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מַטֶּה

𐤌𐤈𐤄

maṭṭeh

H4294 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A staff, rod, or branch, typically of wood, often used as a physical implement for support, authority, correction, or symbolic representation. By metonymy, it also designates a division or subdivision of the Israelite tribes, i.e., a clan or tribal group (particularly in census and land allocation contexts).

Semantic Range

staff, rod, walking stick, scepter (symbol of authority), branch, tribe (as an extended group), clan, division, support

Root / Etymology

The noun מַטֶּה derives from the root נָטָה (natah), meaning 'to stretch out, extend, incline.' The original semantic sense relates to something that is stretched out—hence, a staff or rod. From this physical sense developed several figurative extensions: authority (a ruler's scepter), lineage (an extended branch representing a tribe), and support (a staff for walking).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the biblical period, מַטֶּה predominantly refers to a physical staff or rod—an implement with various uses including walking (Gen 32:11), leading animals, exercising authority (Exod 4:20, 'the staff of God' held by Moses), or as a symbol of tribal leadership (Num 17:2-10, where each Israelite tribe is represented by a staff). The extended meaning of מַטֶּה as 'tribe' is unique to the Israelite context, notably in texts concerning tribal census, genealogy, and land apportionment; the term is used interchangeably with שֵׁבֶט (shevet), though שֵׁבֶט also more strongly denotes 'rod' in the sense of discipline or ruling power. While most English translations render מַטֶּה as 'staff' or 'rod' in literal contexts and 'tribe' in genealogical contexts, the transitions between these senses highlight the fluidity of metonymy in biblical Hebrew. In later periods, after the tribal system waned, the usage of מַטֶּה as 'tribe' diminished. The feminine form מַטָּה occurs rarely and has an identical range of meanings. Neither 'tribe' nor 'scepter' in later English or religious usage captures the original material and metonymic breadth of the term as used in biblical texts.

Translation Consistency

primary "tribe" 26 occurrences

Most occurrences in the SIBI data use the tribal/branch sense (115 vs 49 for "staff"); in census, land, and clan contexts "tribe" is the natural, idiomatic English rendering that covers "clan/division/branch". The physical-staff sense is real but less frequent and can be handled as a contextual variant while keeping consistent use of a single base word.

Alternatives (24 occurrences):
"staff" (21x) "staff of" (1x) "staffs" (1x) "staff-of" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

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.

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Akan Twi mat-taw' a branch

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Root Family

נטה (Yutah) — to stretch out, extend, spread

Root נטה to stretch out, extend, incline
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3194 יֻטָּה and Extended-Place
H4295 מַטָּה downward
H4296 מִטָּה the stretched-out bed
H4297 מֻטֶּה bent distortion
H4298 מֻטָּה stretches of

Word Forms

25 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4294-09 מַטֵּ֨ה mateh HNcmsc tribe staff-branch tribe 71
H4294-07 לְ/מַטֶּ֖ה lemateh HR/Ncmsa of the tribe to a staff to the tribe 52
H4294-20 וּ/מִ/מַּטֵּ֣ה umimateh HC/R/Ncmsc and from the tribe and from the branch-of and from the tribe of 27
H4294-14 מִ/מַּטֵּ֣ה mimateh HR/Ncmsc from the tribe from a staff-branch from the tribe 18
H4294-04 הַ/מַּטֶּ֡ה hamateh HTd/Ncmsa the tribe the staff the tribe 13
H4294-05 הַ/מַּטּוֹת֩ hamatot HTd/Ncmpa the tribes the staffs the tribes 13
H4294-12 מַטּ֣וֹת matot HNcmpc tribes extended branches of tribes of 10
H4294-10 מַטֵּ֗/הוּ matehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his staff his staff his staff 7
H4294-16 וּ/לְ/מַטֵּה֙ ulemateh HC/R/Ncmsc of the tribe and to the staff-of and to the tribe-of 7
H4294-17 וּ/מַטֵּ֥ה umateh HC/Ncmsc and staff and staff-of and tribe-of 6

