[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/%D7%9E%D7%98%D7%A8%D7%94/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [Biblical Hebrew](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/) / [מ](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/biblical-hebrew/mem/)‎ / מַטָּרָה‎

# מַטָּרָה

Biblical Hebrew · Strong's H4307

**guard** — used 16 times in the Hebrew Bible. Below: its meanings with their sources, MACULA's glosses, and 2 verses word for word and in JPS 1917.

## Meaning

### OpenScriptures lexical index

guard [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4307/#m1)

### Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906

מַטָּרָה: n.f. guard, ward, prison. target, mark [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4307/#m2)

**The whole BDB entry:** and (La 3:12) מַטָּרָא n.f. 1. guard, ward, prison. 2. target, mark (as kept in the eye, watched, cf. נָצַר Pr 23:26, and σκόπος (watcher, mark) from σκέπτομαι; perhaps Nab. מט\[רתא\] Lzb323);—always abs.:— guard, ward, prison, usually חֲצַר הַמּ׳ court of guard (v. i. חָצֵר) Je 32:2, 8, 12; 33:1; 37:21(×2); 38:6, 13, 28; 39:14, 15; Ne 3:25; שַׁעַר הַמּ׳ 12:39. target, mark Jb 16:12 (fig. of י׳’s chastisement), כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵץ La 3:12 (sim. id.); lit. only 1 S 20:20.

Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 15 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (1 candidates)

## Glosses

MACULA's English glosses of the word in the text, with how often each is used: the guard (13); a target (2); target (1).

## In the verses

[Lamentations 3:12](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/LAM.3.12/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/LAM.3.12/#tree)

דָּרַ֤ךְ קַשְׁתוֹ֙וַיַּצִּיבֵ֔נִי כַּמַּטָּרָ֖א לַחֵֽץ׃ס

*Word for word:* he.has.bent bow his and he has.set.me.up like (the) target for (the) arrow

*JPS 1917:* He hath bent His bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

[1 Samuel 20:20](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/1SA.20.20/) · [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/1SA.20.20/#tree)

וַאֲנִ֕י שְׁלֹ֥שֶׁת הַחִצִּ֖ים צִדָּ֣ה אוֹרֶ֑ה לְשַֽׁלַּֽח־לִ֖י לְמַטָּרָֽה׃

*Word for word:* and I the.three the arrows side its I.will.shoot to send.\[them\] (for myself to a.target

*JPS 1917:* And I will shoot three arrows to the side-ward, as though I shot at a mark.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of its meanings](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4307/): every English meaning parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.

Sources. The words, their counts, glosses and the word-for-word renderings: MACULA Hebrew (the Westminster Leningrad Codex; Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0). Meanings: the OpenScriptures lexical index (CC BY 4.0), Brown–Driver–Briggs 1906 and Jastrow 1903 (public domain, via Sefaria); Targum Onkelos from Sefaria (public domain). Translation: JPS 1917 (public domain, from eBible.org).