(Gen. 49:21) The Son of God truly gave “words of elegance,” prompting even officers sent to arrest him to exclaim: “Never has another man spoken like this.”—John 7:46.

REFERRED TO IN VISIONS

In Ezekiel’s vision, Naphtali’s land assignment lay between Asher and Manasseh (Ezek. 48:3, 4), and one of the gates of the city “Jehovah Himself Is There” was named after Naphtali. (Ezek. 48:34, 35) Also in vision, the apostle John heard that 12,000 had been sealed out of the (spiritual) tribe of Naphtali.—Rev. 7:4, 6.

NAPHTUHIM

(Naph·tuʹhim).

Listed as among the descendants of Mizraim, the son of Ham. (Gen. 10:6, 13, 14; 1 Chron. 1:11, 12) As with the other names in this list, scholars usually take the apparent plural form to indicate a tribe or people. Assuming the name to derive from some geographical relationship, scholars often associate Naphtuhim with an Egyptian phrase meaning “those of the Delta,” and on this basis the Naphtuhim are included among the inhabitants of Lower (northern) Egypt. The correctness of these views is not as yet conclusive.

NARCISSUS

(Nar·cisʹsus).

Head of a household in Rome. When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, he requested that his greetings be given to “those from the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.”—Rom. 16:11.

NATHAN

(Naʹthan) [gift, given, that is, whom God gave].

1. A descendant of Judah. The son of Attai and father of Zabad. Nathan’s grandfather was an Egyptian servant named Jarha.—1 Chron. 2:3, 34-36.

2. A prophet of Jehovah during David’s reign; possibly of the tribe of Levi. When the king revealed to Nathan his desire to build a temple for Jehovah’s worship, the prophet replied: “Everything that is in your heart—go, do.” (2 Sam. 7:1-3; 1 Chron. 17:1, 2) However, that night Jehovah informed Nathan that instead of David’s building a temple, Jehovah would build for David a lasting house, and that later on David’s descendant would build the house of Jehovah. Thus through Nathan Jehovah announced to David a covenant for a kingdom “to time indefinite” in David’s line.—2 Sam. 7:4-17; 1 Chron. 17:3-15.

Nathan was later sent by Jehovah to point out both the magnitude of David’s sin against Uriah the Hittite respecting Bath-sheba and the divine penalty imposed because of it. This he did tactfully but forcefully, using an illustration. David was thereby maneuvered into expressing, unwittingly and without personal prejudice, his own judgment on such an act. Nathan then informed him: “You yourself are the man!” and expressed Jehovah’s judgment upon David and his house.—2 Sam. 12:1-18; see also superscription of Psalm 51.

In time a second son, named Solomon, was born to David by Bath-sheba. This child Jehovah loved; so he sent his prophet Nathan, who, “for the sake of Jehovah,” named the boy Jedidiah, meaning “Beloved of Jah (Jehovah).” (2 Sam. 12:24, 25) During the closing days of David’s life when Adonijah attempted to seize the throne, Nathan took appropriate measures to bring the matter to David’s attention. Nathan then shared in the anointing and installing of Solomon as king.—1 Ki. 1:5-40.

It appears that Nathan, together with Gad, advised David on the proper deployment of musical instruments in connection with the sanctuary. (2 Chron. 29:25) Nathan and Gad were evidently the ones used to record the information contained in the concluding chapters of First Samuel and all of Second Samuel. (1 Chron. 29:29) “Among the words of Nathan the prophet” were also recorded “the affairs of Solomon.”—2 Chron. 9:29.

This Nathan may have been the father of Azariah and Zabud, both of whom held important positions during the reign of Solomon. Azariah was a princely overseer of the deputies, while Zabud served as a priest and close friend and adviser to the king.—1 Ki. 4:1, 5.

3. The father of Igal and brother of Joel, two of David’s mighty men of war.—2 Sam. 23:8, 36; 1 Chron. 11:26, 38.

4. A son of David by his wife Bath-sheba, born to him in Jerusalem. (2 Sam. 5:13, 14; 1 Chron. 3:5) Through Nathan and his descendants the natural lineage of Messiah is traced, from David down to Jesus, evidently through his mother Mary. (Luke 3:23, 31) Concerning the time when ‘they will look on the One whom they pierced,’ the prophecy of Zechariah says there will be a bitter lamentation and wailing throughout the whole land, family by family, and especially for the families of David, Levi, the Shimeites, and “the family of the house of Nathan.” (Zech. 12:10-14) If the family of Nathan’s house here referred to sprang from David’s son, this would make it one of the families of David. Therefore the lamentation would affect families within families.

