Ναθάν

Nathán

G3481 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Proper name referring to an Israelite man, specifically Nathan, known as a prophet and adviser to Kings David and Solomon. Used exclusively as a personal name, with no additional lexical meaning in Greek contexts.

Semantic Range

proper name (Nathan, an Israelite man); not used as a common noun or verb; refers to various individuals named Nathan, primarily a prophet and royal adviser.

Root / Etymology

The Greek Ναθάν is a direct transliteration of the Hebrew personal name נָתָן (Nathan), meaning 'he gave' or 'given (by God)'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Septuagint and New Testament, Ναθάν appears as the Greek rendering of the Hebrew personal name נָתָן, referring variously to a prophet in the court of David and Solomon (notably 2 Samuel, 1 Kings) and to members of the Davidic genealogy. The name is never used as a common noun or verb in Greek but always as a proper name. The Septuagint (LXX) frequently preserves Hebrew names untranslated, reflecting transliteration rather than translation. Standard English translations render Ναθάν as 'Nathan', though the meaning of the underlying Hebrew name ('he gave') is not conveyed in translation. The use of Ναθάν reflects broader Hellenistic Jewish practice of preserving Israelite personal names in the Greek script without modification. There are no known uses of Ναθάν as a common Greek name outside Jewish or Israelite genealogical contexts. Contrast with other names of Hebrew origin retained in Greek genealogies, e.g., Δαυίδ (David), Σολομών (Solomon).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (נָתָן); Nathan, an Israelite:--Nathan.

Root Family

Ναθ- (Nathán) — name, to give (via Hebrew root)

Root Ναθ- name, to give (via Hebrew root)

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3481-01 Ναθὰμ natham N GEN M SG Nathan of Nathan Nathan 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3481-01 Luke 3:31 Ναθὰμ natham N GEN M SG Nathan of Nathan Nathan