3156. Matthaios
Lexical Summary
Matthaios: Matthew

Original Word: Ματθαῖος
Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: Matthaios
Pronunciation: mat-thah'-yos
Phonetic Spelling: (mat-thah'-yos)
KJV: Matthew
Word Origin: [a shorter form of G3164 (μάχομαι - argue)]

1. Matthaeus (i.e. Matthitjah), an Israelite and a Christian

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Matthew.

A shorter form of machomai; Matthaeus (i.e. Matthitjah), an Israelite and a Christian -- Matthew.

see GREEK machomai

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
variant reading for Maththaios, q.v.

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3156: Μαθθαῖος

Μαθθαῖος, Μαθθάν, see Ματθαῖος, Ματθάν.

STRONGS NT 3156: ΜατθαῖοςΜατθαῖος (L T Tr WH Μαθθαῖος, cf. Buttmann, 8 (7); (WHs Appendix, 159b; Scrivener, Introduction, chapter viii. § 5, p. 562)), Ματθαιου (Buttmann, 18 (16)), (commonly regarded as Hebrew מַתִּיָה, gift of God, from מַתָּן and יָהּ; but מַתִּיָּה is in Greek Ματθίας, and the analogy of the names חַגַּי (from חָג a festival) in Greek Αγγαιος, זַכַּי, Ζακχαῖος, and others, as well as the Syriac form of the name before us yTM [] (and its form in the Talmud, viz., מתי or מתאי; Sanhedrin 43{a}; Meuschen, N. T. ex Talm. illustr., p. 8) certainly lead us to adopt the Aramaic form מַתַּי, and to derive that from the unused singular מַת, a man, plural מְתִים; hence, equivalent to manly, cf. Grimm in the Studien und Kritiken for 1870, p. 723ff), Matthew, at first a collector of imposts, afterward an apostle of Jesus: Matthew 9:9ff (cf. Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27ff; see Λευί, 4); Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13. According to Papias (in Eusebius, h. e. 3, 39) he wrote down Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ τά (κυριακα) λόγια, i. e. the sayings of our Lord; this collection of discourses, perhaps already retouched by someone else and translated into Greek, the author of our first canonical Gospel combined with accounts of the acts and sufferings of Christ, and so it came to pass that this Gospel was ascribed by the church to Matthew as its author. (But this theory seems to be rendered unnecessary by the fact that λόγια had already come to denote sacred oracles equivalent to ἱερά γράμματα, Josephus, b. j. 6, 5, 4, or ἱεραι γραφαί, Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 53, 1 [ET]; see the added references under the word λόγιον. Cf. Fisher, Supernat. Origin of Christianity, pp. 160-167; and references in Schaff, Hist. of the Christ. Church, i., 622f; Bleek, Einl. ins N. T. (edited by Mangold), p. 115f.)

Topical Lexicon
Name and Meaning

Matthew means “gift of the LORD,” reminding readers that every disciple is first an act of divine generosity. The name links the apostle’s personal history with the grace-centered themes that permeate the Gospel he penned.

Occurrences in the New Testament

The name appears only five times, each time identifying the apostle: Matthew 9:9; Matthew 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13. Four of these references list him among the Twelve; one records his personal call.

Call and Conversion

“Jesus went on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. ‘Follow Me,’ He told him, and Matthew got up and followed Him” (Matthew 9:9). The immediacy of Matthew’s response displays the compelling authority of Jesus and illustrates salvation by grace rather than merit, for tax collectors were despised collaborators with Rome. Matthew subsequently hosted a banquet for fellow tax collectors and sinners, and Jesus declared, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matthew 9:13). The scene underscores how personal transformation leads naturally to evangelistic hospitality.

Role among the Twelve

In every apostolic list Matthew’s name falls in the second group of four, a placement suggesting neither prominence nor obscurity but steady faithfulness. His background as a tax collector offered the team administrative skills and access to social circles unreachable by fishermen. After the Ascension he is found in the upper room, “continually in prayer” (Acts 1:13-14), modeling dependence on the Spirit for all ministry.

