Original Word: מְנִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Mniy
Pronunciation: meh-NEE
Phonetic Spelling: (men-ee')
KJV: number
NASB: destiny
Word Origin: [from H4487 (מָנָה - appointed)]

1. the Apportioner, i.e. Fate (as an idol)

number

From manah; the Apportioner, i.e. Fate (as an idol) -- number.

see HEBREW manah

Word Origin
from manah
Definition
"award," a heathen god
NASB Translation
destiny (1).

מְנִי proper name, of a divinity Menî, god of fate (award, apportionment; compare Arabic proper name, of divinity. Maniyyât, and perhaps Manât, We^{Skizzen iii.22 f.} 189, , Nö^{ZMG xi. 1886, 709}; in Nabataean מנותו Eut^{Nab. No. 2, 1. 5, etc}.); — מִלֵּא לַמְנִי מִמְסָךְ Isaiah 65:11 ("" לַגַּד) — see Che Di Bae^{Semitic Rel. 79}.

Occurrence and Context

Menî appears once in the Hebrew Scriptures, in Isaiah 65:11, where the prophet indicts those who “prepare a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny.” In the indictment, the people who should be seeking the LORD are depicted as spreading a sacrificial feast before two pagan powers—Gad (“Fortune”) and Menî (“Destiny”). The act is an intentional, ritualized rejection of covenant loyalty, setting human fate under false gods rather than under the sovereign hand of Israel’s Redeemer.

Historical Background

Extra-biblical sources from Mesopotamia and North-west Arabia evidence widespread devotion to astral or abstract deities controlling luck and fate. A pair of gods named *Gad* and *Manāt* (a North-Arabian goddess of destiny) is well documented. Isaiah’s pairing of Gad and Menî therefore reflects a real cultic practice in the late eighth to early seventh centuries B.C. The setting is post-exilic Judah or its immediate horizon, where returning or remaining Israelites had imbibed foreign customs. The “table” and “mixed wine” emulate covenant meals yet are reoriented toward impersonal fate-gods. Such syncretism obscured the uniqueness of Yahweh, prompting prophetic censure.

Theological Significance

1. Idolatry of Control Menî personifies the human impulse to secure one’s future by ritual manipulation rather than by obedient trust. Isaiah juxtaposes the LORD’s sovereign declaration—“I will destine you to the sword” (Isaiah 65:12)—with the people’s self-chosen “destiny.” The passage exposes the futility of transferring final authority from the Creator to created powers.
2. Covenant Accountability By shaping altars for Menî, Israel violates the first commandment (Exodus 20:3) and repudiates her vocation as a light to the nations. Isaiah 65:11–12 therefore attaches a judicial sentence: “you did not listen, so you will bow down to the slaughter”. God Himself fixes destiny; apostates receive a destiny antithetical to the blessings promised to faithful remnant (Isaiah 65:8–10, 13–15).
3. Eschatological Reversal Immediately following the oracle, the prophet foretells “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17). Those who surrendered their future to Menî are excluded from that consummation. The narrative arc points to Christ, “the Author and Perfecter” (Hebrews 12:2), in whom destiny is ultimately secured.

Contrast with Biblical Teaching on Providence

• Proverbs 16:33: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.”
• Jeremiah 10:23: “A man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.”
• Ephesians 1:11: “In Him we were also chosen… according to the plan of Him who works out everything by the counsel of His will.”

These texts assert an all-embracing providence incompatible with any appeal to luck or fate. Menî thus serves as a foil; his impotence highlights the living God’s exhaustive sovereignty.

Ministry Application

1. Evangelism Modern fascination with horoscopes, superstition, and chance mirrors ancient devotion to Menî. Isaiah’s critique encourages believers to expose such practices as substitutes for genuine faith and to commend the gospel’s assurance that “all the days ordained for me were written in Your book” (Psalm 139:16).
2. Pastoral Care Anxiety over the future often drives people toward fatalism. Shepherds can redirect hearts to Romans 8:28, emphasizing that destiny is not a capricious impersonal force but a personal Father orchestrating good for those who love Him.
3. Worship Purity Corporate gatherings must avoid syncretistic symbols that blur God’s unique glory. Isaiah 65 warns against baptizing cultural “luck” motifs into Christian liturgy.
4. Ethical Confidence Because God—not Menî—steers history, obedience need not be compromised by fear of outcomes. Daniel 3:17–18 exemplifies loyalty under the conviction that “Our God is able… but even if He does not,” we remain faithful.

Summary

Menî stands as Scripture’s lone-named deity of destiny, denounced in a single yet potent verse. By spotlighting Menî, Isaiah reveals the perennial temptation to surrender the future to impersonal forces. The prophet answers with a vision of a sovereign, covenant-keeping LORD who alone assigns destiny—ultimately fulfilled in Christ and consummated in the new creation.

לַמְנִ֥י למני lam·nî lamNi lamnîInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts