), and “a scorching east wind” (Jonah 4:8). Each appointment shepherds the prophet’s heart, proving that creation itself answers to God’s purposeful command.
2. Royal Provisions: Daniel records that Nebuchadnezzar “assigned them a daily portion of the king’s delicacies” (Daniel 1:5, 10-16, 18-19). The verb portrays the court’s measured allotment while also hinting at a higher sovereignty that would exalt Daniel and his friends.
3. Daily Allowances for Jehoiachin: Both2 Kings 25:30 andJeremiah 52:34 affirm that a captive king received a “regular allowance each day,” demonstrating God’s lingering kindness even in exile.
4. Household and Sacrificial Order:Exodus 12:4 orders each family to procure a lamb “according to the number of persons,” andExodus 16:16 regulates manna gathering “each according to the number of people in his tent,” merging counting with practical, gracious provision.
Historical and Literary Distribution
• Torah: 6 uses—chiefly covenantal and logistical.
• Historical Books: 3 uses—royal allowances and military organization.
• Wisdom & Psalms: 5 uses—human limits, life’s brevity, cosmic scope.
• Prophets: 10 uses—Balaam’s oracle, Jonah’s narrative, and Jeremiah’s exile record.
• Daniel: 8 clustered uses—court allotments showing God’s hidden rule within pagan bureaucracy.
Theological Themes
1. Sovereignty and Providence: Whether appointing a fish or rationing grain (Genesis 41:49), יהוה is never improvising. What He counts He controls; what He assigns He sustains.
2. Human Finitude and Accountability: Numbered days (Job 14:5) and allotted months (Job 7:3) call for sober, wise living (Psalm 90:12).
3. Faithfulness to Covenant: The uncountable seed of Abraham (Genesis 15:5) progresses through history exactly as foretold, reinforcing the reliability of divine promise.
4. Grace in Exile: Even in judgment, God “appoints” daily bread for a deposed king (2 Kings 25:30), signaling hope and continuity.
Ministry Significance
• Pastoral Application: Reminding believers that every breath is counted fosters urgency in discipleship and mission.
• Worship: Praising the One who numbers the stars encourages trust in His intimate knowledge of individual needs.
• Missions and Growth: The promise to Abraham that no one can “count” his offspring fuels confidence in global evangelism, anticipating the innumerable multitude ofRevelation 7:9.
• Suffering and Providence: Jonah’s account teaches that divinely appointed trials and comforts alike are instruments of restoration, providing a framework for counseling those in hardship.
Christological Echoes
Though the verb itself does not appear in the New Testament, its theology does: the Good Shepherd knows His sheep by name (John 10:3), and even “the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). The meticulous care seen in מָנָה finds its ultimate expression in the incarnate Son who appoints apostles (Mark 3:14) and prepares a place for His people (John 14:2-3).
Summary
מָנָה reveals a God who both counts and allocates with flawless precision. From stars to sparrows, from royal tables to wilderness manna, what He determines cannot fail. To meditate on this verb is to rest in the assurance that every day, resource, trial, and triumph is already measured by the faithful Creator who keeps covenant to a thousand generations.
Forms and Transliterations
וַיְמַ֣ן וַיְמַ֤ן וַיְמַ֨ן וַיְמַן֩ וַיִּמְנ֔וּ וּמָנִ֨יתִי וימן וימנו ומניתי יִמָּנ֖וּ יִמָּנֶ֛ה יִמָּנֶֽה׃ ימנה ימנה׃ ימנו לְהִמָּנֽוֹת׃ לִמְנ֖וֹת לִמְנ֣וֹת לִמְנוֹת֙ להמנות׃ למנות מְמֻנִּים֙ מְנֵ֥ה מִנָּ֔ה מִנָּה֙ מִנּוּ־ מַ֣ן מָנָה֙ מוֹנֶ֖ה מוֹנֶ֣ה מונה ממנים מן מנה מנו־ נִמְנָ֑ה נמנה תִֽמְנֶה־ תמנה־ lə·him·mā·nō·wṯ lehimmaNot ləhimmānōwṯ lim·nō·wṯ limnOt limnōwṯ mā·nāh man maNah mānāh mə·mun·nîm mə·nêh memunNim məmunnîm meNeh mənêh min·nāh min·nū- minNah minnāh minnu minnū- mō·w·neh moNeh mōwneh nim·nāh nimNah nimnāh ṯim·neh- timneh ṯimneh- ū·mā·nî·ṯî umaNiti ūmānîṯî vaiyimNu vayMan way·man way·yim·nū wayman wayyimnū yim·mā·neh yim·mā·nū yimmaNeh yimmāneh yimmaNu yimmānū
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