H4616. maan

[מַ֫עַן‎] substantive purpose, intent, only with לְ‎, in לְמַ֫עַן‎₂₇₁

preposition and

conjunction for the sake of, on account of, to the intent or in order that (abbreviated from מַעֲנֶה‎: compare מַ֫עַל‎; Kö^{ii. 116}); — with suffix לְמַעַנְךָ לְמַעֲנִי,‎, and לְמַעַנְכֶם‎; — 1. preposition: —

a. Genesis 18:24 wilt thou ... not spare the place הציקים חמשׁים למען‎ for the sake of the 50 righteous? Deuteronomy 30:6 ׳ל חַיֶּיךָ‎ for thy life's sake, 1 Kings 8:41 the foreigner who comer from afar ׳ל שְׁמֶ֑ךָ‎, Isaiah 43:14 בָבֶ֫לָה שִׁלַּחְתִּי לְמַעַנְכֶם‎, 45:4; 62:1 ׳ל ציון‎, 63:17 ׳ל עבדיך‎, 65:8; Ezekiel 36:22 (twice in verse); Job 18:4; Psalm 122:8; 122:9; (ד ׳עַבְדִּי‎) דָּוִד לְמַעַן‎, i.e. for the sake of David's memory, and the promises given to him, 1 Kings 11:12-13, 32, 34; 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19; 19:34 (= Isaiah 37:35), 20:6 (all D²); לְמַעֲנִי‎ (of ׳י‎) for my own sake, i.e. to vindicate my name, 2 Kings 19:34 (= Isaiah 37:35), 2 Kings 20:6; Isaiah 43:25; 48:11 אֶעֲשֶׁה לְמַעֲנִי לְמַעֲנִי‎, so לְמַעַנְךָ‎ Daniel 9:19, ׳ל אֲדֹנָי‎ 9:17; ׳י‎ is said (or entreated) to act (שְׁמִי שִׁמְךָ,‎) שְׁמוֺ לְמַעַן‎ i.e. to maintain his reputation, or character, Psalm 23:3; 25:11; 31:4; 79:9; 106:8; 143:11; Jeremiah 14:7, 21; Ezekiel 20:9, 14, 22, 44; Isaiah 48:9; simile ׳ל חַסְדְּךָ‎ (i.e. to maintain it consistently) Psalm 6:5; Psalm 44:27, ׳ל טוּבְךָ‎ 25:7, ׳ל צִדְקוֺ‎ Isaiah 42:21.

b. In view of, on account of (but not expressing causation distinctly, like מִן‎ 2f, or מִמְּנֵי‎), Deuteronomy 3:26 י ׳ויתעבר לְמַעַנְכֶם בי‎ on your account, 1 Kings 11:39 ׳ל זֹאת‎ in view of this, ׳ל שׁוֺרֲרַי‎ on account of my watchful foes, Psalm 5:9; 27:11, ׳ל צורריך‎ 8:3, simil. 69:19; 48:12 (97:8) ל ֗֗֗ ציון הר ׳ישמח משׁפטיך‎ in view of thy judgments.

c. Sq. infinitive Genesis 18:19 י הָבִיא ׳לְמַעַן‎ for the purpose of J.'s bringing = to the intent that J. might bring, 37:22 ׳ל הַצִּיל‎ in order to rescue, 50:20; Exodus 1:11; 9:16; 10:1, etc., Deuteronomy 2:30; Deuteronomy 6:28, etc., 2 Kings 10:19; Jeremiah 7:10, 18; 11:5; 50:34 (on הִרגיע‎, see עַד‎

2a b), Ezekiel 14:5; 21:5; 22:6 etc., 36:5, + often (Kö^{iii.595 f.}). Once, pleonastic, לֵב לָמוּג לְמַעַן‎ 21:20 (compare לְ כַּעֲבוּר‎ 1 Chronicles 19:3; but read probably הִמּוֺג‎).

2. conjunction (followed by imperfect): —

a. אֲשֶׁר לְמַעַן‎ Genesis 18:19 I have known him ׳ל יְצַוֶּה אשׁר‎ to the end that he might command, etc., Deuteronomy 27:3; Joshua 3:4; 2 Samuel 13:5; Jeremiah 42:6; more often

b. without אשׁר‎, as Genesis 12:13 לִי יִיטַב לְמַעַן‎, 27:25; Exodus 4:5 ׳ל יאמינו‎, 8:6; 8:18; 9:29; 10:2; Isaiah 5:19; 23:16; Psalm 9:15; Psalm 30:13; 48:14 + often (Kö^iii.571).

c. Sq. לֹא‎ (a) ׳ל לֹא אשׁר‎ Numbers 17:5; Deuteronomy 20:18; Ezekiel 31:14; 36:30; 46:18; (b) ׳ל לֹא‎ 14:11; 19:9; 25:10; 26:20; Zechariah 12:7; Psalm 119:11; 119:80; 125:3 (Kö^{iii.574. Less common than} לְבִלְתִּי‎ or מִן‎ with infinitive, or מֶּןֿ‎).

Note

1 — לְמַעַן‎ is always in order that, never merely so that ἐκβατικῶς); but sometimes, in rhetorical passages, the issue of a line of action, though really undesigned, is represented by it ironically as if it were designed: Deuteronomy 29:18 (see Dr) ל ֗֗֗ כִּלְבָבוֺ ׳וְהִתְבָּרֵךְ וגו ׳סְפוֺת‎ and he congratulate himself ... in order to sweep away the moistened with the dry (i.e. to destroy all together), Isaiah 30:1; 44:9 ל ידעו ובל יראו ׳בל יֵבוֺשׁוּ‎ in orer that they may be put to shame, Jeremiah 7:18 ׳ל הַכְעִיסֵנִי‎, 7:19 ׳ל פְנֵיהֶם בּשֶׁת‎, 27:10, 15; 32:29; Hosea 8:4 their silver, etc., they have made into idols ׳ל יִכָרֵת‎ in order that it may be cut off (of course, not the real purpose of the idolatry), Amos 2:7; Micah 6:16: compare Psalm 51:6 (see Comn.) in order that thou mightest be just when thou judgest (that is, by manifesting thy justice in judgement on my sin). compare Qor 28:7 (Fl^{Kl. Schr. i. 397 f.}).

Note 2. — In Joshua 4:24 for the anomalous ׳ל יְרָאתֶם‎, read infinitive ׳ל יִרְאָתָם‎ in order that they might fear (Dr^{§ 14 Obs}.): Nehemiah 6:13 אִירָא לְמַעַן הוּא שָׂכוּר לְמַעַן‎ (si vera 1.) the first ׳ל‎ points forwards, to this intent was he hired, to the intent that I should be afraid. — On Proverbs 16:4, see מַעֵנֶה‎ above