Ματταθίας
Mattathías
G3161 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name: Mattathias. A personal name of Hebrew origin, typically meaning 'gift of Yahweh'. Used as the name of one or more individuals in genealogical lists, specifically referencing Israelite or early Christian figures. The primary lexical meaning is as a male proper name; its semantic sense points to the idea of being bestowed or given by Yahweh.
Semantic Range
(proper name) Mattathias; Mattithiah; early Israelite male name; ancestral figure in genealogies; 'gift of Yahweh'
Root / Etymology
From Hebrew מַתִּתְיָה (Mattithyah, 'gift of Yahweh'). Derived from the Hebrew root נתן (nathan, 'to give') combined with the theophoric element יה ('Yah' = Yahweh).
Historical & Contextual Notes
The name Ματταθίας appears in Greek sources as the equivalent of the Hebrew 'Mattithyah', found in various biblical genealogies, especially in the Lukan genealogy of Jesus (Luke 3:25–26) in the New Testament, where two separate individuals bear this name. The name was relatively common among Israelites in the Second Temple period and is attested in both biblical and non-biblical Jewish sources (e.g., the Hasmonean patriarch). In the LXX and NT, Ματταθίας serves only as a personal name—a transliteration of the Hebrew. English translations typically just reproduce the Greek form as 'Mattathias,' 'Mattathiah,' or similar, without conveying the original meaning ('gift of Yahweh'). The usage in the New Testament reflects ongoing Hellenization, preserving Hebrew names through Greek transliteration. No significant semantic shift occurs from the Hebrew to Greek, and the term is not used as a title, honorific, or general noun—only as a specific proper name.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of Hebrew origin (מַתִּתְיָה); Mattathias (i.e. Mattithjah), an Israelite and a Christian:--Mattathias.
Root Family
Ματταθίας (Mattathias) — gift, giving, Yahweh
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G3161-01 |
Ματταθίου | mattathiou | N GEN M SG |
Mattathias | of Mattathias | Mattathias | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences