---
title: מַטָּרָה — guard · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מַטָּרָה (4307), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 16 times: guard. BDB 1906: n.f. guard, ward, prison. target, mark. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מַטָּרָה

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«מַטָּרָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **guard** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 16 times · **Key:** 4307 · **BDB:** מַטָּרָה

### Glosses

the.guard (13); a.target (2); target (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

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

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

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

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**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.

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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)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מַטָּרָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4307/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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

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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.

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

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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.

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