Original Word: מָאֵן
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ma'en
Pronunciation: mah-ane'
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-ane')
KJV: refuse, X utterly
NASB: refused, refuse, refuses, refusing, absolutely refuses
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to refuse

refuse, utterly

A primitive root; to refuse -- refuse, X utterly.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to refuse
NASB Translation
absolutely refuses (1), refuse (8), refused (26), refuses (4), refusing (2).

[מָאֵן verb Pi`el refuse (

Qal perhaps be distasteful, compare Syr, taeduit, piguit, Aph`el be slothful; Late Hebrew Pi`el, as term, techn. of girl, refuse to acknowledge marriage contract; possibly akin to Ethiopic reject; Arabic is sustain, maintain); —

Pi`el Perfect מֵאֵן Exodus 7:14 4t.; feminine singular מֵאֲנָה Jeremiah 15:18 3t.; מֵאַנְתָּ Exodus 10:3, etc.; Imperfect יְמָאֵן Exodus 22:16; וַיְמָאֵן Genesis 37:35 8t. etc.; Inf. abs מָאֵן Exodus 22:16; — refuse, (followed by Infinitive except 6 t. see below) human subject Genesis 37:35 (J), Jeremiah 31:15; Exodus 22:17 (twice in verse); Numbers 20:21; Numbers 22:14 (all E), Deuteronomy 25:7; 1 Samuel 8:19; 2 Samuel 2:23; 2 Samuel 13:9; 1 Kings 20:35; 1 Kings 21:15; Esther 1:12; Jeremiah 50:33 compare Job 6:7; Psalm 77:3; Proverbs 21:25; Jeremiah 15:18; without Infinitive וַיְמָאֵן וַיּאֹמֶר Genesis 39:8; Genesis 48:19 (both J), 1 Samuel 28:23;; also 2 Kings 5:16; especially of refusing to obey ׳י's commands Exodus 4:23; Exodus 7:14; Exodus 10:3; Exodus 16:28 (all J), Nehemiah 9:17; also Psalm 78:10; Proverbs 21:7; Hosea 11:5, see especially Jeremiah 3:3; Jeremiah 5:3 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 8:5; Jeremiah 9:5; Jeremiah 11:10; compare Jeremiah 25:28; Zechariah 7:11; without Infinitive = be recusant Proverbs 1:24; Isaiah 1:20 once subject ׳י Numbers 22:13 (E).

Overview

Used roughly forty-one times, the verb portrays a conscious, willful act of saying “No.” Whether it is Pharaoh defying the command of the LORD, Israel spurning prophetic exhortation, or an individual declining comfort or reward, the action is deliberate and accountable. In every context the refusal exposes the inner posture of the heart and invites divine assessment.

Domains of Refusal

1. Refusal of Divine Command
• Pharaoh: “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go” (Exodus 7:14). Eight separate warnings (Exodus 4:23; 7:14; 8:2; 8:21; 9:2; 10:3; 10:4; 10:27) trace a mounting obstinacy that evokes escalating plagues.
• Judah and Jerusalem: “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword” (Isaiah 1:20). Refusal becomes covenant infidelity and invites covenant curses.

2. Refusal to Listen to Prophetic Voice
• “Because I called and you refused to listen, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention” (Proverbs 1:24).
• “They refused to pay attention; they turned a stubborn shoulder” (Zechariah 7:11).

In wisdom and prophetic literature the verb characterizes hardened ears, closing the path to repentance.

3. Refusal of Comfort
• Jacob mourning Joseph: “He refused to be comforted, saying, ‘I will go down to Sheol to my son in mourning’” (Genesis 37:35).
• Rachel weeping: “she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more” (Jeremiah 31:15).

Grief can reach a depth where the sufferer actively declines consolation; yet Jeremiah 31 answers Rachel’s refusal with the promise of restoration (31:16-17).

4. Refusal of Sinful Proposal
• Joseph toward Potiphar’s wife: “He refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘How could I do this great wickedness and sin against God?’” (Genesis 39:8-9).

Holy refusal here becomes a positive moral stand, showing that the verb can describe righteous resistance as well as rebellion.

5. Refusal of Requests or Rewards
• The Levite of Judges 19: “He refused to spend the night” (19:10).
• Elisha toward Naaman: “But he refused” the lavish gift (2 Kings 5:16).
• Queen Vashti: “Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command” (Esther 1:12).

