4307. mattara or mattarah
Lexical Summary
mattara or mattarah: Target, mark, guard, prison

Original Word: מַטָּרָא
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mattara'
Pronunciation: mat-taw-RAW
Phonetic Spelling: (mat-taw-raw')
KJV: mark, prison
NASB: guardhouse, guard, target
Word Origin: [from H5201 (נָטַר - angry)]

1. a jail (as a guard-house)
2. also an aim (as being closely watched)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
mark, prison

Or mattarah {mat-taw-raw'}; from natar; a jail (as a guard-house); also an aim (as being closely watched) -- mark, prison.

see HEBREW natar

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from natar
Definition
a guard, ward, prison, target, mark
NASB Translation
guard (6), guardhouse (7), target (3).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מַטָּרָה and (Lamentations 3:12) מַטָּרָא noun feminine 1. guard, ward, prison Nehemiah 3:25.

2 target, mark (as kept in the eye, watched, compare נָצַר Proverbs 23:26, and σκόπος (watcher, mark) from σκέπτομαι; perhaps Nabataean [רתא]מט Lzb323); — always absolute: —

1 guard, ward, prison, usually ׳חֲצַר הַמּ court of gaurd (see I. ׳חָצֵ) Jeremiah 32:2,8,12; Jeremiah 33:1; Jeremiah 37:21 (twice in verse); Jeremiah 38:6,13,28; Jeremiah 39:14,15; ׳שַׁעַר הַמּ Nehemiah 12:39.

2 target, mark Job 16:12 (figurative of ׳יs chastisement), כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵץ Lamentations 3:12 (simile id.); literally only 1 Samuel 20:20.

Topical Lexicon
Scope and Central Idea

מַטָּרָא appears sixteen times in fifteen verses, embracing two distinct but related nuances:

1. A physical “target” at which arrows are shot.
2. The “court of the guard,” a secured prison-yard attached to a royal or military fortress.

Both nuances converge around the idea of an appointed point that is carefully watched, whether for hitting with arrows or for keeping prisoners under surveillance.

Old Testament Settings

1. Military practice – 1 Samuel 20:20 records Jonathan’s arrow signal to David: “I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.” Here the word evokes accuracy, focus, and deliberate intent.
2. Fortifications of post-exilic Jerusalem – Nehemiah 3:25 and Nehemiah 12:39 mention the “Gate/Court of the Guard,” a strategic checkpoint on the rebuilt wall. The word highlights vigilance needed to protect the restored community.
3. Poetic reflection on suffering – Job 16:12 and Lamentations 3:12 employ the image of God’s bow aimed at a “target,” portraying the sufferer as the object of divine discipline.
4. Prophetic imprisonment – Thirteen of the occurrences belong to Jeremiah’s narrative (Jeremiah 32–39). The “courtyard of the guard” inside Zedekiah’s palace serves as Jeremiah’s place of confinement during the final siege of Jerusalem.

Jeremiah and the Courtyard of the Guard

• First confinement (Jeremiah 32:2–3). During Babylon’s siege, “Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah.” His incarceration does not silence him; it becomes the very setting in which he purchases a field (32:6–15), preaches future restoration (32:36–44), and receives the covenant promise (33:1–26).
• Worsening conditions (Jeremiah 37:21). Zedekiah orders that Jeremiah “be committed to the courtyard of the guard, and given a loaf of bread… every day.” The verse contains two uses of מַטָּרָא, underscoring both the restriction and the Lord’s provision within it.
• Life-threatening peril (Jeremiah 38:6–13). From the same courtyard, Jeremiah is lowered into a cistern to die, only to be rescued and restored to the guard court. The place of captivity becomes the theater of God’s protection.
• Liberation (Jeremiah 39:14–15). After Jerusalem falls, Babylonian officials “had him taken out of the courtyard of the guard.” Divine words come to him even while “confined,” proving that no earthly power can chain God’s message.

Theological and Ministry Significance

Focus and Appointment. Whether a marksman’s target or a royal prison yard, מַטָּרָא speaks of an appointed point fixed by sovereign design. Scripture portrays God Himself as the One who both aims the arrow (Job 16:12) and ordains the place of confinement (Jeremiah 33:1). His purposes are precise, never random.

Suffering under God’s Aim. In Lamentations 3:12 the lamenter cries, “He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow.” The imagery captures the mystery of divine chastening: the believer may feel pinned to a bull’s-eye of affliction, yet the same Lord who wounds also heals (cf. Hosea 6:1).

Imprisonment that Advances the Word. Jeremiah’s guard-court episodes foreshadow later imprisonments (Peter in Acts 12, Paul in Acts 28) where confinement furthers rather than hinders ministry. When physical freedom is curtailed, the Word of God “is not bound” (2 Timothy 2:9).

Watchfulness in Community Life. Nehemiah’s “Gate of the Guard” reminds today’s churches to maintain spiritual watch-posts—doctrinal clarity, moral accountability, and protective leadership—around the flock.

Christological Echoes

The Servant of the Lord becomes the ultimate “target” of wrath so that sinners might go free: “He was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). Like Jeremiah, Jesus is arrested within Jerusalem’s walls, yet through that confinement accomplishes redemption. The courtyard where He is mocked (Mark 15:16) parallels Jeremiah’s guard court, showing continuity in God’s redemptive storyline.

Practical Applications

• Perseverance: Seasons when believers feel like immobile “targets” can become platforms for prophetic witness if met with faith.
• Prayer for the Persecuted: Jeremiah’s experience urges intercession for brothers and sisters whose ministries continue behind bars today.
• Intentional Discipleship: Just as an archer aims with care, leaders should set clear spiritual goals for those they mentor, guarding them from error and harm.

