Nathan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other meanings of Nathan see Nathan (disambiguation).
Nathan (נתן gift, standard Hebrew Natan, Yiddish Nussen or Nosson, Tiberian Hebrew Nāṯān) is the name of at least six men, and perhaps as many as eight, in the Hebrew Bible.
- Probably the most significant and famous was Nathan the Biblical prophet, who lived in the time of king David and his wife Bathsheba.
- In 1 Kings 4:5 Nathan is the name of the father of Azariah and Zabad, two of Solomon's chief administrators. It is implicit that these two have the same father, but whether he is one of the preceding two men, or a different man, is not clear.
- In 1 Chronicles 2:36 another Nathan is listed as a descendant of Jerahmeel, of the tribe of Judah.
- In 1 Chronicles 11:38 yet another Nathan is the brother of Joel, one of David's elite warriors.
- In Ezra 8:15-16 Nathan is the name of one of Ezra's companions who are sent to Iddo to ask for temple workers to replace the missing Levites.
- In Ezra 10:38-44 Nathan son of Binnui is listed as one who divorced a foreign wife and sent her and her children away. This is possibly the same man as is mentioned in Ezra 8:15-16.
[edit] Post-Biblical Nathans
- The name Nathan was a largely used name in the times of the birth of Christianity
- In Tamil Nathan (pronounced Nah-th-an) means son of God (it is derived from Sanskrit Naath or Naatha) and is a commonly used personal name.
- Rabbi Nathan was a tanna in the Talmud
