MATTANAH ; a gift,' as in Gen.
xxv. 6 ; Mavatiaelp ; Matthana), one of the stations of the Israelites. It lay on the border between Moab and the Amorites, on the north side of the Arnon, and eastward toward the wilderness of Arabia (Num. xxi. II, 13-18). The whole pas sage in which this name occurs is obscure (vers. 14-20). In the previous verses the journeyings of the people are regularly given in the usual form ' from thence they removed and pitched in,' etc. ; but at the beginning of ver. 14 the historian breaks off the itinerary to introduce a quotation from the book of the wars of the Lord,' the meaning and bearing of which are doubtful. The itinerary appears in the A. V. to be taken up again in ver. 16 ; but the verbs 'journeyed from' and pitched in' are wanting. We find only rrn awn, and then a short song of praise, or ode of dedication, is introduced, after which comes very abruptly, And from the wilderness Mattanah runc), and from Mattanah Nahaliel,' etc., which
appears more like a continuation of the ode than prose narration. On comparing the passage with the systematic itinerary in Num. xxxiii. 43-47, we find a difference of names. Al] these circum stances appear to favour the conclusion of Kenni cott, that while the words in ch. xxxiii. are the proper names of places, Mattanah and the other words used here are intended to express figuratively and poetically some signal blessings or extraordi nary circumstances which occurred to the Israel ites at those places. By Mattanah allusion is probably made to some great gift from God— perhaps the well' just mentioned (Kennicott, Remarks on Passages of the O. T., p. 6o ; cf. Tar gum of Onkelos. For other interpretations consult Rosenmtiller, Clarke, Gesenius, etc.)—J. L. P.