מָנָה (ma.nah)
ma.nah
to count
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 24 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb manah means to count, number, or assign. It covers simple enumeration, such as counting people in a census, but also carries the sense of allotting or appointing someone to a role. In 1 Chronicles 21:1 and 27:24, it describes the act of numbering the population for administrative purposes.
A distinctive feature of this word is its use in the Piel stem to mean "appoint" or "ordain," often with God as the subject. This usage appears in Jonah 4:6-8, where God appoints a plant, a worm, and a scorching wind to affect Jonah’s circumstances. Here, manah implies a sovereign assignment of events or agents.
The word also appears in poetic contexts, such as Psalm 90:12, where it urges readers to number their days wisely. This shifts the focus from mere counting to valuing time intentionally. The term thus bridges practical administration and theological reflection on divine order.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew verb manah carries a dual weight in Scripture. It describes the simple act of counting people or stars, but it also signifies God’s sovereign appointment of events and agents. When we read that God counts the stars by name, it reminds us that nothing in creation is accidental or overlooked. This same word appears in Jonah to show how God prepares specific circumstances—a vine, a worm, a wind—to teach His prophet.
For your daily life, this offers profound comfort. The psalmist prays to 'count our days' not just to track time, but to gain wisdom. It invites you to view your time as something assigned and meaningful rather than random. Whether you are facing a season of waiting or active service, knowing that God ordains the details of your path can bring peace.
This perspective shifts how we handle our resources and relationships. Just as leaders in Chronicles were appointed over specific duties, Christians believe every believer has a unique role within the community of faith. Recognizing this divine assignment helps us serve with purpose and trust that our efforts are part of a larger, orderly design.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 24 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ count5×
- and/ he appointed3×
- they were numbered2×
- you will muster1×
- to/ be numbered1×
- people have allotted1×
- it will numbered1×
- it will be numbered1×
- he was numbered1×
- he has assigned1×
- he had assigned1×
- has he counted1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לִ/מְנוֹת֙2×
- לִ/מְנ֣וֹת2×
- יִמָּנ֖וּ2×
- תִֽמְנֶה\־1×
- נִמְנָ֑ה1×
- מוֹנֶ֣ה1×
- מוֹנֶ֖ה1×
- מָנָה֙1×
- מִנּוּ\־1×
- מִנָּה֙1×
- מִנָּ֔ה1×
- מְנֵ֥ה1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 90:12
So teach us to count our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
This verse uses the command to count days as a spiritual discipline for gaining wisdom, linking numerical awareness to moral maturity.
-
Jonah 4:6
Yahweh God prepared a vine and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine.
Here the Piel stem shows God actively preparing or appointing a plant to provide shade, demonstrating His sovereign control over nature to teach Jonah.
-
Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
The servant is described as being 'counted with the transgressors,' highlighting a legal or social classification that underscores his identification with humanity's guilt.
-
Daniel 1:5
The king appointed for them a daily portion of the king’s delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years, that at its end they should stand before the king.
This occurrence illustrates the administrative sense of the word, where the king appoints a specific daily portion of food and wine for the captives.