Occurrences in Scripture

252 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4294-19 Genesis 38:18 וּ/מַטְּ/ךָ֖ umatekha HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms and your staff and your staff and your staff
H4294-22 Genesis 38:25 וְ/הַ/מַּטֶּ֖ה vehamateh HC/Td/Ncmsa and the staff and the staff and the staff
H4294-09 Exodus 4:2 מַטֶּֽה mateh HNcmsa a staff staff-branch staff
H4294-07 Exodus 4:4 לְ/מַטֶּ֖ה lemateh HR/Ncmsa a staff to a staff to a staff
H4294-04 Exodus 4:17 הַ/מַּטֶּ֥ה hamateh HTd/Ncmsa the staff the staff the staff
H4294-09 Exodus 4:20 מַטֵּ֥ה mateh HNcmsc the staff of staff-branch staff
H4294-11 Exodus 7:9 מַטְּ/ךָ֛ matekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your staff your staff your staff
H4294-10 Exodus 7:10 מַטֵּ֗/הוּ matehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his staff his staff his staff
H4294-10 Exodus 7:12 מַטֵּ֔/הוּ matehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his staff his staff his staff
H4294-09 Exodus 7:12 מַטֵּֽה mateh HNcmsc the staff of staff-branch the staff of
H4294-13 Exodus 7:12 מַטֹּתָֽ/ם matotam HNcmpc/Sp3mp their staffs their staffs their staffs
H4294-22 Exodus 7:15 וְ/הַ/מַּטֶּ֛ה vehamateh HC/Td/Ncmsa and the staff and the staff and the staff
H4294-01 Exodus 7:17 בַּ/מַּטֶּ֣ה bamateh HRd/Ncmsa with the staff in the staff with the staff
H4294-11 Exodus 7:19 מַטְּ/ךָ֣ matekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your staff your staff your staff
H4294-01 Exodus 7:20 בַּ/מַּטֶּה֙ bamateh HRd/Ncmsa the staff in the staff with the staff
H4294-03 Exodus 8:1 בְּ/מַטֶּ֔/ךָ bematekha HR/Ncmsc/Sp2ms with your staff with your staff with your staff
H4294-11 Exodus 8:12 מַטְּ/ךָ֔ matekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your staff your staff your staff
H4294-25 Exodus 8:13 בְ/מַטֵּ֨/הוּ֙ vematehu HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms with his staff with his staff with his staff
H4294-10 Exodus 9:23 מַטֵּ/הוּ֮ matehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his staff his staff his staff
H4294-10 Exodus 10:13 מַטֵּ/הוּ֮ matehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms staff his staff his staff
H4294-11 Exodus 14:16 מַטְּ/ךָ֗ matekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your staff your staff your staff
H4294-19 Exodus 17:5 וּ/מַטְּ/ךָ֗ umatekha HC/Ncmsc/Sp2ms and your staff and your staff and your staff
H4294-17 Exodus 17:9 וּ/מַטֵּ֥ה umateh HC/Ncmsc and staff and staff-of and staff-of
H4294-07 Exodus 31:2 לְ/מַטֵּ֥ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Exodus 31:6 לְ/מַטֵּה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of-tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Exodus 35:30 לְ/מַטֵּ֥ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of tribe of to a staff of the tribe of
H4294-07 Exodus 35:34 לְ/מַטֵּה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of-tribe-of to a staff of tribe
H4294-07 Exodus 38:22 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe of to a staff of the tribe of
H4294-07 Exodus 38:23 לְ/מַטֵּה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe of to a staff of the tribe of
H4294-07 Leviticus 24:11 לְ/מַטֵּה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe of to a staff of the tribe of
H4294-09 Leviticus 26:26 מַטֵּה mateh HNcmsc staff staff-branch staff
H4294-06 Numbers 1:4 לַ/מַּטֶּ֑ה lamateh HRd/Ncmsa for the tribe to the staff to the tribe
H4294-12 Numbers 1:16 מַטּ֣וֹת matot HNcmpc of the tribes extended branches of tribes of
H4294-07 Numbers 1:21 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:23 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:25 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:27 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:29 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:31 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:33 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:35 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:37 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:39 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:41 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:43 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc of the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-07 Numbers 1:47 לְ/מַטֵּ֣ה lemateh HR/Ncmsc according to the tribe to a staff to the tribe
H4294-09 Numbers 1:49 מַטֵּ֤ה mateh HNcmsc tribe staff-branch tribe
H4294-09 Numbers 2:5 מַטֵּ֣ה mateh HNcmsc the tribe staff-branch tribe
H4294-09 Numbers 2:7 מַטֵּ֖ה mateh HNcmsc tribe staff-branch tribe
H4294-09 Numbers 2:12 מַטֵּ֣ה mateh HNcmsc the tribe staff-branch tribe
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