Nathan

King David’s prophet

Who was Nathan?

A prophet at the court of King David. He brought him God’s promise: his kingdom would last forever. 2 Samuel 7:2, 16-17
After David’s sin with Bathsheba, he told him the story of the poor man’s lamb. David acknowledged his sin. 2 Samuel 12:1-13
When David was old, he helped Solomon become king and anointed him with Zadok the priest. 1 Kings 1:11-14, 45

Occupation: Prophet at the court of King David 2 Samuel 7:2; 1 Kings 1:8

What the Bible says

2 Samuel 7:2, 16-17

²He said to Nathan the prophet: Dost thou see that I dwell in a house of cedar, and the ark of God is lodged within skins? ¹⁶And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever. ¹⁷According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak to David.

2 Samuel 12:1-13

¹And the Lord sent Nathan to David: and when he was come to him, he said to him: There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor. ²The rich man had exceeding many sheep and oxen. ³But the poor man had nothing at all but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and which had grown up in his house together with his children, eating of his bread, and drinking of his cup, and sleeping in his bosom: and it was unto him as a daughter. ⁴And when a certain stranger was come to the rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, to make a feast for that stranger, who was come to him, but took the poor man’s ewe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. ⁵And David’s anger being exceedingly kindled against that man, he said to Nathan: As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this is a child of death. ⁶He shall restore the ewe fourfold, because he did this thing, and had no pity. ⁷And Nathan said to David: Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee from the hand of Saul, ⁸And gave thee thy master’s house and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and Juda: and if these things be little, I shall add far greater things unto thee. ⁹Why therefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord, to do evil in my sight? Thou hast killed Urias the Hethite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. ¹⁰Therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urias the Hethite to be thy wife. ¹¹Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes I and give them to thy neighhour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. ¹²For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of the sun. ¹³And David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David: The Lord also hath taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die.

1 Kings 1:11-14, 45

¹¹And Nathan said to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Haggith reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not? ¹²Now then come, take my counsel and save thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon. ¹³Go, and get thee in to king David, and say to him: Didst not thou, my lord O king, swear to me thy handmaid, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then doth Adonias reign? ¹⁴And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and will fill up thy words. ⁴⁵And Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are gone up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again: this is the noise that you have heard.

Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.

The path of Nathan

Before Jesus. David wanted to build a house for the ark of God. At first, Nathan told him to do what he had in mind. 2 Samuel 7:2-3
Before Jesus. That night, God spoke to Nathan. He sent him to tell David that his descendant would build that house. 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 12-13
Before Jesus. Nathan brought David God’s promise: his house and his kingdom would last forever. 2 Samuel 7:16-17
With Jesus. David sinned with Bathsheba and had Uriah killed. Then the Lord sent Nathan to speak with David. 2 Samuel 12:1, 9
With Jesus. Nathan told him the story of a rich man who took a poor man’s only lamb. David said that rich man deserved to die. 2 Samuel 12:1-5
With Jesus. Nathan told David that he was that man. David admitted his sin, and Nathan announced the Lord’s forgiveness. 2 Samuel 12:7, 13
Afterward. When Solomon was born, the Lord sent Nathan to give him the name Jedidiah. 2 Samuel 12:24-25
Afterward. When Adonijah tried to become king, Nathan warned Bathsheba and spoke with David. Then he anointed Solomon with Zadok the priest. 1 Kings 1:11-14, 24, 34, 45

Words of Nathan

“Go, do all that is in thy heart: because the Lord is with thee.” 2 Samuel 7:3

When David told him he wanted to build a house for the ark of God.

“Thou art the man.” 2 Samuel 12:7

At the end of the story of the lamb, when David said the rich man deserved to die.

“The Lord also hath taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die.” 2 Samuel 12:13

When David admitted he had sinned against the Lord.

“Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Haggith reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not?” 1 Kings 1:11

To Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, when Adonijah tried to take the throne.

What they were like

Obedient: he brought David the message God gave him that night, even though it changed what he himself had said. 2 Samuel 7:3-5, 17
Brave: he told the king to his face that he had sinned. 2 Samuel 12:7-9
Wise: to speak about the sin, he began with a story. 2 Samuel 12:1-4

The greatest thing they did

He brought David the promise of a kingdom that would last forever. 2 Samuel 7:16
He announced the Lord’s forgiveness to David. 2 Samuel 12:13

Not to be confused with

A son of David and Bathsheba was also named Nathan. In Luke, the genealogy of Jesus passes through him. 1 Chronicles 3:5; Luke 3:31
Bartholomew: Nathanael, whom Jesus saw under the fig tree, is a different person, from the New Testament. Nathan was a prophet of King David. John 1:45-48; 2 Samuel 7:2

What people ask

What is the story of the lamb?

Nathan told David about a rich man with many flocks who took a poor man’s only lamb. David condemned him, and Nathan told him that he was that man. 2 Samuel 12:1-7

Was Nathan wrong about David?

First he told David to do what he had in mind. That same night God gave him a different message, and Nathan brought it to David. 2 Samuel 7:3-5, 17

What did God promise David through Nathan?

That he would give him a descendant, and that his house and his kingdom would last forever. 2 Samuel 7:12-16

Why did he help Bathsheba?

Adonijah had made himself king without David knowing, but David had sworn that Solomon would reign. Nathan wanted to save the lives of Bathsheba and Solomon. 1 Kings 1:11-13, 17

What does the Catechism say about Nathan?

It recalls his story of the lamb when it speaks about envy. And it uses him as an example: God asks us to account for what we do, as Nathan did with David. Catechism 2538; Catechism 1736

Little known In the story, the poor man’s lamb ate from his bread, drank from his cup and slept in his lap. 2 Samuel 12:3 A Spanish Catholic Bible, Torres…

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Who Nathan is connected to

David · the prophet and the king
Solomon · named him and anointed him
Bathsheba · allies for Solomon
Jesus · the promise to David

More people

All the people of the Bible · The Twelve Apostles · Women of the Bible

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