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Mattithiah

biblical_person_name theological_term standard

A Hebrew personal name borne by several Old Testament men, especially Levites connected with temple service and postexilic restoration.

At a Glance

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.

Key Points

Description

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.

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.

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.

Jewish and 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.

Primary Key Texts

Secondary Key Texts

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

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.

Related Entries

See Also

Data

Machine-readable JSON for Mattithiah

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