Summary

מַטָּרָא binds together images of precision and custody. Whether describing a bull’s-eye or a prison yard, it accentuates God’s deliberate governance over events. From Jonathan’s arrow practice to Jeremiah’s imprisonments, Scripture testifies that the Lord appoints both the place and the purpose, wielding hardship and protection alike for the advance of His unbreakable word.

Forms and Transliterations
הַמַּטָּרָ֑ה הַמַּטָּרָ֔ה הַמַּטָּרָ֖ה הַמַּטָּרָ֗ה הַמַּטָּרָֽה׃ הַמַּטָּרָה֒ המטרה המטרה׃ כַּמַּטָּרָ֖א כמטרא לְמַטָּרָֽה׃ למטרה׃ ham·maṭ·ṭā·rāh hammattaRah hammaṭṭārāh kam·maṭ·ṭā·rā kammattaRa kammaṭṭārā lə·maṭ·ṭā·rāh lemattaRah ləmaṭṭārāh
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Englishman's Concordance
1 Samuel 20:20
HEB: לְשַֽׁלַּֽח־ לִ֖י לְמַטָּרָֽה׃
NAS: as though I shot at a target.
KJV: [thereof], as though I shot at a mark.
INT: will shoot shot A target

Nehemiah 3:25
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֖ר לַחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָ֑ה אַחֲרָ֖יו פְּדָיָ֥ה
NAS: is by the court of the guard. After
KJV: that [was] by the court of the prison. After
INT: which the court of the guard After Pedaiah

Nehemiah 12:39
HEB: וְעָ֣מְד֔וּ בְּשַׁ֖עַר הַמַּטָּרָֽה׃
NAS: at the Gate of the Guard.
KJV: and they stood still in the prison gate.
INT: stopped the Gate of the Guard

Job 16:12
HEB: וַיְקִימֵ֥נִי ל֝֗וֹ לְמַטָּרָֽה׃
NAS: He has also set me up as His target.
KJV: and set me up for his mark.
INT: to pieces set his target

Jeremiah 32:2
HEB: כָלוּא֙ בַּחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר בֵּֽית־
NAS: up in the court of the guard, which
KJV: in the court of the prison, which [was] in the king
INT: was shut the court of the guard which the house

Jeremiah 32:8
HEB: אֶל־ חֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָה֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֡י
NAS: to me in the court of the guard according to the word
KJV: to me in the court of the prison according to the word
INT: to me the court of the guard and said to me

Jeremiah 32:12
HEB: הַיֹּשְׁבִ֖ים בַּחֲצַ֥ר הַמַּטָּרָֽה׃
NAS: in the court of the guard.
KJV: that sat in the court of the prison.
INT: were sitting the court of the guard

Jeremiah 33:1
HEB: עָצ֔וּר בַּחֲצַ֥ר הַמַּטָּרָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
NAS: in the court of the guard, saying,
KJV: in the court of the prison, saying,
INT: confined the court of the guard saying

Jeremiah 37:21
HEB: יִרְמְיָהוּ֮ בַּחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָה֒ וְנָתֹן֩ ל֨וֹ
NAS: to the court of the guardhouse and gave
KJV: into the court of the prison, and that they should give
INT: Jeremiah to the court of the guardhouse and gave A loaf

Jeremiah 37:21
HEB: יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ בַּחֲצַ֖ר הַמַּטָּרָֽה׃
NAS: in the court of the guardhouse.
KJV: remained in the court of the prison.
INT: Jeremiah the court of the guardhouse

Jeremiah 38:6
HEB: אֲשֶׁר֙ בַּחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָ֔ה וַיְשַׁלְּח֥וּ אֶֽת־
NAS: was in the court of the guardhouse; and they let
KJV: that [was] in the court of the prison: and they let down
INT: which the court of the guardhouse let Jeremiah

Jeremiah 38:13
HEB: יִרְמְיָ֔הוּ בַּחֲצַ֖ר הַמַּטָּרָֽה׃ ס
NAS: stayed in the court of the guardhouse.
KJV: remained in the court of the prison.
INT: and Jeremiah the court of the guardhouse

Jeremiah 38:28
HEB: יִרְמְיָ֙הוּ֙ בַּחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָ֔ה עַד־ י֖וֹם
NAS: in the court of the guardhouse until
KJV: in the court of the prison until the day
INT: Jeremiah the court of the guardhouse until the day

Jeremiah 39:14
HEB: יִרְמְיָ֜הוּ מֵחֲצַ֣ר הַמַּטָּרָ֗ה וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙
NAS: out of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted
KJV: out of the court of the prison, and committed
INT: Jeremiah of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted to

Jeremiah 39:15
HEB: עָצ֔וּר בַּחֲצַ֥ר הַמַּטָּרָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃
NAS: in the court of the guardhouse, saying,
KJV: in the court of the prison, saying,
INT: was confined the court of the guardhouse saying

Lamentations 3:12
HEB: קַשְׁתּוֹ֙ וַיַּצִּיבֵ֔נִי כַּמַּטָּרָ֖א לַחֵֽץ׃ ס
NAS: And set me as a target for the arrow.
KJV: and set me as a mark for the arrow.
INT: his bow and set A target the arrow

16 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4307
16 Occurrences


ham·maṭ·ṭā·rāh — 13 Occ.
kam·maṭ·ṭā·rā — 1 Occ.
lə·maṭ·ṭā·rāh — 2 Occ.

4306
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