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Nathan
Prophet Wikipedia
Nathan (prophet)
Nathan
Prophet
Honored in:
Judaism
Islam
Protestant Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
Roman Catholic Church
Feast Sunday of the
Holy Forefathers
Nathan (Hebrew: נָתָן Nāṯān
'given'; fl. c. 1000 BC) is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible. His
actions are described in the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles (especially
2 Samuel 7:217, 12:125).
Biblical accounts
Nathan was a court prophet in the time of King David. He is
introduced in 2 Samuel 7:2 and 1 Chronicles 17:1 as an advisor to David, with
whom David reflects on the contrast between his own comfortable home and the
tent in which the Ark of the Covenant is accommodated. Nathan then announces to
David the covenant God was making with him (2 Samuel 7:417, a passage known as
Nathan's Oracle),[1] contrasting David's proposal to build a house (i.e. a
building) for the Ark with God's plan to build a house (i.e. a dynasty) for
David. Later, he comes to David to reprimand him for committing adultery with
Bathsheba while she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, whose death the King had
also arranged to hide his previous transgression (2 Samuel 12:714).[2]
According to Chronicles, Nathan wrote histories of the
reigns of both David (1 Chronicles 29:29) and Solomon (2 Chronicles 9:29), and
was involved in the music of the temple (see 2 Chronicles 29:25).
In 1 Kings 1:845 it is Nathan who tells the dying David of
the plot of Adonijah to become king, resulting in Solomon being proclaimed king
instead.[3] Nathan presides at the anointing of King Solomon. The Midrash
teaches that two honorary seats flanked the throne of King Solomon, one for
Nathan and the other for Gad the Seer.[4]
A lost Book of Nathan the Prophet is mentioned in 1 and 2
Chronicles. Although the work appears to have been lost, some speculate that
some of its content have been incorporated into the books of Samuel or
Kings.[5] The 15th century Jewish scholar, Isaac Abarbanel, proposed that
Samuel started his book, but Nathan completed the work.[6]
David had promised the succession to Solomon, his son by
Bath-sheba. Nathan advises Bath-sheba to remonstrate with the king against the
pretensions of Adonijah, promising to give timely confirmation to her words.
The plan succeeds, and, by order of David, Nathan and Zadok the priest proclaim
and anoint Solomon the successor to the throne (I Kings i. 5-39).
In addition to these passages, Nathan is mentioned in (1)
II Sam. xii. 25, as giving to Solomon the name of Jedidiah ("friend of
God"); (2) Ps. li. (in the title); (3) I Chron. xvii. 2-15, which is a
repetition of II Sam. vii.; (4) I Chron. xxix. 29; and (5) II Chron. ix. 29. In
the last two passages Nathan is named as the historian of the reigns of David
and Solomon. He is not mentioned in Chronicles in connection with the
Bath-sheba episode or with the anointment of Solomon. A grave at Halhul, near
Hebron, is pointed out as that of Nathan, but this is doubtful. Two sons of
Nathan, Azariah and Zabud, are mentioned as princes and officers under Solomon
(I Kings iv. 5).
About Nathan the Rabbis are all silent, saving in but one
passage, in which R. Judah remarks that the "threefold cord that is not
easily broken" was the joint effort of Bath-sheba, David, and Nathan to
save the throne for Solomon against Adonijah (Eccl. R. iv. 12). An echo of
Nathan's parable of the rich man with many flocks and the poor man with but one
lamb is found in both Christian (Bible Samuel 2 12:1-4) and Islamic tradition
(Koran, sura xxxviii. 20-25).[7]
Feast day
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, and those Eastern Catholic
Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, he is commemorated as a saint on the
Sunday of the Holy Fathers (i.e., the Sunday before the Great Feast of the
Nativity of the Lord).[8]
As a name
Further information: Nathan (given name)
Derived from this biblical character, "Nathan" is
used as a male first name in various languages.
This page was last edited on 3 June 2026, at 22:01 (UTC). Page
was rendered with Parsoid.