1. (Sept. MaSiav, MarSdv v. r. MaySiav and Max«j/.) The priest of Baal slain before his idolatrous altar during the reformation instituted by Jehoiada (2 Kings xi, 18 ; 2 Chron. xxiii, 17). B.C. 876. " He probably accom- panied Athaliah from Samaria, and would thus be the first priest of the Baal- worship which Jehoram, king of Judah, following in the steps of his father-in-law Ahab, established at Jerusalem (2 Chron. xxi, 6, 13). Josephus (^Ant. ix, 7, 3) calls him 'MaaSidv" (Smith).
2. (Sept. ^abuv V. r. Ma^av.) The father of the Shephatiah who was one of the nobles that charged .Jer- emiah with treason (Jer. xxxviii, 1), B.C. ante 589.
3. (Mor^av, Auth.Vers. "Matthan".) The son of Eleazar and father of Jacob, which last was father of Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary (Matt, i, 15). According to tradition he was a priest (which disagrees with his tribal descent), and father of Anna, the mother of the same ]\Iary (Niceph. Hist. Ev. ii, 3). B.C. con- siderably ante 40. See Genealogy of Jesus Christ.
Mat'tanah (Heb. Mattanah', nsil^, a gift, as in Gen. XXV, G, etc. ; Sept. TAavSravauv), the fifty-third sta- tion of the Israelites on the south-eastern edge of Pales- tine, between the well (Beer) in the desert and NahaUel (Numb, xxi, 18, 19). It was no doubt a Moabitish, or rather Ammonitish city, and is placed by Eusebius and Jerome (Onomast. s. v.) in the region of Arnon, twelve miles eastward of Medebah, which Hengstenberg cor- rects to " southward" {Bileam, p. 240), i. e. apparently in the plain of Ard Ramadan, perhaps between the branches of wady Waleh. Leclcrc (ad loc.) suggests that Mat- tanah may be the same with the mysterious word Vaheb (ver. 14; A.V. "what he did"), since the meaning of that word in Arabic is the same as that of Mattanah in Hebrew. This is nearly the same with the explanation of the Targums of Onkelos and Pseudo-Jonathan, who make it an appellative for the weU or Beer just men- tioned, as being a gift of God (see Kennicott, Remarks on 0. T. p. 60). See Exode.
Mattani'ah {Ueh..Vattamjah', r\^i'r\-g. gift ofJe- koru//.iiho in the prolonged form Mattanga'hii, 'HT^lJn'a, 1 Chron. xxv, 4, 16; 2 Chron. xxix, 13; Sept. Mar^a- viaq or Mar^avia v. r. Ma^^av and BarSiaviaQ), the name of several men.
1. A Levite, one of the sons of Heman, appointed by David Temple singers, and head of the ninth class of musicians (1 Chron. xxv, 4, 16). B.C. 1014. He is pos- ' sibly the same with the father of Jeiel, and ancestor of the Jahaziel who predicted Jehoshaphat's victory over the jMoabites (2 Chron. xx, 14).
2. A Levite of the descendants of Asaph, who assist- ed in purifving the Temple at the reformation under- taken by liezckiah (2 Chron. xxix, 13). B.C. 726.
3. The original name of Zedekiah (q. v.), the last king of Judah (2 Kings xxiv, 17). In like maimer Pha-
MATTATHA
882
MATTER
rach had changed the name of his brotlicr Elialdm to Jehoiakim on a similar occasion (2 Kings xxiii, 3i), ■\vhcn he restored the succession to the elder branch of the royal family (comp. 2 Kings xxiii, 31, 36).
4. An Israelite of the " sons" (residents) of Elam, who divorced his Gentile wife after the captivity (Ezra x, 2(5). B.C. 459.
5. Another Israelite of the "sons" (residents) of Zat- tu, who did the same (Ezra x, 27). B.C. 459.
6. Another Israelite of the "sons" (i. e. inhabitants) of Pahath-Moab, who did likewise (Ezra x, 30). B.C. 459.
7. Another Israelite of the descendants (or residents) of Bani, who acted similarly (Ezra x, 37). B.C. 459.
8. A descendant of Asaph (but named as one of " the priests' sons," i. e. perhaps assistants, for Asaph was only a Levite), and great-grandfather of the Zechariah who assisted in celebrating upon trumpets the completion of the walls of Jerusalem (Xeh. xii, 35). B.C. much ante 44G. His father's name, Michaiah, and grandfather's, Zaccur. present features of identity witli Nos. 9 and 10, but in other respects the notices are different. Some interpreters suspect a corruption of the text, and in that case all discrepancies may be removed.
9. A Levite, son of JVIicah, of the family of Asaph, resident in the neighborhood of Jerusalem after the ex- ile (1 Chron.ix, 15). B.C. cir. 440. He is evidently the same with the leader of those who offered prayer and praise in the Temple after the captivity (Neh. xi, 17; xii, 8), and also guarded the gates (Neh. xii, 25). He also appears to be tlie same with the father of Hasha- biah and great-grandfather of Uzzi, mentioned as one of the chief Levites in the saime connection (Neh. xii, 22), but in that case he must have been a very aged man at the time. See also No. 8.
10. A Levite, father of Zacciu-, and grandfather of the Hanaa whom Nehemiah set over the distribution of the tithes (Neh. xiii, 13). B.C. considerably ante 410. See also No. 8.
Mat'tatha (Luke iii, 31). See Mattathah, 1.
Mat'tathah (Heb. Mattathah', nrnp, probably a contraction of ilfaftafhiah), the name of a person in the Old Test, and of another in the New.
1. (Marra^d, Auth. Vers. " jMattatha.") The son of Nathan and grandson of David, among Christ's ma- ternal ancestry (Luke iii, 31). B.C. post 1014.