English · KJV
G3161

Ματταθίας

Mattathías /mat-tath-ee'-as/ Ask about this word
Rootof Hebrew origin (מַתִּתְיָה)
MeaningMattathias (i.e. Mattithjah), an Israelite and a Christian
KJV usageMattathias.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of Mattathías — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word Mattathías, represented by G3161, is a name of Hebrew origin for an Israelite. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. Both instances refer to individuals listed in the genealogy of Jesus, highlighting its role in establishing lineage.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The name G3161 appears exclusively in the genealogy recorded in the Gospel of Luke, where it refers to two different men. The first Mattathias is identified as the son of Amos Luke 3:25. The second Mattathias is mentioned just one verse later as the son of Semei and the father of Maath Luke 3:26. These references are crucial for documenting the ancestral line of Jesus as presented in this gospel.

Related Words & Concepts

Several other names are mentioned in direct connection with the two individuals named Mattathias, placing them within a detailed family line:

  • G301 Amṓs (of Hebrew origin (אָמוֹץ); Amos, an Israelite:--Amos): He is recorded as the father of the first Mattathias mentioned in the lineage Luke 3:25.
  • G3092 Maáth (probably of Hebrew origin; Maath, an Israelite:--Maath): He is listed as the son of the second Mattathias Luke 3:26.
  • G4584 Semeḯ (of Hebrew origin (שִׁמְעִי); Semei (i.e. Shimi), an Israelite:--Semei): He is the father of the second Mattathias, and his grandfather is named Joseph Luke 3:26.
  • G2501 Iōsḗph (of Hebrew origin (יוֹסֵף); Joseph, the name of seven Israelites:--Joseph): An ancestor in the same line as the second Mattathias, listed as the son of Juda Luke 3:26.

Theological Significance

The significance of G3161 is entirely tied to its function within the biblical narrative:

  • Genealogical Link: The primary role of the name Mattathias is to serve as a crucial link in the long ancestral chain connecting Jesus to his forefathers.
  • Historical Record: The presence of two distinct individuals named Mattathias in successive verses underscores the detailed nature of the genealogical record presented by Luke.
  • Human Ancestry: The inclusion of names like Mattathias grounds the identity of Jesus in a specific human lineage as recorded in the Gospel of Luke.

Summary

In summary, G3161 is not a conceptual term but the proper name of two different men. Its sole function in scripture is to mark two distinct points in the genealogy of Jesus. The appearance of Mattathías in Luke's account demonstrates how every individual name in such a list, no matter how brief the mention, plays a vital role in constructing the larger historical narrative of the Bible.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 1 grammatical form — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

  • Genitive Singular Masculine Individual 2×
Genitive
Possession or source — often "of".
Singular
One.
Masculine
Masculine grammatical gender.

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

G301 Ἀμώς of Hebrew origin (אָמוֹץ); Amos, an Israelite:--Amos. G3092 Μαάθ probably of Hebrew origin; Maath, an Israelite:--Maath. G4584 Σεμεΐ of Hebrew origin (שִׁמְעִי); Semei (i.e. Shimi), an Israelite:--Semei. G2501 Ἰωσήφ of Hebrew origin (יוֹסֵף); Joseph, the name of seven Israelites:--Joseph.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

2 verses, all in Luke — and none of the other 26 New Testament books.

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.