מַטָּע (mat.ta)
mat.ta
plantation
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun matṭāʿ denotes a planted area or the act of planting itself, appearing with striking brevity in only three biblical verses. Its core meaning is concrete: it refers to a specific plot of land cultivated for trees or vines, rather than wild growth or general agriculture. In Isaiah 61:3 and Micah 4:4, the word evokes an image of intentional cultivation—a garden or orchard established by human hands under divine blessing.
Its usage highlights the contrast between natural wilderness and ordered, fruitful land. When Isaiah speaks of planting matṭāʿ as a sign of God’s glory, he describes a deliberate act of creation and care. The word does not imply vast agricultural fields but a focused, tended space where life is nurtured. This specificity gives the term weight; it is about quality and purpose, not just quantity.
Translators typically render matṭāʿ as "plantation" or "planted area," though these English words can sound industrial or modern. The Hebrew concept is simpler: a place where something has been set into the earth to grow. Its rare occurrence underscores its symbolic power. When it appears, it marks a moment of divine order and provision, turning barren ground into a source of sustenance and beauty.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word matṭāʿ points to a specific place where life is intentionally set into the soil. It is not about wild growth or vast, impersonal fields. Instead, it describes a tended garden or orchard, carefully cultivated to bear fruit. This image reminds us that God values deliberate care and purposeful work in our lives.
In Isaiah 61:3, believers are called "the planting of Yahweh." This means we are not accidents of nature but the result of His careful hand. He places us in a context where we can grow, bear righteousness, and bring Him glory. It is a comforting thought that our lives are under His attentive care.
When you feel like your growth is slow or uncertain, remember this image of a tended garden. God does not leave us to the wilderness. He provides the space, the care, and the purpose for us to flourish. This hope anchors our faith in His faithful cultivation.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- planting<s>/ my1×
- into/ a planting place of1×
- [the] planting of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַטָּעַ֛/י1×
- מַטַּ֥ע1×
- לְ/מַטָּ֣עֵי1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 61:3
to provide for those who mourn in Zion, to give to them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he may be glorified.
This verse identifies believers as the specific planting of Yahweh, emphasizing that our identity and growth are directly tied to His intentional design.
-
Isaiah 60:21
Then your people will all be righteous. They will inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.
Here the term describes God's people as the work of His hands, linking their eternal inheritance to His personal effort in shaping them.
-
Micah 1:6
Therefore I will make Samaria like a rubble heap of the field, like places for planting vineyards; and I will pour down its stones into the valley, and I will uncover its foundations.
The destruction of Samaria includes turning it into places for planting vineyards, showing how even judgment can restore land to its purposeful, fruitful state.