Mattathias
Mattathias was an ancestor of Jesus Christ, mentioned in His genealogy (Luk.3.25).
Biography
Mattathias, identified as the son of Amos, appears in Luke's genealogy of Jesus Christ (Luke 3:25). He is a distinct individual from the other Mattathias listed in the same genealogy, separated by several generations. Living during the centuries between the Old and New Testaments, this Mattathias served as another faithful link in the ancestral line through which God would bring the Messiah into the world. His name, shared by several biblical figures, means "gift of the Lord" in Hebrew, testifying to the enduring devotion of Jewish families who named their children in honor of God's generosity. Like many figures in the Lukan genealogy, his life is known only through this single genealogical reference.
Significance
This Mattathias, son of Amos, witnesses to God's meticulous preservation of the messianic lineage through centuries of upheaval and uncertainty. His presence in Luke 3:25 reinforces the theological truth that every generation mattered in God's plan to bring salvation through Jesus Christ. The genealogy in which he appears serves Luke's purpose of demonstrating that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promises to all humanity, not merely to Israel's royal house. Mattathias exemplifies the quiet faithfulness of those who, though unknown to wider history, played an indispensable role in carrying forward the hope of redemption from one generation to the next.
Verse Appearances (1)
Luke
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]