Lexical Definition

‎נָתָן‎ Nâthân (naw-thawn') Nathan ^N:N-M-P
from ‎נָתַן‎; given

Nathan.

• § Nathan = "giver"
• Nathan, the name of five Israelites

1) a son of David by Bathsheba
2) the eminent prophet in the time of David and Solomon
3) a man of Zobah, father of one of David's mighty warriors
4) father of Azariah who was over the officers of Solomon
5) son of Attai and father of Zabad of the tribe of Judah
6) brother of Joel of the tribe of Judah
7) one of the head men who returned from Babylon with Ezra
8) a man with a foreign wife in the time of Ezra
9) head of a family of Israel who shall mourn when they look on Him whom they pierced

See Greek: Ναθάν

Extended Information

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.39

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎נָתָן‎₄₂ proper name, masculine ᵐ5 Ναθαν; —

1. a son of David 2Sam 5:14 = 1Chr 3:15; 1Chr 14:4.

2. the prophet of David's time 2Sam 7:2; 2Sam 7:3; 2Sam 7:4; 2Sam 7:17 = 1Chr 17:1; 1Chr 17:2; 1Chr 17:3 + 6 t. 2Sam 12; 1Kgs 1:8 + 10 t. 1Kgs 1; 2Chr 29:23; Ps 51:2* (title); ‎דִּבְרֵי נָתָן הַנָּבִיא‎ as name of a book 1Chr 29:29; 2Chr 9:29.

3. father of one of David's heroes 2Sam 23:36.

4. father of officers of Solomon, 1Kgs 4:5 (twice in verse) (= 2 ?).

5. name in Judah:
a. 1Chr 2:36 (twice in verse).
b. 1Chr 11:38.

6. companion of Ezra from Babylon Ezra 8:16.

7. one of those who took strange wives Ezra 10:39.

8. head of a family Zech 12:12.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References

Book	Refs
2 Samuel	5:14 · 7:2 · 7:3 · 7:4 · 7:17 · Chapter 12 · 23:36
1 Kings	Chapter 1 · 1:8 · 4:5
1 Chronicles	2:36 · 3:15 · 11:38 · 14:4 · 17:1 · 17:2 · 17:3 · 29:29
2 Chronicles	9:29 · 29:23
Ezra	8:16 · 10:39
Psalms	51:2*
Zechariah	12:12

Profile

Male • Returned divorcee • An Israelite who married a foreign woman during the Exile.

Man living at the time of Exile and Return

Nathan is listed among the Israelites who had married foreign women during the Exile and pledged to put them away.

• A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.39;
• only referred to as Nathan נָתָן.

Nathan is mentioned in Ezra 10:39 as one of the Israelites who had married foreign women during the Babylonian Exile. This event took place after the return of the exiles to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra.

Upon learning that many of the Israelites, including priests and Levites, had intermarried with the neighboring pagan peoples, Ezra was deeply grieved and took steps to address this issue. He called for a national assembly and urged the people to confess their sins and separate themselves from their foreign wives and children.

Nathan is listed among those who had taken foreign wives and pledged to put them away in obedience to God's law. The text does not provide any further details about Nathan's background, family, or specific circumstances surrounding his marriage to a foreign woman.

The inclusion of Nathan in this list highlights the widespread nature of the problem of intermarriage among the Israelites and the importance of taking corrective action to maintain the purity and integrity of the covenant community. By separating themselves from their foreign wives, Nathan and the others demonstrated their commitment to following God's commands and preserving the distinct identity of the Israelites as God's chosen people.

All entries for Nathan: נָתָן