Nathan

Nathan (meaning gift; given) was the court prophet during the reigns of David and Solomon. He delivered God's response to David's desire to build the temple — the Davidic covenant in which God promised David an eternal dynasty (2 Sam. 7:4–17). His most significant act was his confrontation of David after the sin with Bathsheba: he told the parable of the poor man's lamb, leading David to condemn himself, then declared "You are the man" (2 Sam. 12:7) and announced the consequences of David's sin. Nathan also played a decisive role in the succession crisis, supporting Solomon against Adonijah's claim to the throne (1 Kgs. 1:11–45). He authored chronicles of the reigns of David and Solomon (2 Chr. 9:29). A son named Nathan also appears in David's genealogy as an ancestor of Jesus through Mary's line (Luke 3:31).