מַתְּנַי
Mattenai, the name of three Israelites
Definition
Mattenai is a proper name given to three different individuals in the post-exilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The name means 'gift' or 'liberal,' derived from the Hebrew root for 'gift.' In Ezra 10:33, one Mattenai is listed among those who had married foreign wives and pledged to send them away. In Ezra 10:37, another Mattenai is mentioned in a similar list. In Nehemiah 12:19, a third Mattenai is recorded as a priestly head of a father's house during the time of the high priest Joiakim. All instances refer to distinct Israelite men in the restoration community.
Biblical Usage
The name Mattenai appears exclusively in the post-exilic historical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, which document the return from Babylonian captivity and the re-establishment of Jewish community and worship. It is used solely as a personal name for male Israelites. In Ezra 10:33 and 10:37, it identifies men who were part of the group that had taken foreign wives, a serious breach of covenant law addressed by Ezra. In Nehemiah 12:19, it identifies a priestly leader, showing the name was used among both lay and priestly families. All three occurrences are simple identifications within lists.
Etymology
Mattenai (מַתְּנַי) is a proper noun derived from the Hebrew common noun mattan (מַתָּן, H4976), which means 'gift.' The name is formed with a common Hebrew suffix (-ay) often used in personal names. It shares the same root as the name Mattan (e.g., 2 Kings 11:18) and is conceptually related to the verb natan (נָתַן, H5414), meaning 'to give.' The name essentially means 'my gift' or 'gift of [God/Yahweh],' reflecting a theophoric element common in Hebrew names, though the divine name is not explicitly attached here.
Semantic Range
While the name itself is not theologically loaded, its meaning ('gift') and its context in Ezra-Nehemiah are significant. These books emphasize covenant faithfulness and purity in the restored community. The men named Mattenai in Ezra 10 were part of a group whose actions threatened this purity, yet they submitted to Ezra's reforms. This highlights themes of repentance, community restoration, and the importance of obedience to God's law. The name, meaning 'gift,' may subtly contrast with their initial act of taking foreign wives—a 'gift' misdirected—and their subsequent return to covenant life, which is itself a gift from God.
In ancient Israelite culture, names were often meaningful and expressed hopes, character traits, or gratitude to God. A name like Mattenai ('my gift') likely expressed parental thankfulness for a child or acknowledged the child as a blessing from God. The appearance of this name in multiple families post-exile shows the continuity of Hebrew naming traditions even after the disruption of the Babylonian captivity. The fact that individuals with this name are found in both priestly (Nehemiah 12:19) and lay (Ezra 10) lists indicates it was not exclusive to a particular social class.
Matan (מַתָּן, H4976) — The base noun meaning 'gift,' from which Mattenai is derived. Nathan (נָתָן, H5416) — A common personal name meaning 'He [God] has given,' sharing the same verbal root. Mattan (מַתָּן, H4977) — Another personal name (e.g., a priest of Baal) meaning 'gift,' virtually identical in form to the common noun.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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