so that, in order that; for the sake of, on account of
ma.an marks the purpose or stated grounds of an action in biblical clauses.
As a grammatical connector, ma.an links an action or circumstance either to its intended outcome or to the grounds given for it: commands may be followed by their result, and acts or decisions may be framed with the reason for them.
Senses in use
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Connector of purpose or stated grounds · dominant
The supplied forms are tagged as Preposition and connect clauses or phrases rather than naming an entity. In Deuteronomy 11:8 the APB renders the command to keep every commandment followed by “so that you may be strong” and possess the land; in 2 Chronicles 32:18 it renders the enemies' cry as intended “so that they might capture the city.” The same connector also introduces stated grounds: in 1 Kings 11:13 the APB gives one tribe “for the sake of David” and Jerusalem, while in 2 Kings 19:34 it gives the city's defense “for my own sake and for the sake of David my servant.”
In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB variously presents the connective relation with phrases such as “so that,” “in order to,” “for the sake of,” and “because.” These phrases show the clause-level relation rather than fixed English equivalents for each token.