MATTANAH

(Matʹta·nah) [a gift].

One of Israel’s encampments between the Arnon torrent valley and the territory of Sihon the Amorite. (Num. 21:13-21) Khirbet el-Medeiyineh, about twenty-two miles (35 kilometers) E of the Dead Sea, is generally thought to occupy the ancient site.

MATTANIAH

(Mat·ta·niʹah) [gift of Jehovah].

1. A Levite, a son of Heman, of Asaph’s family. He was selected by lot to head the ninth service group of Levitical musicians as arranged by David.—1 Chron. 25:1, 4, 8, 9, 16.

2. A Levite of the sons of Asaph living in the time of King Jehoshaphat. (2 Chron. 20:14) He may be the Mattaniah mentioned in 1 Chronicles 9:15 and Nehemiah 13:13. It may be another Mattaniah or the representative of that house that is mentioned in Nehemiah 12:8; compare Nehemiah 11:17, 22; 12:25.

3. A Levite descendant of Asaph who assisted in cleansing the house of Jehovah in King Hezekiah’s time.—2 Chron. 29:12-16.

4. A son of King Josiah and the uncle of King Jehoiachin. He was put on the throne of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who changed his name to Zedekiah.—2 Ki. 24:15-17; see ZEDEKIAH.

5. An Israelite among the “sons of Elam” who sent away foreign wives.—Ezra 10:25, 26, 44.

6. An Israelite among the “sons of Zattu” who sent away foreign wives.—Ezra 10:25, 27, 44.

7. An Israelite among the “sons of Pahath-moab” who sent away foreign wives.—Ezra 10:25, 30, 44.

8. An Israelite among the “sons of Bani” who sent away foreign wives.—Ezra 10:25, 34, 37, 44.

MATTATHA

(Matʹta·tha) [gift of Jehovah].

A man of the tribe of Judah who was a son of Nathan and grandson of David. He was an ancestor of Jesus, according to Christ’s maternal genealogy recorded by Luke.—Luke 3:23, 31.

MATTATHIAS

(Mat·ta·thiʹas) [Gr. form of Mattithiah, meaning gift of Jehovah].

1. The Greek name applied in the Septuagint to the Korahite Levite Mattithiah, Shallum’s firstborn.—1 Chron. 9:31; see MATTITHIAH No. 2.

2. Greek form used in the Septuagint for “Mattithiah,” one of the “sons of Jeduthun.”—1 Chron. 25:3; see MATTITHIAH No. 1.

3. A man of the tribe of Judah who is called “the son of Amos” in the maternal genealogy of Jesus.—Luke 3:23, 25.

4. Another man of Judah, called “the son of Semein,” who lived after the days of Zerubbabel and who is mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy recorded by Luke.—Luke 3:23, 26, 27.

MATTATTAH

(Matʹtat·tah) [gift (of Jehovah)].

An Israelite “of the sons of Hashum” who married foreign wives but dismissed them in the days of Ezra.—Ezra 10:25, 33, 44.

MATTENAI

(Mat·teʹnai) [gift of Jehovah].

1. An Israelite “of the sons of Hashum” who had taken foreign wives but sent them away in Ezra’s time.—Ezra 10:25, 33, 44.

2. An Israelite “of the sons of Bani” who sent away their foreign wives in Ezra’s day.—Ezra 10:25, 34, 37, 44.

3. A priest of the days of Joiakim who was the head of the paternal house of Joiarib.—Neh. 12:12, 19.

MATTHAN

(Matʹthan) [gift of God].

An ancestor of Joseph, the foster father of Jesus Christ. Matthan may have been Joseph’s grandfather.—Matt. 1:15, 16.

MATTHAT

(Matʹthat) [gift of God].

1. A distant ancestor of Jesus Christ through Mary. He is called “the son of Levi” and was one of the persons listed in Jesus’ maternal genealogy of the period between Zerubbabel and David.—Luke 3:29.

2. A closer ancestor of Jesus through Mary. Her father Heli is referred to as the “son” of this Matthat, who was probably Mary’s grandfather.—Luke 3:23, 24.

MATTHEW

(Matʹthew) [Gr., Math·thaiʹos or Mat·thaiʹos, derived from the Hebrew proper name Mat·tith·yahʹ, meaning gift of Jehovah].

A Jew, otherwise known as Levi, who became an apostle of Jesus Christ and the writer of the Gospel bearing his name. He was the son of a certain Alphaeus and was a tax collector (see TAX COLLECTOR) before becoming one of Jesus’ disciples. (Matt. 10:3; Mark 2:14) The Scriptures do not reveal whether Levi also had the name Matthew before becoming a disciple of Jesus, received it at that time, or was given that name by Jesus when he was appointed as an apostle.

It appears that early in his Galilean ministry (30 C.E.) Jesus Christ called Matthew from the tax office in or near Capernaum. (Matt. 9:1, 9; Mark 2:1, 13, 14) ‘Leaving everything behind, Matthew rose up and went following Jesus.’ (Luke 5:27, 28) Perhaps to celebrate the receiving of his call to follow Christ, Matthew “spread a big reception feast,” attended by Jesus and his disciples as well as many tax collectors and sinners. This disturbed the Pharisees and the scribes, causing them to murmur about Christ’s eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners.—Luke 5:29, 30; Matt. 9:10, 11; Mark 2:15, 16.

Later, after the Passover of 31 C.E., Jesus selected the twelve apostles, and Matthew was one of them. (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16) Though the Bible makes various references to the apostles as a group, it does not mention Matthew by name again until after Christ’s ascension to heaven. Matthew saw the resurrected Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:3-6), received parting instructions from him and saw him ascend to heaven. After this he and the other apostles returned to Jerusalem. The apostles were staying in an upper chamber there, and Matthew is specifically named as being among them. So he must have been one of the some 120 disciples who received the holy spirit on the day of Pentecost, 33 C.E.—Acts 1:4-15; 2:1-4.

MATTHEW, GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO

The inspired account of the life of Jesus Christ written, doubtless in Palestine, by the onetime tax collector Matthew or Levi. It is the first book in the Christian Greek Scriptures and has since ancient times been viewed as the first Gospel. Matthew’s account commences with the birth of Jesus and concludes with Christ’s post-resurrection commissioning of his followers to go and “make disciples of people of all the nations.” (Matt. 28:19, 20) Hence, it covers the time between Jesus’ birth in 2 B.C.E. and his meeting with his disciples just before his ascension in 33 C.E.

TIME OF WRITING

Subscriptions, appearing at the end of Matthew’s Gospel in numerous manuscripts (all being later than the tenth century C.E.), say that the account was written about the eighth year after Christ’s ascension (c. 41 C.E.). This would not be at variance with internal evidence. The fact that no reference is made to the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy respecting Jerusalem’s destruction would point to a time of composition prior to 70 C.E. (Matt. 5:35; 24:16) And the expression “to this very day” (Matt. 27:8; 28:15) indicates a lapse of some time between the events considered and the time of writing.

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN HEBREW

External evidence to the effect that Matthew originally wrote this Gospel in Hebrew reaches as far back as Papias of Hierapolis, who was at least nearly contemporaneous with the apostles. Papias may have been taught by the apostle John, for (according to Eusebius) Irenaeus identified him as “John’s hearer and the associate of Polycarp.” Eusebius quoted Papias as stating: “Matthew composed his history in the Hebrew dialect.” (The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius