לְ/מַטֵּ֛ה
𐤋/𐤌𐤈𐤄
lemateh
of the tribe
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.
Joshua 18:21 · Word #3
Lexicon H4294
| Lemma | מַטֶּה |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤌𐤈𐤄 |
| Transliteration | maṭṭeh |
| Strong's | H4294 |
| In-context | of the tribe |
Morphology HR/Ncmsc
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 H4294-07
to the branch-tribe (m.s.)
| Root | נטה (n-ṭ-h) |
| Core Meanings | to stretch out, extend, spread, incline, bend |
| Semantic Range | branch, staff, rod, sceptre, walking staff, support, tribe (as an extended family branch) |
| Conceptual Significance | מַטֶּה expresses the idea of extension from a root or trunk—whether a physical branch or a tribal lineage descending from a patriarch. It also symbolizes authority (sceptre) and support (staff), making it a key term for Israel’s tribal identity and divinely ordered leadership structure. |
| Morphological Notes | Preposition לְ prefixed to a masculine singular noun; forms include both absolute (Ncmsa) and construct (Ncmsc). Strong’s H4294. The construct form typically governs a following genitive (e.g., "to the tribe of X"). |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun מַטֶּה derives from the root נטה, "to stretch out" or "extend," conveying the idea of something extended like a branch or staff. With the prefixed לְ ("to/for") and as a masculine singular noun (absolute or construct), the rendering "to the branch-tribe" preserves both the root image of extension and the grammatical masculine singular form; in construct contexts it carries the sense "to the branch-tribe of." |
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 |
ateh | I will stretch out |
H4294-01 |
bamateh | in the staff |
H4294-02 |
bematehu | with his extending-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 |