(Naʹthan) [[God] Has Given].

1. A descendant of Judah. The son of Attai and father of Zabad. Nathan’s grandfather was an Egyptian servant named Jarha.​—1Ch 2:3, 34-36.

2. A prophet of Jehovah during David’s reign; possibly of the tribe of Levi. When the king revealed to Nathan his desire to build a temple for Jehovah’s worship, the prophet replied: “Everything that is in your heart​—go, do.” (2Sa 7:1-3; 1Ch 17:1, 2) However, that night Jehovah informed Nathan that instead of David’s building a temple, Jehovah would build for David a lasting house, and that later on David’s descendant would build the house of Jehovah. Thus through Nathan, Jehovah announced to David a covenant for a kingdom “to time indefinite” in David’s line.​—2Sa 7:4-17; 1Ch 17:3-15.

Nathan was later sent by Jehovah to point out both the magnitude of David’s sin against Uriah the Hittite respecting Bath-sheba and the divine penalty imposed because of it. This he did tactfully but forcefully, using an illustration. David was thereby maneuvered into expressing, unwittingly and without personal prejudice, his own judgment on such an act. Nathan then informed him: “You yourself are the man!” and expressed Jehovah’s judgment upon David and his house.​—2Sa 12:1-18; see also Ps 51:Sup.

In time a second son, named Solomon, was born to David by Bath-sheba. This child Jehovah loved; so he sent his prophet Nathan, who, “for the sake of Jehovah,” named the boy Jedidiah, meaning “Beloved of Jah.” (2Sa 12:24, 25) During the closing days of David’s life when Adonijah attempted to seize the throne, Nathan took appropriate measures to bring the matter to David’s attention. Nathan then shared in the anointing and installing of Solomon as king.​—1Ki 1:5-40.

It appears that Nathan, together with Gad, advised David on the proper deployment of musical instruments in connection with the sanctuary. (2Ch 29:25) Nathan and Gad were evidently the ones used to record the information contained in the concluding chapters of First Samuel and all of Second Samuel. (1Ch 29:29) “Among the words of Nathan the prophet” were also recorded “the affairs of Solomon.”​—2Ch 9:29.

This Nathan may have been the father of Azariah and Zabud, both of whom held important positions during the reign of Solomon. Azariah was a princely overseer of the deputies, while Zabud served as a priest and close friend and adviser to the king.​—1Ki 4:1, 5.

3. The father of Igal and brother of Joel, two of David’s mighty men of war.​—2Sa 23:8, 36; 1Ch 11:26, 38.

4. A son of David by his wife Bath-sheba, born to him in Jerusalem. (2Sa 5:13, 14; 1Ch 3:5) The natural lineage of Messiah is traced, from David through Nathan and his descendants down to Jesus, evidently through Jesus’ mother Mary. (Lu 3:23, 31) Concerning the time when ‘they will look on the One whom they pierced,’ the prophecy of Zechariah says there will be a bitter lamentation and wailing throughout the whole land, family by family, and especially for the families of David, Levi, the Shimeites, and “the family of the house of Nathan.” (Zec 12:10-14) If the family of Nathan’s house here referred to sprang from David’s son, this would make it one of the families of David. Therefore the lamentation would affect families within families.

 5. One of the nine head ones of the exiles encamped at the river Ahava, whom Ezra sent to enlist ministers for the services at the house of God in Jerusalem.​—Ezr 8:15-17.

6. A former exile in Babylon, and one of the 13 sons of Binnui who put away their foreign wives in compliance with Ezra’s instructions.​—Ezr 10:10, 11, 38-42, 44.