Bible Word Study
Ματταθά
mattatha · Mattatha
Ματταθά
Mattatha
Definition
Mattatha is a personal name found in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke. He is listed as a descendant of King David and an ancestor of Jesus through the line of Nathan (Luke 3:31). The name itself is of Hebrew origin, meaning 'gift of Yahweh' or 'gift of God.' As a name in a genealogical list, its primary significance is its placement within the lineage that connects Jesus to the royal house of David, fulfilling Old Testament messianic prophecies.
Biblical Usage
The name Ματταθά (Mattatha) is used only once in the New Testament, specifically in Luke 3:31. It appears within the genealogy that traces Jesus's ancestry back to Adam. In this context, it functions solely as a proper name identifying a specific individual in the generational chain from David to Jesus. No other usage or contextual pattern exists in the biblical text.
Etymology
The name Ματταθά (Mattatha) is a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew name, likely מַתַּתָּה (Mattattah), which means 'gift of Yahweh.' It is derived from the Hebrew root נָתַן (natan), meaning 'to give,' combined with a shortened form of the divine name Yahweh. This follows a common Hebrew naming pattern, similar to names like Matthew (Matthaios, G3156) and Nathanael (G3482), which also incorporate the concept of a divine gift.
Semantic Range
While the name Mattatha itself is not theologically loaded, its inclusion in Luke's genealogy (Luke 3:23-38) is theologically significant. It helps establish Jesus's legal and human descent from King David, a crucial requirement for the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12-16, Isaiah 11:1). Understanding that this name means 'gift of God' subtly reinforces the theme of Jesus as the ultimate divine gift sent to humanity. The genealogy emphasizes Jesus's solidarity with all people and his rightful place in salvation history. In first-century Jewish culture, genealogies were vital for establishing lineage, tribal affiliation, inheritance rights, and, most importantly, messianic claims. A name meaning 'gift of Yahweh' reflects a common practice of using theophoric names (names containing a god's name) to express faith and identity. Being listed in a formal genealogy conferred legitimacy and social standing, making Mattatha's inclusion a culturally recognized link in the chain validating Jesus's Davidic heritage. Matthaios (G3156) — The Greek form of 'Matthew,' sharing the same Hebrew root meaning 'gift of Yahweh.' Nathanael (G3482) — A name meaning 'God has given,' from the same Hebrew verb (natan) but with a different theophoric element.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Dodson Greek-English Lexicon, supplemented by STEPBible TBESG data (CC BY 4.0). Concordance and morphology data are derived from the interlinear Bible.
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]