Father King David Religion Judaism Parents David, Bathsheba Grandparents Jesse, Eliam, Nitzevet | Mother Bathsheba House Davidic line Siblings Solomon, Tamar, Absalom | |
Cousins Joab, Abishai, Amasa, Asahel Similar David, Solomon, Bathsheba, Jesse, Uriah the Hittite | ||
Nathan (Hebrew: נתן, Natan, Nāṯān) was the third of four sons born to King David and Bathsheba in Jerusalem. He was a younger brother of Shammuah (sometimes referred to as Shammua or Shimea), Shobab, and an older brother of Solomon. Although Nathan is the third son raised by David and Bathsheba, he is the fourth born to Bathsheba. The first died before he could be named.
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Nathan was the first child of Bathsheba that she was given the right to name. Her first child died as an infant before being given a name, and Shammuah and Shobab were given names by David and Nathan the prophet. It is thought that she chose the name Nathan in honor of Nathan the prophet, her counselor.
Old Testament
Nathan is first mentioned to be the son of David in 2 Samuel 5:14, & 1 Chronicles 3:5 & 14:4.
Throughout the Old Testament Nathan is referred to when listing the sons of David. First in 2 Samuel 5:14, "And these be the names of those that were born to him in Jerusalem; Shammuah, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,"
In 1 Chronicles 3:5 "And these were born to him in Jerusalem; Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four, of Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel:"
The last specific mention of Nathan appears in 1 Chronicles 14:4 "Now these are the names of his children which he had in Jerusalem; Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon,"
There are also instances in the Old Testament where the name Nathan is mentioned, but it is unknown whether it is referring to Nathan the prophet or Nathan the son of David. One instance of this appears in the first book of the Book of Kings. In 1 Kings 4:5 it states "Azariah son of Nathan—in charge of the district governors;" when listing the chief officials of Israel under the reign of Solomon. The passage does not specify if it is the son of Nathan the prophet or Nathan the son of David.
New Testament
In the New Testament, the genealogy of Jesus according to the Gospel of Luke traces Jesus' matrilineage back to King David through the line of Nathan, although the Gospel of Matthew traces it, the foster-patrilineage) through Solomon. Specifically, in Luke 3:31 the genealogy of Jesus according to Luke, Jesus' lineage connects to Nathan through the biblical figure Heli, the son of Matthat. Meanwhile, the Gospel of Matthew makes no mention of Nathan. Rather, in Matthew 1:16 Jesus' lineage is connected to Jacob which eventually relates Jesus to Solomon rather than Nathan.
One conventional explanation for these differences, from as early as John of Damascus, is that Nathan is the ancestor of the Virgin Mary, while Solomon is the ancestor of Mary's husband Joseph.
Another explanation for these differences is offered by St. John Damascene who says the following. "One ought also to observe this, that the law was that when a man died without seed, this man's brother should take to wife the wife of the dead man and raise up seed to his brother." From this he proposes it is possible that "on the death of Mathan, Melchi, of the tribe of Nathan, the son of Levi and brother of Panther, married the wife of Mathan, Jacob's mother, of whom he begat Heli. Therefore Jacob and Heli became brothers on tile mother's side, Jacob being of the tribe of Solomon and Heli of the tribe of Nathan. Then Heli of the tribe of Nathan died without any children, and Jacob his brother, of the tribe of Solomon, took his wife and raised up seed to his brother and begat Joseph. Joseph, therefore, is by nature the son of Jacob, of the line of Solomon, but by law he is the son of Heli of the line of Nathan."
One other explanation frequently proposed by modern scholars is that biblical genealogy is often based on theology rather than factual history. For example, the title "Son of God" is used frequently. However, this title would not have been used in the earliest Gospel writings. This explains for the differences in genealogies, as Matthew and Luke wrote for different audiences.
Other Sons of David
Although Nathan is the third son raised by Nathan & Bathsheba, meaning Nathan is actually the tenth son born to David. The first book of the Books of Chronicles there is a passage that sates the sons of David born to him in Hebron.
1 Chronicles 3:1-4 states " These were the sons of David born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel; the second, Daniel the son of Abigail of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah. These six were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven years and six months."
After recounting the children of David and Bathsheba, the book goes on to recount nine more sons and one daughter of David who were born to him in Jerusalem.
1 Chronicles 6-9 recounts them. "There were also Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet—nine in all. All these were the sons of David, besides his sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister."
This means Nathan is the ninth son born to David, one of his nineteen sons, and one of his twenty children.