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מַתַּתָּה

𐤌𐤕𐤕𐤄

Matatah

H4992 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נתן to give, grant, bestow

Definition

Personal name meaning 'gift of Yah', denoting an individual whose birth is understood as a gift or blessing attributed to YHWH. Primarily used as a proper noun referring to an Israelite man listed among those returning from exile.

Semantic Range

personal name, 'gift of Yah', proper noun referring to an Israelite individual, name denoting divine favor or blessing

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root נתן (n-t-n, 'to give') with the theophoric element יה (Yah[u]), forming a compound meaning 'gift of Yah[weh]'. The name reflects a common pattern in Hebrew personal names that attribute the birth or characteristics of a person to YHWH.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַתַּתָּה appears in the genealogical lists of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 8:4) as the proper name of an Israelite associated with the restoration community returning from Babylonian exile. The structure of the name places it among the theophoric personal names, which were intended to honor or invoke the Israelite deity. The spelling and formation are typical of Late Biblical Hebrew, particularly among names emerging or recorded in exilic and post-exilic contexts. Closely related to מַתִּתְיָה (Mattithiah) and others sharing the נתן root, though differing slightly in form. Most English translations render the name directly as ''Mattattah'' or in the Greek form ''Mattathah'' in the Septuagint and New Testament genealogies, where it appears as an ancestor name. The meaning attached, 'gift of Yah', is paralleled in contemporary Semitic naming conventions but remains theological without later religious associations (such as 'Jew'). The word is not used as a common noun but strictly as a personal name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

for מַתִּתְיָה; gift of Jah; Mattattah, an Israelite; Mattathah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נתן (n-t-n) — to give, grant, bestow

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3129 יוֹנָתָן in Yahweh-has-given
H4976 מַתָּן Mattan
H4977 מַתָּן Gift
H4978 מַתְּנָא gifts
H4979 מַתָּנָה with their gifts

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4992-01 מַתַּתָּה֙ matatah HNp Mattattah Gift of Yah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4992-01 Ezra 10:33 מַתַּתָּה֙ matatah HNp Mattattah Gift of Yah
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