Matthan is a name found in the King James Bible, appearing 1 time in the text.
Who This Was
Matthan was a descendant of David who appears in the genealogy of Jesus Christ recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. He is named only once in the King James Bible, in Matthew 1:15, which reads: “And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob.” This single verse places him within the ancestral line that Matthew traces from Abraham down to Joseph, the husband of Mary.
According to the genealogy, Matthan was the son of Eleazar and the father of Jacob. He thus stood two generations before Joseph: Matthan begat Jacob, and Jacob begat Joseph, “the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16). The source note confirms that Matthan was a descendant of David, meaning he belonged to the royal line through which the promised Messiah’s legal heritage was traced.
Scripture records nothing else about Matthan—no deeds, no words, no events from his life. He did not perform any notable act that the text preserves. His entire significance in the biblical record is his place in the lineage of Jesus. He lived, he fathered Jacob, and he passed the line of David onward toward its fulfillment in Christ. In this he fulfilled a quiet but essential role: he was one link in the long chain of generations through which God brought His promise to pass.
The Name
The name Matthan (Greek: Ματθάν) is generally understood to correspond to the Hebrew name Mattan (מַתָּן), which is commonly explained as meaning “gift” or “a gift.” This meaning is well attested in the Hebrew Scriptures, where the name appears in forms such as Mattan, the priest of Baal mentioned in 2 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 23, and Mattaniah, a name borne by several individuals. The root carries the sense of giving or a present. It should be noted, however, that while this derivation is widely accepted, the text of Matthew itself offers no explanation of the name, and the precise nuance the evangelist intended—if any—is not stated.
A Closing Thought
Matthan’s life is summed up in a single word: “begat.” He is remembered not for what he accomplished but for his place in a story far larger than himself. Most of us will never be famous, and our names may never appear in any record beyond a family line or a faded document. Yet Matthan reminds us that faithfulness in the ordinary—living, loving, and passing on the faith to the next generation—is not small in God’s eyes. He was one quiet link in the chain that led to Christ, and God counts such links precious.
At a Glance
- Gender: Male
- Testament: New
- Mentions in the KJV: 1
Where It Appears in Scripture
- Matthew 1:15 — And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;