Who was Mattattah in the Bible?

Mattattah was a man from the family of Hashum who lived during the time of Ezra. He is only mentioned because he obeyed Ezra's command to divorce his foreign wife to help restore Israel's covenant purity (Ezra 10:33).

Why did Mattattah divorce his wife?

Mattattah divorced his foreign wife as part of a mass repentance led by Ezra. This difficult action was taken to address the people's disobedience to God's law, which forbade intermarriage with the surrounding pagan nations (Ezra 10:10-11, 44).

What is the significance of Mattattah's story?

Mattattah's story highlights the theme of communal repentance and the cost of obedience to God's covenant. His action, while severe, demonstrates the post-exilic community's commitment to re-establishing their distinct identity as God's people.

Mattattah

Old TestamentExile & ReturnMaleWife

Mattattah, a descendant of Hashum, divorced his foreign wife during Ezra's reforms (Ezr.10.33).

Mattattah

Biography

Mattattah was a post-exilic Israelite from the clan of Hashum who participated in the sweeping reforms led by Ezra the scribe following the return from Babylonian captivity (Ezra 10:33). When Ezra discovered that many Jewish men had married women from surrounding pagan nations in violation of the Mosaic covenant, he called for a public assembly and demanded repentance. Mattattah was among those who acknowledged their transgression and agreed to divorce their foreign wives, a painful but necessary act of covenant renewal. His name, meaning "gift," appears in the lengthy list of men who responded to Ezra's call. Though the personal cost must have been significant, Mattattah's willingness to act demonstrated his commitment to restoring Israel's distinct identity as God's covenant people.

Significance

Mattattah's story illustrates the difficult demands of covenant faithfulness and the cost of corporate repentance. His decision to separate from his foreign wife, recorded in Ezra 10:33, reflects the post-exilic community's urgent need to reestablish religious and ethnic boundaries after the corrupting influence of exile. While modern readers may find the practice troubling, it served a critical theological purpose: preserving the integrity of the community through which the Messiah would come. Mattattah represents the ordinary believer who, when confronted with sin, chooses obedience over personal comfort. His example teaches that spiritual renewal sometimes requires painful sacrifice and that faithfulness to God's covenant must take precedence over all other loyalties.

Verse Appearances (1)

Ezra

Ezra 10:33

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]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources