Nathan (II)

II. NATHAN, a famous Prophet of the Lord, who appeared in Israel in the Time of King David, and had a great share in the Confidence of this Prince. His Country is unknown, as also the Time in which he began to Prophecy. The first Time the Scripture speaks of him, is on Occasion of the Design David had, to build a Temple to the Lord.¹ This Prince discovered his Intention to Nathan, who not questioning but so pious a Resolution must proceed from God, told him he might go on to execute what his Heart had prompted him to do. But the Night following the Lord spoke to Nathan, and ordered him to acquaint David, that hitherto he had had no fixt Temple in Israel, nor had he required any; that the Honour of building him one, did not belong to David, but was reserved for his Son and Successor; but however, that David and his House might be assured of his gracious Favour and Protection.

Several Years after,² when David 2 Sam. xi. 3.transgress’d with Bathsheba, and was the Occasion of the Death of Uriah, by the Sword of the Children of Ammon; the Lord sent Nathan to this Prince, to reprove him for his Sin. Nathan acquitted himself of this duty in a very wise and prudent Manner, by telling him a fictitious Story of a rich Man, who having many Flocks and Heards of his own, yet would take by force a Lamb belonging to a poor Man, which was the only one he had; and this he did to entertain a Friend, who then happened to come to see him. David had no sooner heard Nathan’s Story, but he cry’d out with great Vehemence, The Man that has been Guilty of this unjust Action is worthy of Death; he shall restore the Lamb fourfold. Then Nathan told him, that he was the Man, and thus says the Lord concerning you. I have anointed you King of Israel, and have delivered you out of the Hands of Saul; and if these may seem but small Matters, I was going to add many other Things to them. Why therefore have you despised my Words? You have taken by force the Wife of Uriah the Hittite, and him have you slain by the Sword of the Ammonites. Therefore the Sword shall not depart from your House. I shall create you Troubles and Calamities, even from your own Family. I shall take your Wives from before your Face, and give them to another, who shall defile them before the face of the Sun: For tho’ you have done this Thing in secret, yet I shall take Vengeance for it before the Eyes of all Israel, and before the Face of the Sun.

David then acknowledged his Sin to the Prophet, crying out, I have sinned against the Lord. Nathan to comfort him, assured him, that the Lord had mitigated his Punishment, and that he himself should not die. But because he had given Occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, his Son that was born of Bathsheba, that should surely die. The Thing presently happened, as Nathan had foretold, which shews that David did not receive this Reproof till about a Year after his Sin. David’s Repentance however was so sincere and compleat after this Fall, that the Lord did not omit to comfort him by fresh Assurances of his Favour. Bathsheba had a second Son, who was called Solomon, and the Lord sent Nathan again to David³ ordering him to call the Name of the Child Jedidiah,⁴ that is, beloved of the Lord. ‘Twas probably on this Occasion, that God declared to David, that Solomon should be his Successor; that it should be he that should build him a Temple, and should be the Heir of those Promises which had been before made to him. See 2 Sam. vii. 12, &c.

David being now arrived at a great great Age,⁵ Adonijah his Son began to take upon him the State and Equipage of a King, and to form a Party that might acknowledge him for King, in Opposition to the Interest of his Brother Solomon. At the Head of this Party were Joab the General of the King’s Troops, and Abiathar the High-Priest: But neither the High-Priest Zadok, nor the Prophet Nathan, nor the Body of the Army were in this Interest. It happened one Day that Adonijah gave a splendid Entertainment to those of his own Faction, at which Nathan conceiving some Jealousy, immediately repaired to Bathsheba the Mother of Solomon, and bid her, at the Peril of her own Life, and that of her Son, to follow the counsel that he should give her. ” Go presently to ” King David, and say to him; O my ” Lord the King, have you not sworn to ” me, that Solomon my Son should succeed to the Crown? Why then does Adonijah reign? While you are saying this ” to him, I will come in, and confirm ” what you say.” Bathsheba put this Advice in Execution, and while she was yet speaking to the King, Nathan comes, and being admitted into the King’s Presence, he thus accosts him. ” O my Lord the King, ” have you appointed Adonijah to be your ” Successor, and is he to sit upon your ” Throne after you? Have you not often ” declared to me, that Solomon should be ” your Successor?” Then David caused Zadok the High-Priest, and Benaiah the Son of Jehoiada to be sent for, and commanded them, with the Prophet Nathan, to anoint Solomon King of Israel. They then made Solomon to ride upon the King’s Mule, and having conducted him to the Fountain of Gibon, they consecrated him King of Israel there, with the universal Acclamations of all the Populace.

The Time and Manner of Nathan’s 1 Chron. xxix. 29.Death are not known. The Chronicles give us to understand, that Gad and Nathan had writ the History of David. The same Prophets had also regulated with David the Order and Disposition of the Ministers of the Temple. Lastly that Nathan and Abijah of Shilo had writ the History of 2 Chron. ix. 29. 1 Kings iv. 5.Solomon. Under the Reign of Solomon we find Mention made of Azariah and Zabud Sons of Nathan, who had considerable Employments at Court; but whether this was Nathan the Prophet is not said.

St. Epiphanius in his Lives of the Prophets, relates a Story taken from some apocryphal Book, in which it is said, that Nathan knowing by Inspiration that David was upon the Point of committing Adultery, he set out immediately for Jerusalem, hoping to prevent it. But the Devil found Means to delay him by the way, having placed before him a dead Man quite naked. Nathan out of a Sense of Humanity, thought himself obliged to stay and bury him, when in the mean Time David committed this Crime. Eupolemus in Eusebius⁶ makes Nathan an Angle of the Lord, when he says, that the Angel called Dianathan told David, that God did not think fit he should build a Temple to him.

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