Boy Old Testament Rare
Mattan
Mattana, Mattenai, gifts; rains
מַתָּן mat.tan
Mattan (Hebrew: מַתָּן, mat.tan) means “Mattana, Mattenai, gifts; rains”, by traditional interpretation. Two men in scripture bear the name; the best attested is a priest. In 2016 it was given to 7 children in the United States. Appears in the same passages as Adaiah.
Which Mattan?
Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Mattan
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Mattan
father of Shephatiah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 3 across 3 books
- Bearers
- 2 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
Using it today
Based on 2016 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2016 | 7 | Steady |
| All-time total | 51 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 10 in 2007 | Its highest year on record |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | 2 Kings 11:18 |
| Last appears | Jeremiah 38:1 |
| Cross-references | 52 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Shelemiah co-occurrence Appears with Shelemiah in Jeremiah 38.
- Shephatiah co-occurrence Appears with Shephatiah in Jeremiah 38.
- Gedaliah co-occurrence Appears with Gedaliah in Jeremiah 38.
- Pashhur co-occurrence Appears with Pashhur in Jeremiah 38.
- Malchijah co-occurrence Appears with Malchijah in Jeremiah 38.
- Jehucal co-occurrence Appears with Jehucal in Jeremiah 38.
- Ishmael co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Ishmael.
- Elishaphat co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Elishaphat.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.11.18
§ Mattan = "a gift"
1) a priest of Baal in Jerusalem in the time of Athaliah
2) father of Shephatiah in the time of Jeremiah
Mattan, a priest of Baal, was killed during Jehoiada's religious reforms.
The biblical story
Mattan was a priest of Baal during the reign of Athaliah, the queen mother of Judah. When Jehoiada the priest led a revolt to overthrow Athaliah and restore the rightful king, Joash, to the throne, the temple of Baal was destroyed. Mattan, as a priest of Baal, was killed in front of the altars of his pagan temple (2Ki.11.18; 2Ch.23.17). This event marked a significant moment in Jehoiada's religious reforms, which aimed to restore the worship of the Lord and eliminate idolatry in Judah.
Key verses
Mattan appears in 2 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
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And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord.
2 Kings 11:18 -
Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.
2 Chronicles 23:17
Show all 2 references
2 Kings (1)
- 2 Kings 11:18
2 Chronicles (1)
- 2 Chronicles 23:17