מַטֵּ/הוּ֮
𐤌𐤈/𐤄𐤅
matehu
staff
or (feminine) מַטָּה; from נָטָה; a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread); rod, staff, tribe.
Exodus 10:13 · Word #4
Lexicon H4294
| Lemma | מַטֶּה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤌𐤈𐤄 |
| Transliteration | maṭṭeh |
| Strong's | H4294 |
| In-context | staff |
Morphology HNcmsc/Sp3ms
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | c — Common — Common noun |
| Gender | m — Masculine — Masculine |
| Number | s — Singular — Singular |
| State | c — Construct — The noun is bound to the following word |
SIBI-P1 H4294-10
his staff-branch
| Morphological Notes | Masculine singular noun in construct form (מַטֶּה) with 3rd masculine singular pronominal suffix (־הוּ), yielding "his …". Though sometimes treated as absolute with suffix, the pointing reflects the construct + suffix form. |
| Rendering Rationale | מַטֶּה derives from the root נטה, "to stretch out" or "extend," referring to something extended like a branch or rod. The form is masculine singular in construct with a 3ms pronominal suffix, so "his" is required. "Staff-branch" preserves both the physical image of an extended rod and the underlying idea of something stretched out from the root. |
View full lexicon entry for H4294 →
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root נטה (to stretch out, extend, spread, incline, bend)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H5186-01 |
at | I have stretched out |
H5186-02 |
ateh | I will stretch out |
H4294-01 |
bamateh | in the staff |
Word Usage (252 occurrences of H4294)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis 38:18 | וּ/מַטְּ/ךָ֖ | umatekha | and your staff |
| Genesis 38:25 | וְ/הַ/מַּטֶּ֖ה | vehamateh | and the staff |
| Exodus 4:2 | מַטֶּֽה | mateh | a staff |