Μαάθ
Maath
Definition
Maath is a proper name of Hebrew origin, appearing in the New Testament as the name of an ancestor of Jesus Christ. In the biblical record, he is listed as the son of Mattathias and the father of Naggai within the genealogy of Jesus presented in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 3:26). The name itself carries no specific semantic meaning in Greek; it is a transliteration used solely to identify this individual within a historical lineage. As such, its definition is confined to this singular referent in scripture.
Biblical Usage
The word Μαάθ is used exactly once in the New Testament, in Luke 3:26. Its usage is strictly onomastic (as a name) and genealogical. It functions as one link in the chain of ancestors tracing Jesus's lineage back to Adam, as recorded by Luke. There are no other contextual uses or patterns, as it appears only in this list.
Etymology
Μαάθ (Maath) is a direct Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name מָעַת (Maʿath). It is not derived from a Greek root and does not have a meaningful etymology in the Greek language. It was adopted phonetically into the Greek text of the New Testament to preserve the Hebrew name within the genealogy.
Semantic Range
While the name Maath itself is not theologically loaded, its inclusion is theologically significant. It represents the meticulous fulfillment of God's promises through a specific, historical lineage. Maath is one of many names in Luke's genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) that anchors Jesus Christ firmly within human history and the covenant line, affirming his identity as the promised Messiah descended from Adam and, ultimately, God. Understanding that this is a transliterated name highlights the Jewish heritage of Jesus and the continuity between the Old and New Testaments.
In the cultural context of 1st-century Judaism and the Greco-Roman world, genealogies were of paramount importance for establishing identity, heritage, priestly lineage, and royal claims. Luke's inclusion of names like Maath would have resonated with readers expecting the Messiah to come from a documented, legitimate line. The practice of transliterating Hebrew names into Greek was common in the Septuagint and New Testament, preserving cultural and ethnic identity within a Hellenistic literary framework.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, a concise public-domain resource suitable for introductory word study. Brief glosses are supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). For advanced research, standard scholarly references include BDAG (Danker, 3rd ed.) and LSJ.
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