Nathan ('he gave') is a theophoric name built on the verb natan ('to give'), appearing 42 times for several individuals. The dominant figure is Nathan the prophet, who delivered God's dynastic promise to David (2 Sam 7:2-17), then confronted him with the devastating parable of the poor man's lamb after the Bathsheba affair (2 Sam 12:1-15), and finally orchestrated Solomon's anointing against Adonijah's bid for the throne (1 Kgs 1:8-45). A second Nathan is David's own son, listed among those born in Jerusalem (2 Sam 5:14; 1 Chr 3:5). Others include the father of one of the thirty mighty men (2 Sam 23:36), companions of Ezra (Ezr 8:16; 10:39), and a clan head mourned in Zechariah 12:12.