מַטָּרָה (mat.ta.rah)
mat.ta.rah
(Gate of the) Guard
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 15 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun mat-tarah refers to a watchtower or a place of observation, and by extension, a prison or guard post. In the Hebrew Bible, it describes a fortified structure where guards stood to monitor activity, particularly around city gates. The term appears fifteen times, with significant usage in Jeremiah, Nehemiah, and Lamentations, often marking specific locations within Jerusalem’s defenses.
Its meaning shifts slightly depending on context. When used literally, it denotes the physical tower itself, a strategic point for surveillance. In poetic or prophetic contexts, such as in Lamentations, it can symbolize confinement or judgment, reflecting the reality that these towers often doubled as detention sites for prisoners. The word captures both the act of watching and the place where those under observation are held.
The root of mat-tarah relates to seeing or observing, emphasizing its primary function as a vantage point. This linguistic connection highlights the dual nature of the structure: it is a place of security for the city but also a place of restriction for individuals. Translators often render it as "watchtower," "prison," or "guardhouse," depending on whether the focus is on surveillance or imprisonment in a given verse.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word mat-tarah describes a watchtower or guard post, a place built for observation and security. In ancient Jerusalem, these structures were vital for protecting the city walls, allowing guards to see approaching danger from a distance. This physical reality gives us a picture of God’s attentive care; He is not distant but stands ready to observe and protect His people.
Yet this word also carries a heavier weight in Scripture. In Lamentations 3:12, the prophet uses it to describe feeling like a target under siege, highlighting how vulnerability can make us feel exposed to judgment or harm. Similarly, Jeremiah spent time confined in the court of the guard, showing that these places could be sites of restriction as well as protection.
For your faith life, this duality invites trust. When you feel secure, remember God’s vigilance on your behalf. When you feel trapped or targeted by circumstances, recall that even in confinement, like Jeremiah, God’s word still reached him. You are seen, whether in the height of safety or the depth of difficulty.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 15 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ guard13×
- to/ a target2×
- like <the>/ target1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/מַּטָּרָֽה\׃3×
- הַ/מַּטָּרָ֔ה3×
- לְ/מַטָּרָֽה\׃2×
- הַ/מַּטָּרָה֒2×
- הַ/מַּטָּרָ֖ה2×
- כַּ/מַּטָּרָ֖א1×
- הַ/מַּטָּרָֽה\׃\ \ס1×
- הַ/מַּטָּרָ֗ה1×
- הַ/מַּטָּרָ֑ה1×
Key Verses
-
Lamentations 3:12
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
This verse uses the word metaphorically to describe feeling like a target under divine judgment, highlighting the word's association with vulnerability and exposure.
-
Jeremiah 32:2
Now at that time the king of Babylon’s army was besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah’s house.
Here the term refers to the court of the guard where Jeremiah was imprisoned, showing its use as a specific location of confinement during the siege.
-
Nehemiah 3:25
Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the turning of the wall, and the tower that stands out from the upper house of the king, which is by the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh made repairs.
This occurrence identifies a physical tower near the king's house that required repair, illustrating the word's literal meaning as a fortified structure in Jerusalem's defenses.
-
Jeremiah 37:21
Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
The text notes Jeremiah remained in the court of guard until resources ran out, emphasizing the place as a site of prolonged detention and waiting.