Mattan מַתָּן
Priest of Baal, killed during Jehoiada's reforms.
Who is Mattan in the Bible?
Mattan was a priest of Baal who served during the reign of Athaliah, the queen mother of Judah. When Jehoiada the high priest orchestrated a revolt to overthrow Athaliah and restore the young king Joash to the throne, he initiated comprehensive religious reforms to eliminate idolatry and restore proper worship of the Lord. As part of these reforms, Mattan was killed in front of the altars of the temple of Baal (2 Kings 11:18; 2 Chronicles 23:17). His death symbolized the decisive break from pagan worship and marked a turning point in Judah's spiritual trajectory during the reign of Joash.
Biography
Mattan was a priest of Baal during the reign of Athaliah, the queen mother of Judah. When Jehoiada the priest led a revolt to overthrow Athaliah and restore the rightful king, Joash, to the throne, the temple of Baal was destroyed. Mattan, as a priest of Baal, was killed in front of the altars of his pagan temple (2Ki.11.18; 2Ch.23.17). This event marked a significant moment in Jehoiada's religious reforms, which aimed to restore the worship of the Lord and eliminate idolatry in Judah.
In Scripture
2 biblical books2 Kings 1 verse
- 2 Kings 11:18
"So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD."
2 Chronicles 1 verse
- 2 Chronicles 23:17
"So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars."
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | מַתָּן |
Mattan
he father of Shephatiah a contemporary and persecutor of Jeremiah (Jer 38:1), one of those who put Jeremiah into Malechiah's dungeon (38:6).
mat'-a-na (mattanah; Codex Vaticanus, Manthanaein; Codex Alexandrinus, Manthanein): A station of the Israelites which seems to have lain between Beer and Nahaliel (Nu 21:18 f). Th