{
  "id": "dict_003531",
  "term": "Mattithiah",
  "slug": "mattithiah",
  "letter": "M",
  "entry_type": "biblical_person_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "A Hebrew personal name borne by several Old Testament men, especially Levites connected with temple service and postexilic restoration.",
  "simple_one_line": "Mattithiah is a biblical personal name used for more than one Old Testament man.",
  "tooltip_text": "A Hebrew personal name found in several Old Testament passages, often associated with Levite and temple service.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Levites",
    "gatekeepers",
    "singers",
    "postexilic returnees",
    "Mattaniah",
    "Mattathias"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "1 Chronicles",
    "Ezra",
    "Nehemiah",
    "biblical personal names",
    "theophoric names"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Mattithiah is a Hebrew personal name appearing several times in the Old Testament. The name belongs to more than one man, so each occurrence must be read in its own context.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Mattithiah is not a doctrine or theme but a biblical name. It is borne by several Old Testament men, especially figures connected with the Levites, temple ministry, and the restored community after the exile.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A Hebrew personal name, not a theological term.",
    "Appears for more than one Old Testament man.",
    "Most often connected with Levites and temple service.",
    "Context is needed to identify which Mattithiah is in view."
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Mattithiah is a Hebrew personal name borne by multiple individuals in the Old Testament. The name appears in contexts involving Levites, temple personnel, and the postexilic community, especially in Chronicles. Because Scripture uses the name for more than one man, a dictionary entry should treat it as a biblical proper name and distinguish the occurrences by passage.",
  "description_academic_full": "Mattithiah is a Hebrew personal name used of several different men in the Old Testament. The name appears in genealogical and ministry lists, especially in Chronicles, where it is associated with Levites, singers, and other temple servants. Its presence in postexilic settings also reflects the continuing organization of worship and community life after the exile. Since Scripture does not present Mattithiah as a doctrinal category, the proper treatment is a person-name entry that notes the different bearers of the name and the passages in which they appear.",
  "background_biblical_context": "The Old Testament often records names in lists of Levites, gatekeepers, singers, and returnees from exile. Mattithiah belongs to that world of recorded covenant service. The name is not used to teach a doctrine, but it does mark real individuals in Israel’s worship and community life.",
  "background_historical_context": "In the Chronicler’s period and the postexilic era, careful recordkeeping helped identify families and duties in the restored temple order. Names such as Mattithiah appear in these administrative and worship lists, showing how ordinary service roles were tied to the life of Israel’s renewed community.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "Mattithiah is a theophoric Hebrew name, reflecting devotion to the LORD in its form and meaning. Such names were common in ancient Israel and often carried covenant significance without making the name itself a theological concept.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "1 Chronicles 9:31",
    "1 Chronicles 15:18",
    "1 Chronicles 25:3"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Other Old Testament name lists in Chronicles and the postexilic books where the same personal name appears in different settings."
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattithyahu), commonly rendered Mattithiah, a personal name meaning \"gift of Yahweh\" or \"gift of the LORD.\"",
  "theological_significance": "Mattithiah has no direct doctrinal meaning in itself, but the name appears among people serving in Israel’s worship and restoration. That setting highlights the importance of ordered, faithful service in God’s covenant people.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a personal name, Mattithiah illustrates how biblical texts preserve identity through names that are meaningful, historically grounded, and context-dependent. The same name can refer to more than one individual, so interpretation must remain careful and text-based.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not assume every occurrence refers to the same man. Read each mention in its immediate context and associated genealogy or ministry list. The name should not be treated as a doctrinal term.",
  "major_views_note": "There is little interpretive debate beyond identifying which individual is meant in each passage. The main issue is disambiguation, not doctrine.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Mattithiah is a biblical name, not a teaching on God, salvation, or church doctrine. Any theological reflection should come from the surrounding passage, not from the name itself.",
  "practical_significance": "This entry reminds readers to pay attention to context, especially in genealogies and ministry lists. It also shows the value Scripture places on individual persons who served in ordinary but important roles.",
  "meta_description": "Mattithiah is a Hebrew personal name borne by several Old Testament men, especially Levites and postexilic figures.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/mattithiah/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/mattithiah.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}