Strong Concise Dictionary Of The Words In The Hebrew Bible
H4294מַטֶּהmaṭṭeh; or (feminine) מַטָּה; from 5186; a branch (as extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre), throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a support of life, e.g. bread) — rod, staff, tribe.
David Toshio Tsumura, "The 'Word Pair', *qšt and *mṭ, in Habakkuk 3:9 in the Light of Ugaritic and Akkadian," in J. Coleson & V. Mathews (eds.), Go to the Land I Will Show You: Studies in Honor of Dwight W. Young. (Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1996), p. 357-365