Original Word: מַטָּע
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: matta`
Pronunciation: mat-taw'
Phonetic Spelling: (mat-taw')
KJV: plant(-ation, -ing)
NASB: planting, planting place, planting places, where it was planted
Word Origin: [from H5193 (נָטַע - plant)]

1. something planted, i.e. the place (a garden or vineyard), or the thing (a plant, figuratively or men)
2. (by implication) the act, planting

garden or vineyard

From nata'; something planted, i.e. The place (a garden or vineyard), or the thing (a plant, figuratively or men); by implication, the act, planting -- plant(-ation, -ing).

see HEBREW nata'

Word Origin
from nata
Definition
place or act of planting, a plantation
NASB Translation
planting (2), planting place (2), planting places (1), where it was planted (1).

מַטָּע noun masculine place, or act of planting; plantation; — absolute ׳מ Ezekiel 34:29; construct מַטַּע Isaiah 61:3; suffix מַטָּעוֺ Isaiah 60:21 (Kt; Qr מַטָּעַי); מַטָּעָהּ Ezekiel 17:7, also Ezekiel 31:4, but read מַטָּעֹה ᵐ5 Hi Co Berthol Toy; plural construct מַטָּעֵי Micah 1:6; —

1 planting-place, מַטָּעֵי כָ֑רֶם Micah 1:6 planting-place for a vineyard, so Ezekiel 31:4 (read מַטָּעֹה, see above); probably also לְשֵׁם ׳מ < read שָׁלֹם ׳מ ᵐ5 Co Berthol Toy i.e. peaceful (fruitful) planting-place; compare ׳עֲרֻגוֺת מ Ezekiel 17:7 = beds where it was planted.

2 act of planting ׳נֵצֶר מ Isaiah 60:21 shoot of his (my) planting (figurative of people).

3 ׳י ׳מ Isaiah 61:3 plantation of ׳י (id.).

Meaning and Imagery

מַטָּע portrays the idea of an established planting—whether a seedling, a vineyard, or a luxuriant tree—set securely in prepared soil. Beyond simple horticulture, it evokes deliberate divine action: Yahweh “plants” with purpose, nurture, and anticipated harvest. The term thus becomes a metaphor for covenant people, royal promises, and places of blessing or judgment.

Occurrences and Literary Context

Isaiah 60:21 places the planting within Zion’s future restoration: “They are the shoot I have planted, the work of My hands, so that I may be glorified.” Here מַטָּע underscores Israel’s identity as God-fashioned and God-owned, possessing the land forever.

Isaiah 61:3 intensifies the image: the redeemed are “oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Restoration is not merely personal comfort but a public display of the LORD’s glory through transformed lives.

Ezekiel 17:7 employs מַטָּע in a political parable. Judah, transplanted by an eagle (Babylon), selfishly turns to another eagle (Egypt). The failure to thrive exposes rebellion against the Planter, showing that security lies not in alliances but in covenant fidelity.

Ezekiel 31:4 draws on Edenic grandeur: Assyria, personified as a towering cedar, grows large because “the waters made it grow.” Though מַטָּע is implicit in the irrigation channels, the verse reminds readers that every empire’s seeming invincibility still depends on divine provision.

Ezekiel 34:29 promises oppressed sheep “a garden of renown.” The shepherd-king (ultimately Messiah) will cultivate abundance that eliminates famine and international scorn, reversing the shame brought by failed leadership.

Micah 1:6 reverses the motif. Samaria becomes “a planting place for a vineyard,” meaning a cleared ruin fit only for fresh vines. The same word that signals blessing elsewhere marks judgment here—planting ground prepared by demolition.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Ownership: Each righteous community or individual exists as God’s intentional horticultural project.
2. Display of Glory: The Planter acts so that “He may be glorified” (Isaiah 60:21; 61:3). Fruitfulness is public worship.
3. Covenant Security: Just as a tended garden is protected, the faithful enjoy permanence (“possess the land forever”).
4. Judgment and Renewal: God uproots infidelity (Micah 1:6) yet replants in mercy (Ezekiel 34:29).

Prophetic Implications

Prophets use מַטָּע to assure exiles that restoration will be as certain as a well-watered orchard. Conversely, idolatrous nations and cities learn that their plantings wither when detached from the divine watercourse. The image bridges promises of land, lineage, and liturgical splendor.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Discipleship mirrors careful gardening: preparing soil (teaching truth), planting seed (gospel proclamation), watering (prayer), and guarding against pests (false doctrine).
• Church leadership should aspire to be channels of life-giving water (Ezekiel 31:4), not rival eagles offering counterfeit security (Ezekiel 17:7).
• Corporate worship can highlight believers as “oaks of righteousness,” helping congregations embrace identity and mission rooted in God’s glory.

Christological and Eschatological Significance

Jesus adopts similar language—“Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots” (Matthew 15:13). He embodies the ideal Servant through whom the promised planting flourishes (John 15:1-8). Revelation concludes with the tree of life yielding perpetual fruit, the ultimate consummation of מַטָּע where redeemed nations dwell in a cultivated, healed cosmos.

Interrelation with New Testament Teaching

Paul describes believers as “God’s field” (1 Corinthians 3:9), implicitly echoing מַטָּע. Growth belongs to God (1 Corinthians 3:7), aligning apostolic ministry with prophetic horticulture. Peter’s call to “grow up in your salvation” (1 Peter 2:2) likewise depends on remaining rooted in the living Word.

Thus, מַטָּע threads through Scripture as a rich symbol of God’s redemptive initiative—uprooting the old, planting the new, and nurturing a harvest that magnifies His glory forever.

לְמַטָּ֣עֵי למטעי מַטַּ֥ע מַטָּ֖ע מַטָּעָ֔הּ מַטָּעָֽהּ׃ מַטָּעַ֛י מטע מטעה מטעה׃ מטעי lə·maṭ·ṭā·‘ê ləmaṭṭā‘ê lematTaei maṭ·ṭa‘ maṭ·ṭā‘ maṭ·ṭā·‘āh maṭ·ṭā·‘ay matTa maṭṭa‘ maṭṭā‘ maṭṭā‘āh maṭṭā‘ay mattaAh mattaAiInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts