Topic: Persons Of The Bible - Nathan

The name "Nathan" means "giver" in Hebrew.

There are three persons who carry the name "Nathan" in the scriptures.

• The first person with the name "Nathan" was an eminent Hebrew prophet in the reigns of David and Solomon (2 Chr. 9:29) (B.C. 1015.). He is first spoken of in connection with the arrangements David made for the building of the temple (2 Sam. 7:2, 3, 17), and next appears as the reprover of David on account of David's sin with Bathsheba (12:1-14). His famous apologue on the rich man and the ewe lamb, which is the only direct example of his prophetic power, shows his prophetic power to have been of a very high order. (2 Samuel 12:1-12) This Nathan was charged with the education of Solomon (12:25), at whose inauguration to the throne Nathan took a prominent part (1 Kings 1:8, 10, 11, 22-45). Nathan's two sons, Zabad (1 Chr. 2:36) and Azariah (1 Kings 4:5) occupied places of honor at the king's court. Nathan last appears in assisting David in reorganizing the public worship (2 Chr. 29:25). Nathan seems to have written a life of David, and also a life of Solomon (1 Chr. 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29).

• Another person named "Nathan" was a son of David, by Bathsheba (2 Sam. 5:14), whose name appears in the genealogy of Mary, the mother of our Lord (Luke 3:31).

• Another person named "Nathan" is mentioned in Ezra 8:16. This Nathan was one of the head men who returned from Babylon with Ezra on his second expedition. (Ezra 8:16) 1 Esdr. 8:44. It is not impossible that he may be the same with the "son of Bani." (Ezra 10:39)

Derived from Easton's and Smith's Bible Dictionaries

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