Nathan (English spelling) Nātān Hebrew

A character who appears in the Old Testament (1 Kings, chapter 1; Book of Samuel, chapters 7 and 12). A prophet who served in David's court and Solomon's teacher. Nathan prophesied that when David wanted to build a house (a temple) for God, God did not want it, but would instead build a house (a kingdom) for David and make it prosperous for a long time. This is known as the Nathan prophecy, and it became the basis for the legitimacy of the Davidic dynasty, and influenced the later prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah. When it came time to select David's successor, the elder Adonijah claimed the right to the throne, but Nathan plotted to support Solomon. This was a power struggle for the succession to the throne of an ancient dynasty that involved military chiefs and priests.

[Yutaka Ichikawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

『旧約聖書』（「列王記」上・1章、「サムエル記」7、12章）に登場する人物。ダビデの宮廷に仕えた預言者で、ソロモンの教師。ナタンは、ダビデが神のために家（神殿）を建てようと考えたとき、神はそれを望まず、むしろダビデのために家（王国）を建て、長く栄えさせるであろうという預言を伝えた。これはナタン預言とよばれ、ダビデ王朝の正当性の根拠となり、後のイザヤやエレミヤの預言に対しても影響が及ぶ。ダビデの後継者選出にあたって、年長のアドニヤが王位継承権を主張したのに対し、ソロモン擁立を画策した。ここには、軍の長や祭司を巻き込む古代王朝の王位継承の権力闘争があった。

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