Lexical Summary
mathay: When?
Original Word:מָתַי
Part of Speech:interrogative adverb
Transliteration:mathay
Pronunciation:mah-thah'ee
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-thah'ee)
KJV: long, when
NASB:how, when
Word Origin:[from an unused root meaning to extend]
1. (properly) extent (of time)
2. but used only adverbially (especially with other particle prefixes), when (either relative or interrogative)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
long, when
From an unused root meaning to extend; properly, extent (of time); but used only adverbially (especially with other particle prefixes), when (either relative or interrogative) -- long, when.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. interrogative adverb
Definitionwhen?
NASB Translationhow (30), long* (27), when (13).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
43 (Arabic
; Assyrian
mati: in Late Hebrew and Aramaic with the interrogative , , ,
), in OT only of future time:
,Genesis 30:30when shall I also do, etc.?Amos 8:5;Psalm 41:6;Psalm 42:3;Psalm 94:8;Psalm 101:2;Psalm 119:82;Psalm 119:84;Proverbs 6:9; bProverbs 23:35;Job 7:4 ,Nehemiah 2:6.
against when?Exodus 8:5 .
until when? how long? followed by imperfectExodus 10:7 ,1 Samuel 1:14;Jeremiah 4:14,21;Psalm 74:10;Psalm 82:2;Psalm 94:3;Proverbs 1:22 +, followed by participle1 SamProverbs 16:1;1 Kings 18:21 , followed by perfectExodus 10:3;Psalm 80:5;2 Samuel 2:26;Hosea 8:5;Zechariah 1:12; alone,Isaiah 6:11 ,Habakkuk 2:6 ; with an aposiop.,Psalm 6:4 ,Psalm 90:13.
,after how long yet?Jeremiah 13:27.
see . see . above,
see . see .
see ;Judges 20:48 see .
(√ of following; Arabic
be stout, firm, enduring (Frey Wahrm), II.make stout, firm (Lane)).
Topical Lexicon
Overviewמָתַי appears forty-three times in the Hebrew Scriptures and functions primarily as an interrogative adverb of time, voiced either alone (“when?”) or in the compound אֲד־מָתַי (“until when? / how long?”). It gives voice to expectation, urgency, or frustration as speakers seek clarity about the timing of God’s actions or human commitments. Its settings range from everyday negotiations to the deepest prophetic laments, making it a rich word for tracing Israel’s developing longing for covenant fulfillment.
Distribution across the Canon
• Torah – 9 occurrences (e.g.,Exodus 8:9;Exodus 10:3)
• Historical Books – 9 occurrences (e.g.,1 Kings 22:16;2 Kings 17:13)
• Wisdom Literature – 9 occurrences (e.g.,Job 7:4;Proverbs 6:9)
• Psalms – 10 occurrences (e.g.,Psalm 74:10;Psalm 94:3)
• Prophets – 6 occurrences (e.g.,Isaiah 6:11;Habakkuk 2:6)
Lament and Intercession (“Ad Matay?”)
The most poignant use is Israel’s cry, “How long?” The phrase couples deep faith with honest protest.
•Psalm 74:10 – “How long, O God, will the enemy taunt You? Will the foe revile Your name forever?”
•Isaiah 6:11 – “Then I asked, ‘How long, O Lord?’ And He replied: ‘Until cities lie ruined…’”
Such texts show that biblical lament is not unbelief but a covenantal appeal calling God to act in line with His promises. The recurrent question purposely leaves the answer open, directing the reader toward hope in God’s sovereign timing.
Prophetic Rebuke and Eschatological Expectation
Prophets often press apathetic listeners with מָתַי to expose delay in repentance or to point to future judgment.
•Exodus 10:3 – “How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go…” – the demand placed on Pharaoh becomes a paradigm for every ruler resisting God.
•Habakkuk 2:6 – “Woe to him … ‘How long?’” – the taunt song anticipates Babylon’s downfall, assuring Judah that apparent delay is not abandonment.
Wisdom and Personal Petition
In Job and Proverbs, מָתַי probes personal experience:
•Job 7:4 – “When I lie down I think, ‘When shall I arise?’” – the word frames the anguish of unrelieved suffering.
•Proverbs 6:9 – “How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?” – confronting complacency with practical urgency.
Covenant Scheduling and Negotiation
Several mundane scenes employ מָתַי to fix dates, underscoring that even daily plans rest under divine providence.
•Genesis 30:30 – Jacob asks Laban, “When shall I also provide for my own household?” (implied מָתַי).
•1 Kings 22:16 – Ahab presses Micaiah, “How many times must I make you swear…?” revealing that deadlines can be manipulated to suppress truth.
Historical and Cultural Notes
Ancient Near Eastern treaty formulas favored precise timetables, yet Israel’s Scriptures often leave God’s schedule veiled, fostering dependence rather than control. The exilic community, hearing “Ad matay?” in the Psalms, learned to wait for Cyrus’s decree and, ultimately, for Messiah.
Theological Trajectories
1. Perseverance in Faith – מָתַי legitimizes patient inquiry without faithlessness.
2. Divine Sovereignty – By withholding exact dates, God maintains lordship over history (cf.Isaiah 46:10).
3. Messianic Fulfillment – The unresolved “How long?” of the Old Testament finds an answer when the Apostle Paul proclaims, “When the set time had fully come, God sent His Son” (Galatians 4:4, echoing the adverb’s concern in Greek).
Ministry Applications
• Preaching – Contrast human deadlines with God’s “fullness of time,” encouraging congregations that apparent delays serve redemptive purposes.
• Counseling – Permit lament; teach counselees to frame pain with “How long, O Lord?” as an act of trust.
• Worship – Integrate lament psalms to model honest prayer that still rests in divine faithfulness.
Related Hebrew Expressions
אֵימָתַי (eimatai) occurs twice (Numbers 24:23;Job 9:25) as a variant but shares the same interrogative force. Both forms affirm that biblical faith wrestles openly with the mysteries of time.
Conclusion
מָתַי captures the tension between divine promise and human experience. Its recurring question threads through Scripture until the New Testament reveals God’s definitive answer in Christ, assuring believers that no waiting is wasted in His redemptive plan.
Forms and Transliterations
וּמָתַ֣י ומתי לְמָתַ֣י ׀ למתי מָ֝תַ֗י מָ֭תַי מָתַ֕י מָתַ֖י מָתַ֗י מָתַ֛י מָתַ֞י מָתַ֣י מָתַ֣י ׀ מָתַ֥י מָתַ֬י מָתַי֙ מָתָ֑י מָתָֽי׃ מתי מתי׃ lə·mā·ṯay lemaTai ləmāṯay mā·ṯay mā·ṯāy maTai māṯay māṯāy ū·mā·ṯay umaTai ūmāṯay
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
