NATHAN THE PROPHET, AT THE COURT OF DAVID AND SOLOMON · UNITED KINGDOM

Nathan. The promise of David's house, “Thou art the man”, and Solomon's anointing.

SCRIPTURE CALLS

Prophet

ERA

United kingdom c. 1050–930 BC

IN THE DAYS OF

David · Solomon

BOOK

None bears the name

HOW THE WORD CAME

The word came at night: “it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan”; what he told David is called “all this vision”.

THE CALL

How the word came

  • The word came at night: “it came to pass that night, that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan”; what he told David is called “all this vision”. 2 Samuel 7:4 2 Samuel 7:17
  • From the textHis first answer to David, “Go, do all that is in thine heart”, was given before the word came that night; the word that came said that David would not build the house. 2 Samuel 7:3–5 2 Samuel 7:12–13
  • He was sent: “the LORD sent Nathan unto David”, and he began with a story put to the king as a case to judge. 2 Samuel 12:1–6
  • Chronicles names a written record, “the book of Nathan the prophet”, for the acts of David and of Solomon. 1 Chronicles 29:29 2 Chronicles 9:29
  • The title of Psalm 51 sets the psalm “when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba”. Psalms 51:1

BEFORE THE KINGS

Before two kings

KING OF JUDAH, THEN OF ALL ISRAEL

David

“Thou art the man.”

2 Samuel 12:7 (KJV) →

KING OF ALL ISRAEL

Solomon

“And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel”

1 Kings 1:34 (KJV) →

THE MESSAGE

The word in its main themes

A house for David

“Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.”

2 Samuel 7:11 (KJV) →

“He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”

2 Samuel 7:13 (KJV) →

“I will be his father, and he shall be my son”

Sin named and judged

“Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house”

2 Samuel 12:10 (KJV) →

Forgiven, yet the child would die

“The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”

2 Samuel 12:13 (KJV) →

Who will sit on the throne

“Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

1 Kings 1:27 (KJV) →

THE WORD TO …

To whom the word was spoken

TO DAVID, ABOUT THE HOUSE

“Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the LORD is with thee.”

2 Samuel 7:3 (KJV) →

TO DAVID, AFTER URIAH'S DEATH

“Thou art the man.”

2 Samuel 12:7 (KJV) →

TO BATH-SHEBA

“Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.”

1 Kings 1:12 (KJV) →

TO DAVID, IN HIS OLD AGE

“My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?”

1 Kings 1:24 (KJV) →

  • Gihon · Where Solomon was anointed

SIGNS

Signs and wonders

SIGN

The ewe lamb

WHAT CAME OF THE WORD

As Scripture reports it

THE WORD

SCRIPTURE REPORTS

COMPANIONS AND OPPONENTS

Who stood with him, and against him

Zadok the priest

Benaiah son of Jehoiada

Bath-sheba

Adonijah son of Haggith

Gad the seer

Azariah and Zabud, “the son of Nathan”

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Scripture says, tradition says

SCRIPTURE SAYS

  • From the textScripture does not tell of Nathan's death. His last scene is Solomon's anointing; afterwards he is named only as the writer of a book and in Hezekiah's day. 1 Kings 1:45 2 Chronicles 9:29 2 Chronicles 29:25

TRADITION SAYS

  • “A grave at Halhul, near Hebron, is pointed out as that of Nathan, but this is doubtful.”[51] Who says so: E. G. Hirsch and E. N. Calisch, Jewish Encyclopedia, 1905; the earliest source has not been identified
  • Hebron's antiquities are said to include “the tombs of Gad, Nathan the prophet, Abner”.[45] Who says so: A local tradition at Hebron, listed in the Jewish Encyclopedia, reported 1904

OPEN QUESTIONS

Where readers have differed

The LORD sent Nathan, who gave the name

A. F. Kirkpatrick (1881); the Pulpit Commentary (1880–1897)

Kirkpatrick: “Jehovah commissioned Nathan … to give the boy a second name, which he did accordingly.” The Pulpit Commentary: “the sense plainly is that God sent a message by Nathan.” 2 Samuel 12:25 [71][97]

David put the child in Nathan's hand

“Some commentators”, following the Latin Vulgate, as reported by Kirkpatrick and the Pulpit Commentary

They read “he (David) committed him to the hand of Nathan” for his education. Kirkpatrick calls this explanation “doubtful”, with “no further trace of the fact”. 2 Samuel 12:25 [71][97]

IN SCRIPTURE

Every passage

CHAPTERS · 9

2 Samuel 7 2 Samuel 12 1 Kings 1 1 Kings 4 1 Chronicles 17 1 Chronicles 29 2 Chronicles 9 2 Chronicles 29 Psalms 51

PASSAGES · 11

2 Samuel 7:1–17 2 Samuel 12:1–25 1 Kings 1:8–14 1 Kings 1:22–27 1 Kings 1:32–45 1 Kings 4:5 1 Chronicles 17:1–15 1 Chronicles 29:29 2 Chronicles 9:29 2 Chronicles 29:25 Psalms 51:1

WHAT SCRIPTURE DOES NOT SAY

  • Scripture gives no father, tribe or home for Nathan, and does not tell how he became a prophet.
  • 2 Samuel 12:25 does not say plainly who sent Nathan or who gave the name Jedidiah (see the question above).
  • Chronicles tells Nathan's promise to David (1 Chronicles 17) but not the parable or his part in Solomon's anointing.
  • Scripture does not itself say that Absalom's deed (2 Samuel 16:22) fulfilled Nathan's word about David's wives (2 Samuel 12:11).
  • This Nathan is a different man from Nathan the son of David (2 Samuel 5:14; Luke 3:31).

SOURCES

Where this page comes from

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