Original Word: מַטְאֲטֵא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mat'ate'
Pronunciation: mat-ah-tay'
Phonetic Spelling: (mat-at-ay')
KJV: besom
NASB: broom
Word Origin: [apparently a denominative from H2916 (טִּיטּ - mire)]

1. a broom (as removing dirt (compare English "to dust", i.e. remove dust))

besom

Apparently a denominative from tiyt; a broom (as removing dirt (compare Engl. "to dust", i.e. Remove dust)) -- besom.

see HEBREW tiyt

Word Origin
from tu
Definition
broom, besom
NASB Translation
broom (1).

מַטְאֲטֵא noun [masculine] broom, besom, only Isaiah 14:23, see foregoing.

Hebrew Word Overview

מַטְאֲטֵא is a concrete household implement—a broom—employed metaphorically in Isaiah to picture the LORD’s decisive removal of evil. The term appears once in the Old Testament, yet its imagery resonates with wider biblical themes of purging, cleansing, and judgment.

Biblical Context

Isaiah 14 records a taunt over Babylon, the world power that epitomized arrogance against God. Verse 23 concludes the oracle: “I will make her a place for screech owls and for swampland; I will sweep her away with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of Hosts (Isaiah 14:23). The broom stands alongside desolation (“swampland”) and unclean birds, underscoring the completeness of Babylon’s downfall.

Symbolism and Imagery

1. Thoroughness of Judgment: A sweeping broom leaves nothing behind, picturing the absolute nature of divine retribution (Deuteronomy 9:3; Malachi 4:1).
2. Removal of Defilement: Just as leaven is purged before Passover (Exodus 12:15), wickedness is eliminated from God’s creation.
3. Purifying Fire Parallel: Isaiah elsewhere joins cleansing with fire (Isaiah 4:4). The broom complements that image by illustrating the final stage of removal—no residue remains.

Theological Themes

• Divine Sovereignty: The LORD alone wields the broom; human might cannot stay His hand (Psalm 115:3).
• Holiness and Purity: God’s character demands that systems opposed to Him be swept away (Habakkuk 1:13).
• Hope through Judgment: The elimination of evil prepares the ground for restoration (Isaiah 14:24-27; Revelation 21:1-4).

Historical Background

Babylon’s destruction began with the Medo-Persian conquest in 539 BC and continued across centuries until the site lay in ruin. Ancient travelers described heaps of debris and marshy ground—fulfilling Isaiah’s language of “swampland.” The broom image vividly anticipated not merely military defeat but post-conquest decay rendering the land uninhabitable.

Applications for Ministry

• Call to Repentance: The broom warns nations and individuals that unrepentant pride invites sweeping judgment (Proverbs 16:18; Acts 17:30-31).
• Assurance for the Oppressed: Believers suffering under oppressive systems gain confidence that God will eventually sweep away all injustice (James 5:1-6).
• Personal Sanctification: Followers of Jesus Christ are urged to “cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1), cooperating with the Spirit’s sanctifying work.

Prophetic Foreshadowing

The solitary broom in Isaiah anticipates final eschatological cleansing. Revelation 18 echoes Isaiah 14 in its lament over Babylon the Great, while Revelation 19 introduces Christ as the Rider who “treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God.” The broom becomes a type pointing to the Messiah’s ultimate removal of wickedness and establishment of a new, undefiled order.

Related Biblical Motifs

• Winnowing Fork (Matthew 3:12) – separation of wheat and chaff.
• Refiners’ Fire (Malachi 3:2-3) – purification of precious metal.
• Water of Cleansing (Ezekiel 36:25) – washing away impurities.

Each motif amplifies the same divine intent: to leave a purified people fit for God’s dwelling.

Conclusion

Though מַטְאֲטֵא appears only once, its picture of a sweeping broom provides a memorable emblem of God’s power to eradicate evil thoroughly and prepare the way for His redemptive purposes. For the believer, it is both a sober reminder of impending judgment and a steady encouragement that the LORD will not leave any corner of creation uncleansed.

בְּמַטְאֲטֵ֣א במטאטא bə·maṭ·’ă·ṭê bəmaṭ’ăṭê bemataTeInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts