4594. maateh
Lexical Summary
maateh: Staff, rod, tribe

Original Word: מַעֲטֶה
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ma`ateh
Pronunciation: mah-teh'
Phonetic Spelling: (mah-at-eh')
KJV: garment
NASB: mantle
Word Origin: [from H5844 (עָטָה - To wrap)]

1. a vestment

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
garment

From atah; a vestment -- garment.

see HEBREW atah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from atah
Definition
a wrap, mantle
NASB Translation
mantle (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[מַעֲטֶה] noun [masculine] wrap, mantle; — only construct figurative מַעֲטֵה תְהִלָּה Isaiah 61:3 a mantle of praise.

Topical Lexicon
Root Meaning and Semantic Range

Though the term appears only once in the Hebrew canon, its meaning as a “wrap” or “outer garment” places it among the rich biblical imagery of clothing that signifies status, character, and transformation (Genesis 3:21; Zechariah 3:4). As a movable, visible covering, it serves as the outward sign of an inward condition bestowed by God.

Canonical Context: Isaiah 61:3

“...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (Isaiah 61:3)

Isaiah prophesies the joyous reversal accomplished by God’s anointed Servant. In the immediate setting, the garment replaces sackcloth (Isaiah 3:24), signaling an end to exile-sorrow and the dawn of covenant restoration. The single occurrence thus carries concentrated theological weight: the Lord Himself exchanges human desolation for celebratory worship.

Theological Significance

1. Divine Initiative: The verse underscores salvation as God’s act. The mourners do not tailor their own praise; they receive it.
2. Transformative Exchange: Throughout Scripture, clothing exchanges symbolize justification (Zechariah 3:1-5) and regeneration (Ephesians 4:24). Here, despair is displaced by praise, foreshadowing the New Testament doctrine of imputed righteousness.
3. Corporate Worship: The “garment of praise” points beyond private feeling to public declaration, fitting Isaiah’s vision of a priestly people (Isaiah 61:6).

Historical and Cultural Background

In ancient Israel, clothing habits communicated social realities: mourning attire (ashes, sackcloth) publicly displayed grief. Replacing such garb with festive garments marked community transitions such as weddings (Isaiah 61:10) or royal enthronements (2 Samuel 6:14). Isaiah employs that well-known cultural code to assure exiles of a coming age when lament rituals would be obsolete.

Ministry Application

Pastors and teachers find in this verse a paradigm for gospel counseling: believers need not remain clothed in shame. Proclaiming Christ’s finished work provides the “garment of praise” that reorients identity and fosters worship. Congregational singing, testimony services, and corporate prayer consciously enact this exchange.

Christological Reflection

Luke 4:18-19 records Jesus reading Isaiah 61:1-2 and announcing its fulfillment. By implication, He also supplies verse 3’s garment. His righteous life, atoning death, and resurrection clothe repentant sinners (Romans 13:14). The single Hebrew noun thus directs readers to the Messianic wardrobe of salvation.

Eschatological Implications

Revelation 19:8 describes the Bride’s “fine linen, bright and pure,” echoing Isaiah’s nuptial imagery (Isaiah 61:10). The garment of praise is therefore both present possession and future glory, bridging inaugurated and consummated redemption.

Intertextual Echoes and New Testament Connections

Psalm 30:11 – “You turned my mourning into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”
Colossians 3:12 – “Put on...compassion, kindness...”

These passages share the motif of divine clothing that effects moral and emotional transformation, revealing coherence between Old and New Covenants.

Devotional Considerations

Believers are invited daily to “put on” praise by recalling God’s acts, rehearsing His promises, and refusing to inhabit the old attire of despair. Personal worship and mutual encouragement emulate the exchange hinted at by מַעֲטֶה, making Isaiah’s vision a lived reality in the life of the Church.

Forms and Transliterations
מַעֲטֵ֣ה מעטה ma‘ăṭêh ma·‘ă·ṭêh maaTeh
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Isaiah 61:3
HEB: תַּ֣חַת אֵ֔בֶל מַעֲטֵ֣ה תְהִלָּ֔ה תַּ֖חַת
NAS: of mourning, The mantle of praise
KJV: for mourning, the garment of praise
INT: instead of mourning the mantle of praise instead

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4594
1 Occurrence


ma·‘ă·ṭêh — 1 Occ.

4593
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