Authorship of the First Gospel

Early church testimony uniformly assigns the first canonical Gospel to this apostle. Papias, Irenaeus, and Origen all connect him to the work. Internal evidence supports such attribution: the Gospel alone records the parable of the unmerciful servant with its large debts (Matthew 18:23-35), reflects familiarity with financial terms (Matthew 17:24-27), and abbreviates the description of his own past more modestly than others do (compare Luke 5:29). Through careful structure, repeated fulfillment formulas, and respect for Mosaic Law, the Gospel demonstrates that Jesus is Israel’s long-awaited Messiah while simultaneously commissioning the Church to reach all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

Ministry and Mission after Pentecost

Scripture does not trace Matthew after the upper room, yet early traditions place him first in Judea, then among Jewish communities in Syria, and eventually as far as Ethiopia or Persia. While details vary, every strand portrays him as evangelist and teacher, consistent with the didactic character of his Gospel and the closing charge to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

Theological Emphases Linked to Matthew

1. Kingdom of Heaven: Matthew prefers this expression, reinforcing reverence for God’s name among Jewish readers while highlighting Christ’s royal authority.
2. Fulfillment of Prophecy: Over sixty Old Testament citations authenticate Jesus’ messianic credentials and confirm the continuity of redemptive history.
3. Discipleship and Obedience: The Gospel clusters Jesus’ instruction into five discourses, mirroring the Pentateuch and calling believers to an integrated life of faith and practice.
4. Universal Mission: From the Magi at the beginning to the Great Commission at the end, Matthew’s narrative widens Israel’s hope to encompass all peoples.

Legacy in Church History

Matthew’s Gospel became the church’s catechism. Its Sermon on the Mount shaped early Christian ethics, the Lord’s Prayer guided worship, and the Great Commission propelled missionary enterprise. Many Reformers cited Matthew to affirm justification by faith that bears fruit in obedient works, while modern missions have taken their marching orders directly from its final verses.

Practical Application for the Church Today

• God’s grace reaches the marginalized; no vocation or past sin bars entrance into Christ’s service.
• True conversion issues in public witness, as Matthew’s feast illustrates.
• Scripture’s unity—from prophecy to fulfillment—grounds confidence in the Bible’s reliability.
• The church’s mandate remains global; disciple-making requires both evangelism and teaching everything Christ commanded.

Through Matthew, believers witness how a forgiven sinner becomes an inspired evangelist, how ancient promises blossom in Messiah’s ministry, and how the gospel’s gift moves the redeemed to gift themselves in return.

Forms and Transliterations
Μαθθαιον Μαθθαῖον Μαθθαιος Μαθθαῖος Maththaion Maththaîon Maththaios Maththaîos
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Matthew 9:9 N-AMS
GRK: τὸ τελώνιον Μαθθαῖον λεγόμενον καὶ
KJV: a man, named Matthew, sitting at
INT: the tax booth Matthew called and

Matthew 10:3 N-NMS
GRK: Θωμᾶς καὶ Μαθθαῖος ὁ τελώνης
KJV: and Matthew the publican;
INT: Thomas and Matthew the tax collector

Mark 3:18 N-AMS
GRK: Βαρθολομαῖον καὶ Μαθθαῖον καὶ Θωμᾶν
KJV: Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas,
INT: Bartholomew and Matthew and Thomas

Luke 6:15 N-AMS
GRK: καὶ Μαθθαῖον καὶ Θωμᾶν
KJV: Matthew and Thomas,
INT: and Matthew and Thomas

Acts 1:13 N-NMS
GRK: Βαρθολομαῖος καὶ Μαθθαῖος Ἰάκωβος Ἁλφαίου
KJV: and Matthew, James
INT: Bartholomew and Matthew James [son] of Alphaeus

Strong's Greek 3156
5 Occurrences


Μαθθαῖον — 3 Occ.
Μαθθαῖος — 2 Occ.

3155
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