The Mattan

The Mattan (or the Love Gifts) were voluntary gifts the couple gave to each other beyond the legal aspects of the bride price and the marriage contract. The love gifts given from the groom to the bride specifically reflect the love that God voluntarily gives to us. Beyond the gift of grace, as if it weren’t enough, God continues to bestow blessing on us. This blessing may not always come in the form of material wealth or worldly affluence, as we so often hear in the popular prosperity gospel preaching of today, but it most certainly comes. The following scripture quotation is long, but worth contemplating in its entirety. In fact I would recommend reading the remainder of Ezekiel 16 that follows this quotation to see how we take gifts given to us by God and pervert them to further our own selfish desires.. much like we have done with the gift of marriage.

"Then I passed by you and watched you, noticing that you had reached the age for love. I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I swore a solemn oath to you and entered into a marriage covenant with you," declares the sovereign LORD, "and you became mine. Then I bathed you in water, washed the blood off you, and anointed you with fragrant oil. I dressed you in embroidered clothing and put fine leather sandals on your feet. I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. I adorned you with jewelry. I put bracelets on your hands and a necklace around your neck. I put a ring in your nose, earrings on your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. You were adorned with gold and silver, while your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidery. You ate the finest flour, honey, and olive oil. You became extremely beautiful and attained the position of royalty. Your fame spread among the nations because of your beauty; your beauty was perfect because of the splendor which I bestowed on you," declares the sovereign LORD (Ezekiel 16:8-14).