Apocrypha
Book of Nathan the Prophet
The Prophet
3 chapters · read and listen
Reading note
An apocryphal or pseudepigraphal text — outside the canon of the Western churches, yet widely circulated among ancient Jews and Christians. Published here from a public-domain translation, edited for continuous reading.
Chapters
Dossier
A text attributed to the prophet Nathan, the same who confronted David after the affair with Bathsheba.
Where this text comes from
Chronicles mentions records of Nathan that are entirely lost. The text circulating under that name is late and has no demonstrable connection to that material.
Why it is not in the Bible
Outside every canon. The book cited in 1 Chronicles 29:29 is lost, and there is no way to link what is read today to it.
What you will find
- What is published are fragments, and the second of them carries David's last words to his son Solomon.
- The advice fits in one line: keep the commandments of God.
- Its value is as a witness to a later tradition, not as a document of the period it describes.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this the Book of Nathan mentioned in the Bible?
- There is no basis for saying so. 1 Chronicles 29:29 mentions records of Nathan that did not survive. The text known today under that name is much later.