These incidents reveal social and political consequences that flow from personal decisions to refuse.

Historical Arc

From Genesis to Zechariah the verb charts Israel’s story: patriarchal sorrow, Egyptian oppression, wilderness vows (Numbers 22:13; 30:5, 8, 11), tribal conflicts, monarchy demands (1 Samuel 8:19), prophetic warnings, and post-exilic hardness. Each era illustrates either the peril or the protection found in the power to refuse.

Theological Significance

• Human Responsibility: Refusal is never portrayed as a neutral accident; it is a moral act for which God holds persons, families, and nations accountable.
• Divine Patience and Judgment: The LORD repeatedly issues calls, allowing space for repentance before judgment falls (Exodus plagues, prophetic appeals).
• Sovereign Mercy: Even after repeated refusals, God promises a new covenant that will overcome hardened hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Ministry Implications

1. Preaching and Evangelism

The verb underscores the urgency of response. Every sermon confronts hearers with the choice either to “refuse Him who speaks” (echoed in Hebrews 12:25) or to submit in faith.

2. Pastoral Care

When grief-stricken believers “refuse to be comforted,” Scripture models patient lament, honest acknowledgment of pain, and gentle reminder of future hope (Jeremiah 31:16-17; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

3. Discipleship

Joseph’s godly refusal teaches believers to exercise sanctified “No” against temptation, demonstrating that resistance can be an act of worship.

4. Leadership

Pharaoh’s hard heart warns spiritual leaders against stubbornness, while Elisha’s refusal of payment illustrates integrity and freedom from greed.

Key Passages for Reflection

Genesis 37:35; Genesis 39:8-9; Exodus 7:14; Numbers 30:5; Deuteronomy 25:7; 1 Samuel 8:19; 2 Kings 5:16; Psalm 78:10; Proverbs 1:24; Isaiah 1:20; Jeremiah 31:15; Zechariah 7:11.

Summary

The verb reveals both the peril of shutting one’s heart to God and the virtue of rejecting evil. Scripture consistently treats refusal as a morally charged decision that shapes destinies, magnifies divine holiness, and calls every generation to choose obedience over obstinacy.

וַיְמָאֲנ֣וּ וַיְמָאֵ֓ן ׀ וַיְמָאֵ֖ן וַיְמָאֵ֗ן וַיְמָאֵ֣ן וַיְמָאֵ֣ן ׀ וַיְמָאֵ֥ן וַיְמָאֵֽן׃ וַיְמָאֵן֙ וַתְּמָאֵ֑נוּ וַתְּמָאֵ֖ן וַתְּמָאֵ֞ן וימאן וימאן׃ וימאנו ותמאן ותמאנו יְמָאֲנ֛וּ יְמָאֵ֛ן ימאן ימאנו מֵ֝אֲנ֗וּ מֵֽאֲנָה֙ מֵֽאֲנוּ֙ מֵֽאַנְתֶּ֔ם מֵאֲנ֖וּ מֵאֲנ֥וּ מֵאֲנָ֖ה מֵאֲנָ֛ה מֵאֲנָ֣ה מֵאֵ֖ן מֵאֵ֣ן מֵאֵ֥ן מֵאֵ֨ין מֵאֵן֙ מֵאַ֔נְתָּ מֵאַ֖נְתְּ מָאֵ֧ן מאין מאן מאנה מאנו מאנת מאנתם תְּמָאֲנ֖וּ תמאנו mā’ên mā·’ên maEn mê’ănāh mê’ant mê’antā mê’antem mê’ănū mê’ên mê·’ă·nāh mê·’ă·nū mê·’an·tā mê·’an·tem mê·’ant mê·’ên meaNah meAnt meAnta meanTem meaNu meEin meEn tə·mā·’ă·nū təmā’ănū temaaNu vattemaEn vattemaEnu vaymaaNu vaymaEn wat·tə·mā·’ê·nū wat·tə·mā·’ên wattəmā’ên wattəmā’ênū way·mā·’ă·nū way·mā·’ên waymā’ănū waymā’ên yə·mā·’ă·nū yə·mā·’ên yəmā’ănū yəmā’ên yemaaNu yemaEnInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts