Mattenai, Descendant of Hashum
Mattenai was a returnee from the Babylonian Exile who, as a descendant of Hashum, was identified among those who had taken foreign wives in violation of the Mosaic Law.
Mattenai appears in the biblical record during the critical period of the Post-Exilic restoration under the leadership of Ezra the scribe. He is specifically identified as a member of the family of Hashum, one of the ancestral houses that returned to Jerusalem and Judah following the decree of Cyrus the Great. His inclusion in the biblical text is linked to a specific social and religious crisis regarding intermarriage between the returning exiles and the surrounding pagan populations.
While personal details regarding Mattenai’s life and specific vocation are not provided, his presence in the genealogical records of Ezra 10 signifies his status as a head of a household or a recognized member of a prominent Jewish family. His story is defined by the communal effort to preserve the religious and ethnic purity of the remnant of Israel during the rebuilding of the community in the 5th century BC.
Background and Family
Mattenai is listed as a descendant of Hashum. The family of Hashum was a significant group among the returning exiles; according to the census records in Ezra 2:19, the "sons of Hashum" numbered 223 individuals. This suggests that Mattenai belonged to a lineage of considerable size and standing within the post-exilic community. The biblical text does not specify Mattenai's specific parents or children, focusing instead on his broader ancestral connection to Hashum and his contemporaries: Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
Major Life Events
The primary event defining Mattenai’s biblical footprint is the assembly called by Ezra the priest in Jerusalem. Upon learning that many of the returnees—including leaders and priests—had married women from the neighboring nations (such as the Canaanites, Hittites, and Moabites), Ezra led the nation in a period of intense mourning and repentance.
Mattenai was among the men identified in the subsequent investigation. Between the first day of the tenth month and the first day of the first month, a commission of elders examined the cases of those who had married foreign women. Mattenai’s name is recorded in Ezra 10:33 as one of those who had taken such a wife. The resolution of this account involved these men giving their hand in a pledge to put away their wives and offering a ram of the flock as a guilt offering.
Relationship to Other Biblical Figures
Mattenai is mentioned alongside six other members of the clan of Hashum. While the text does not define the exact biological relationship between these men, they functioned as a cohesive familial unit during the judicial proceedings led by Ezra. His life is inextricably linked to the reforms of Ezra, who sought to re-establish the authority of the Torah in the lives of the Jewish remnant.
Spiritual Significance
The inclusion of Mattenai’s name in the biblical canon serves a specific theological purpose within the narrative of the Post-Exilic Period. His presence in the list of Ezra 10 highlights the pervasive nature of the crisis facing Israel; even members of established families like Hashum were susceptible to the cultural pressures of the surrounding regions. For the chronicler, Mattenai represents both the failure to adhere to the covenant and the subsequent willingness to submit to the corrective discipline of the community leadership to ensure the survival of the holy seed.
Spiritual Significance
Mattenai serves as a historical marker of the internal struggles faced by the Jewish community upon their return from Babylon. His listing in Ezra 10 underscores the biblical theme of accountability, demonstrating that individual actions within a family unit were subject to the spiritual standards of the whole nation. His name is preserved as part of a list of those who underwent the difficult process of corporate repentance to maintain the distinct identity of Israel.
Theological reflection on Mattenai’s inclusion often centers on the tension between individual failure and the possibility of restoration through legal and ritual repentance. By participating in the covenant renewal, Mattenai and his kinsmen contributed to the stabilization of the community's religious boundaries during a fragile time in their history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Mattenai's ancestor?
Mattenai was a descendant of Hashum, a family that returned to Judah from the Babylonian Exile.
What did Mattenai do that was recorded in the Bible?
He was identified as one of the men who had married a foreign woman, a practice forbidden at the time to preserve the religious purity of the returnees.
In which book of the Bible is this Mattenai mentioned?
He is mentioned in the book of Ezra, specifically in chapter 10, verse 33.
What was the outcome for Mattenai after the investigation by Ezra?
Like the others listed, he pledged to put away his foreign wife and offered a sacrifice in repentance.
What era did Mattenai live in?
Mattenai lived during the Post-Exilic Period, specifically during the time of Ezra's reforms in the 5th century BC.
Connected Figures
Ezra
Priest and leader who oversaw the investigation of the exiles
Hashum
Ancestral head of his family line
Zabad
Kinsman from the descendants of Hashum
Categories
Mentions by Book
- Ezra1
Others Named Mattenai
Mattenai, Priest of the Post-Exilic PeriodNehemiah 12:19
A priest during the high priesthood of Joiakim who served as the ancestral head of the house of Joiarib after the return from Babylon.
Mattenai, Son of BaniEzra 10:37
Mattenai was a descendant of Bani who returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile and was listed among those who married foreign women.