•A descendant of Asaph the Levite minstrel, who assisted in the purification of the temple in the
reign of Hezekiah. (2 Chronicles 29:13)
Mattathah
(gift of Jehovah), probably a contraction of Mattathiah.
•Son of Nathan and grandson of David, in the genealogy of Christ. (Luke 3:31) (B.C. after 1014.)
•An Israelite, son of Hashun, who divorced his Gentile wife after the return from Babylon. (Ezekiel
10:33) (B.C. 458.)
Mattathias
(gift of Jehovah), the Greek form of Mattathiah.
•Son of Amos, in the genealogy of Christ. (Luke 3:25) (B.C. after 406.)
•Son of Semei. (Luke 3:26)
•The father of the Maccabees. (B.C. 168 and previous.)
Mattenai
(gift of Jehovah), a contraction of Mattaniah.
•Two Israelites who divorced their Gentile wives after the return from the Babylonish captivity.
(Ezra 10:33,37) (B.C. 469.)
•A priest, son of Joiarib, in the time of Joiakim. (Nehemiah 12:19) (B.C. after 536.)
Matthan
(gift), grandfather of Joseph the husband of the Virgin Mary. (Matthew 1:15)
Matthat
(gift of God), a form of the name Matthan.
•son of Levi, in the genealogy of Christ. (Luke 3:20) (B.C. after 623.)
•Grandfather of the Virgin Mary. (Luke 3:21)
Matthew
(gift of Jehovah). (A contraction, as is also Matthias, of Mattathias. His original name was Levi,
and his name Matthew was probably adopted as his new apostolic name was a Jew. His father’s
name was Alphaeus. His home was at Capernaum His business was the collection of dues and
customs from persons and goods crossing the Sea of Galilee, or passing along the great Damascus
road which ran along the shore between Bethsaida, Julius and Capernaum. Christ called him from
this work to he his disciple. He appears to have been a man of wealth, for he made a great feast in
his own house, perhaps in order to introduce his former companions and friends to Jesus. His
business would tend to give him a knowledge of human nature, and accurate business habits, and
of how to make a way to the hearts of many publicans and sinners not otherwise easily reached.
He is mentioned by name, after the resurrection of Christ, only in (Acts 1:15) but he must have
lived many years as an apostle, since he was the author of the Gospel of Matthew which was written
at least twenty years later. There is reason to believe that he remained for fifteen years at Jerusalem,
after which he went as missionary to the Persians, Parthians and Medes. There is a legend that he
died a martyr in Ethiopia.—ED.)
Matthew, Gospel Of
Its authorship .—That this Gospel was written by the apostle Matthew there is no reason to doubt.
Seventeen independent witnesses of the first four centuries attest its genuineness.
•
•Its original language .—The testimony of the early Church is unanimous that Matthew wrote
originally in the Hebrew language. On the otherhand doubt is thrown over this opinion, both
statements of by an examination of the fathers and by a consideration of peculiar forms of language