מָנַע
ma.na (H4513)
to withhold
AI Word Study
# The Hebrew Word מָנַע (Withhold) The Hebrew verb מָנַע (transliterated as *mana*) carries the fundamental meaning "to withhold"—that is, to refuse to give, allow, or grant something that might otherwise be expected or demanded. This straightforward sense encompasses situations where someone deliberately prevents another from obtaining or experiencing something. The word's appearance across 29 biblical passages indicates it was a meaningful concept in ancient Hebrew communication, used to describe actions of significant consequence. The frequency of this term suggests it held practical importance in biblical narratives and legal contexts. When used, מָנַע typically describes intentional acts of denial or refusal—whether withholding property, permission, assistance, or other valued things. The variety of contexts in which it appears (across 29 distinct occurrences) implies the word could apply to diverse scenarios, from personal relationships to larger social and divine interactions. This range of application indicates that "withholding" was recognized as a sufficiently common human and divine action to warrant its own dedicated vocabulary. Without additional detailed usage data, the precise theological or legal implications remain bounded by the lexical definition itself: מָנַע fundamentally denotes the act of refusing to grant or permit something. Its biblical prevalence suggests that questions of what is granted or denied—and by whom—were significant concerns in the religious and social world of ancient Israel
AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.
Jacob’s anger burned against Rachel, and he said, “Am I in God’s place, who has withheld from you the fruit of the womb?”
They came to Balaam, and said to him, “Balak the son of Zippor says, ‘Please let nothing hinder you from coming to me,
Therefore, flee to your place, now! I thought to promote you to great honor; but, behold, Yahweh has kept you back from honor.”
Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, since Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
For indeed, as Yahweh, the God of Israel, lives, who has withheld me from harming you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely there wouldn’t have been left to Nabal by the morning light so much as one who urinates on a wall.”
As for me, where would I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.”
Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, “Please notice how this man seeks mischief; for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I didn’t deny him.”
You gave also your good Spirit to instruct them, and didn’t withhold your manna from their mouth, and gave them water for their thirst.
though he spare it, and will not let it go, but keep it still within his mouth;
You haven’t given water to the weary to drink, and you have withheld bread from the hungry.
“If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail,
From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.
You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips.
For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly.
My son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,
Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
People curse someone who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
Don’t withhold correction from a child. If you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t keep from them. I didn’t withhold my heart from any joy, for my heart rejoiced because of all my labor, and this was my portion from all my labor.
“Keep your feet from being bare, and your throat from thirst. But you said, ‘It is in vain. No, for I have loved strangers, and I will go after them.’
Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.
“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you.
Yahweh says: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded,” says Yahweh. “They will come again from the land of the enemy.
Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to Yahweh your God according to your words; and it will happen that whatever thing Yahweh answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.”
“Cursed is he who does the work of Yahweh negligently; and cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood.
“The Lord Yahweh says: ‘In the day when he went down to Sheol I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained its rivers. The great waters were stopped. I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.
Put on sackcloth and mourn, you priests! Wail, you ministers of the altar. Come, lie all night in sackcloth, you ministers of my God, for the meal offering and the drink offering are withheld from your God’s house.
“I also have withheld the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest; and I caused it to rain on one city, and caused it not to rain on another city. One place was rained on, and the piece where it didn’t rain withered.