The first Mattenai was a prominent priest of Israel who lived during the critical transition period of the restoration. When the first great wave of exiles returned from Babylon under Zerubbabel the governor and Joshua the high priest, a foundational order of priestly families was established. In the subsequent generation, during the days of Joiakim the high priest, Mattenai rose to become the chief priest and head of the ancestral house of Hashabiah.
His name is explicitly preserved in the priestly registries of the book of Nehemiah, documenting those responsible for maintaining the purity of the sanctuary and the instruction of the law:
“Of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;” (Nehemiah 12:19)
The second and third individuals bearing the name Mattenai appear further down in the historical narrative during the days of Ezra the scribe. After the remnant had settled into the land, a severe spiritual crisis threatened to undo the entire restoration: many men of Israel had compromised their holy separation by marrying foreign, pagan wives.
When Ezra issued a solemn call to repentance, a thorough three-month administrative audit was conducted to identify every man who had transgressed. Among those listed were two entirely separate men named Mattenai, from completely different ancestral lines, who both stepped forward to confess their sin and put away their foreign wives to preserve the holy seed.
The second Mattenai was a layman from the prominent sons of Hashum. The King James Bible records his place in the ledger of restoration:
“Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattatha, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.” (Ezra 10:33)
The third Mattenai was a layman from the sons of Bani, who faced the exact same trial and chose the same difficult path of obedience and separation over earthly affection:
“Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,” (Ezra 10:37)
Whether serving at the holy altar as a chief priest or standing as a corrected layman in the courts of Jerusalem, the three men named Mattenai demonstrate that the preservation of God’s truth requires absolute alignment with His word. Their lives stand as an enduring testimony that true “liberality” and the authentic gifts of God are realized only when His people choose the path of uncompromising obedience and thorough repentance.