Person Old and New Testament
Nathan
Nathan, a son of David and Bathsheba, is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Mentioned in 5 verses across 4 books, first at 2 Samuel 5:14.
Why it matters. Son of David and Bathsheba, ancestor of Jesus.
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-30 by the FaithGraph team
About Nathan
Nathan was one of the sons of King David and Bathsheba, born in Jerusalem (2Sa.5.14; 1Ch.3.5; 14.4). He was a younger brother of Solomon, who would succeed David as king.
Although little is known about Nathan's life, his significance lies in his role as an ancestor of Jesus Christ. In the genealogy of Jesus recorded in the Gospel of Luke, Nathan is listed as a descendant of David and an ancestor of Joseph, the husband of Mary (Luk.3.31).
The prophet Zechariah also mentions a future mourning in Jerusalem, where the family of the house of David and the family of Nathan will mourn separately (Zec.12.12). This suggests that the descendants of Nathan played a significant role in the history of Israel and were recognized as a distinct lineage within the house of David.
As a son of David, Nathan would have been part of the royal family during a time when Israel was at its peak of power and influence. His inclusion in the biblical record, both in the historical narratives and in the genealogy of Jesus, highlights the importance of the Davidic lineage in God's plan of redemption.
Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.
Connections
No reviewed connections yet.
Family
Family links from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0). Where the dataset marks an identification as uncertain, the mark is kept. Matthew and Luke give different genealogies for Jesus; see the Lineage page, which never merges them.
Appears in Scripture
Named in 5 verses across 4 books. Occurrence data from STEPBible TIPNR (CC BY 4.0); references only, no translation text.