Mattenai
The Name Mattenai
Mattenai is a Hebrew name meaning "liberal," "gift," or "gift of God." It belongs to a group of related names in the Old Testament (including Mattaniah, Mattan, and Mattathias) that share the root meaning of giving. The name appears exclusively in the post-exilic books of Ezra and Nehemiah, connecting all three individuals to the period when Jewish identity and religious purity were being reestablished after the Babylonian exile.
Two Men Who Married Foreign Wives
The first two individuals named Mattenai appear in Ezra 10:33 and 10:37, both listed among the men who had married foreign (non-Israelite) wives and were required to separate from them during Ezra's reform. One was a descendant of Hashum, and the other a descendant of Bani. In 1 Esdras 9:33, the apocryphal parallel, the first Mattenai appears under the name "Altanneus."
Ezra's reform regarding foreign marriages was a response to the crisis of religious syncretism that threatened the returning community. Deuteronomy 7:3-4 had warned against intermarriage with surrounding peoples because of the danger that foreign spouses would lead Israelites into idolatry. When Ezra arrived in Jerusalem and discovered the extent of intermarriage, he tore his garments in grief and led the community in confession and repentance (Ezra 9:1-10:6). The public assembly that followed resulted in a list of those who had taken foreign wives and who agreed to put them away.
Mattenai the Priest
The third Mattenai was a priest who served during the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the high priest in the generation following the return from exile (Nehemiah 12:19). Mattenai represented the priestly house of Joiarib, one of the established priestly families. His listing in Nehemiah 12 is part of a comprehensive record of priestly and Levitical leadership that demonstrates the continuity of temple worship from the pre-exilic period through the restoration.
The Context of Ezra's Reforms
The foreign marriage crisis addressed in Ezra 9-10 was one of the most controversial episodes in post-exilic history. The returning community was small and vulnerable, surrounded by peoples who practiced different religions. Intermarriage threatened to dissolve the distinctive identity and worship practices that defined Israel as God's covenant people. The men named Mattenai who put away their foreign wives were participating in a painful but necessary effort to preserve the community's faithfulness to God.
The Priestly Houses of Nehemiah 12
The record of priestly families in Nehemiah 12 served to establish the legitimacy of the temple worship system in the post-exilic period. Each priestly house traced its lineage to one of the original families that had returned from Babylon. Mattenai's service in the house of Joiarib is significant because the Joiarib family later became prominent as the priestly clan from which the Maccabees descended (1 Maccabees 2:1). These records ensured that only qualified individuals served in the temple and that the worship of God continued according to established traditions.
The Value of Faithful Service
The three Mattenais of Scripture represent different aspects of post-exilic faithfulness. The two who put away foreign wives demonstrated painful obedience to God's commands, while the priest who served in Joiakim's generation showed steady dedication to the worship system. Together, they illustrate that maintaining covenant faithfulness sometimes requires difficult personal sacrifices and always demands consistent, ongoing service.
Biblical Context
Mattenai appears in Ezra 10:33 (a son of Hashum) and Ezra 10:37 (a son of Bani) among those who married foreign wives, and in Nehemiah 12:19 as a priest of the house of Joiarib. These references place all three individuals in the post-exilic period, during the reforms of Ezra and the administrative organization under Nehemiah.
Theological Significance
The Mattenais who put away foreign wives illustrate the costly nature of covenant obedience. Ezra's reform teaches that maintaining faithfulness to God sometimes requires painful personal decisions. The priestly Mattenai demonstrates the importance of continuity in worship leadership. Together, these figures show that preserving the covenant community requires both dramatic acts of repentance and steady, faithful service.
Historical Background
The post-exilic Jewish community, numbering perhaps 50,000 returnees, faced the challenge of maintaining its distinct identity among much larger surrounding populations. Intermarriage was a practical concern as well as a theological one, since it could lead to the absorption of the Jewish community into the broader population. The priestly records in Nehemiah 12 reflect the administrative organization of the Second Temple, which was built around 516 BC and served as the center of Jewish worship until its destruction by Rome in AD 70.