Hebrew word · H4301

מַטְמוֹן

matmon

treasure

A hidden store or buried treasure, from the verb ṭāman, 'to hide, bury' (Achan buried his loot in the ground of his tent, Josh 7:21). In Gen 43:23 it is the silver mysteriously found in the brothers' sacks.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

hidden treasure, treasure

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Proverbs 2:4

Range of meaning

A hidden store or buried treasure, from the verb ṭāman, 'to hide, bury' (Achan buried his loot in the ground of his tent, Josh 7:21). It can be valuables or food stores: the men in Jer 41:8 plead, 'We have hidden stores in the field: wheat, barley, oil and honey.' Isaiah 45:3 speaks of 'treasures of darkness, riches hidden in secret places'. In Gen 43:23 it is the silver mysteriously found in the brothers' sacks.

Against the English

'Hidden treasure(s)' is accurate. The KJV's 'hid treasures' keeps the plural. 'Treasure' in modern English can call up a pirate chest or a children's treasure hunt. The ancient picture is more sober: family wealth or food buried in the field during war or raids, which could be lost if the owner died, and which someone might later dig up.

How it drifted

No real lexical drift. The modern imagery around 'treasure' is just more romantic than the ancient practice.

Used elsewhere in the period

Burying valuables was common across the ancient Near East and Roman Palestine; archaeologists regularly find hoards of silver. The Copper Scroll from Qumran is a list of hidden treasures. Jesus' parable of the treasure hidden in a field (Matt 13:44) draws on the same practice.

From the study of Isaiah 45:3

Range of meaning

Matmon is from taman, "to hide, bury," and means a hidden or buried store of valuables (Genesis 43:23, money hidden in the brothers' sacks; Job 3:21; Proverbs 2:4, "search for her as for hidden treasures"; Jeremiah 41:8, buried food stores). Mistar means a hiding place or secret spot (Psalm 10:8–9; Jeremiah 13:17; 23:24; 49:10; Lamentations 3:10). Joined together, they intensify each other: hoards hidden in hiding places, wealth deliberately put where nobody would find it.

Against the English

"Hidden riches of secret places" (KJV, WEB) is close. BSB's "riches hidden in secret places" is smooth and accurate. ESV's "hoards" catches the sense of something deliberately stockpiled.

Used elsewhere in the period

Jeremiah 41:8 shows matmonim used for very practical buried stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey. In ancient warfare, conquerors routinely hunted out treasure that a besieged city had hidden.

From the study of Genesis 43:23

Range of meaning

Hidden or buried treasure: valuables secreted underground or stored away. It comes from the root tamán, 'to hide, bury' (H2934).

Against the English

KJV, WEB, ESV, NIV and BSB give 'treasure'. YLT 'hidden treasure' keeps the idea of concealment, which 'treasure' alone loses.

How it drifted

'Treasure' to a modern reader suggests great riches (a pirate's chest). The Hebrew stresses that it was hidden and found, not that it was enormous. It was the brothers' own payment returned.

Used elsewhere in the period

Job 3:21 ('dig for it more than for hidden treasures'), Prov 2:4 ('search for her as for hidden treasures'), Isa 45:3 ('treasures of darkness, hidden riches'), Jer 41:8 (stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey hidden in the field).

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 43:23 מַטְמוֹן֙ treasure

    “It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

    Here: From a root meaning 'to hide, bury'. It is treasure that was secretly put away. The word fits silver found unexpectedly in grain sacks and suggests a windfall from a hidden source.

Job · 1

  1. Job 3:21 מִמַּטְמוֹנִֽים׃ more than hidden treasures

    who long for death that does not come, and search for it like hidden treasure,

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 2:4 וְֽכַמַּטְמוֹנִ֥ים and like <the> treasures

    if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,

    Here: 'And like the hidden treasures.' The word comes from a verb meaning 'to hide, to bury'. It means valuables hidden away, often in the ground. You find them only by digging, and only if you know or guess where to dig. The plural makes it 'caches' or 'hoards'.

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 45:3 וּמַטְמֻנֵ֖י and hidden treasures of

    I will give you the treasures of darkness and the riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.

    Here: "And buried hoards of." It comes from the verb "to hide, bury" (taman). It means valuables deliberately buried or concealed, as in Jeremiah 41:8, where men have "hidden stores in the field" of wheat, barley, oil and honey.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 41:8 מַטְמֹנִים֙ treasures

    But ten of the men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he refrained from killing them with the others.

    Here: From a verb meaning "to hide, bury." The word means things hidden away, usually underground. The list that follows shows these were caches of food, not silver or gold.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.