5. One of the nine head ones of the exiles encamped at the river Ahava, whom Ezra sent to enlist ministers for the services at the house of God in Jerusalem.—Ezra 8:15-17.

6. A former exile in Babylon, and one of the thirteen sons of Binnui who put away their foreign wives in compliance with Ezra’s instructions.—Ezra 10:10, 11, 38-42, 44.

NATHANAEL

(Na·thanʹa·el) [given of God].

Presumably the surname of Bartholomew, hence one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. Bartholomew, meaning “son of Tolmai,” was a patronymic term (that is, a designation derived from his father) apparently added to distinguish him by his father’s name. The apostle John uses his given name Nathanael, whereas Matthew, Mark and Luke call him Bartholomew. When doing so they associate Philip and Bartholomew together, in the same way that John links Philip with Nathanael. (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14; John 1:45, 46) It was not uncommon for persons to be known by more than one name. For example, “Simon the son of John” also answered to Cephas and Peter. (John 1:42) Nor was it exceptional for Nathanael to be called Bartholomew, or the “son of Tolmai,” as another man was called simply Bartimaeus, meaning “son of Timaeus.” (Mark 10:46) The two names, Nathanael and Bartholomew, are used interchangeably by Christian writers of following centuries.

Nathanael was from Cana of Galilee. (John 21:2) He began following Jesus early in the Master’s ministry. Philip, after responding to Jesus’ call “Be my follower,” immediately looked up his friend Nathanael and invited him to “come and see” the Messiah. Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” but then responded to the invitation. Jesus, seeing him approach, remarked: “See, an Israelite for a certainty, in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael must have been an exceptional man for Jesus to make a statement like that. Because Jesus said this and stated that he saw Nathanael under a fig tree before Philip called him, Nathanael confessed that Jesus was indeed “the Son of God. . . . King of Israel.” Jesus assured him that he would “see things greater than these.”—John 1:43-51.

As one of the Twelve, Nathanael was in constant attendance throughout Jesus’ ministry, being trained for future service. (Matt. 11:1; 19:25-28; 20:17-19, 24-28; Mark 4:10; 11:11; John 6:48-67) After Jesus’ death and resurrection, Nathanael and others of the apostles went back to their fishing, and it was while they were approaching shore in their boat one morning that Jesus called to them. Nathanael, unlike Peter, stayed in the boat until it got to shore, and then, joining the rest for breakfast, he took in the meaningful conversation between Jesus and Peter. (John 21:1-23) He was also present with the other apostles when they met together for prayer and on the day of Pentecost.—Acts 1:13, 14; 2:42.

NATHAN-MELECH

(Naʹthan-meʹlech) [king’s gift, or, the king has given].

A court official of Judah whose dining room was situated in the porticoes of the temple. While taking steps against false worship, King Josiah made the horses that Judean kings had given to the sun “cease from entering the house of Jehovah by the dining room of Nathan-melech.”—2 Ki. 23:11.

NATIONS

In the broad and general sense a nation is made up of people more or less related to one another by blood and having a common language. Such a national group usually occupies a defined geographical territory and is subject to some form of central governmental control. In the Scriptures the term usually refers to Gentile nations.

ORIGIN

The first notice of the forming of separate nations appears in the post-Flood period, in connection with the building of the Tower of Babel. Those sharing in this project were united in their opposition to God’s purpose. The principal factor facilitating united action was that “all the earth continued to be of one language and of one set of words.” (Gen. 11:1-4) Jehovah took notice of this and, by confusing their language, “scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth.”—Gen. 11:5-9.

Separated now by communication barriers, each linguistic group developed its own culture, art, customs, traits and religion—each its own ways of doing things. (Lev. 18:3) Alienated from God, the various peoples contrived many idols of their mythical deities.—Deut. 12:30; 2 Ki. 17:29, 33.

There were three great branches of these nations stemming from the sons and grandsons of Noah’s sons Japheth, Ham and Shem, and these were reckoned as the founding fathers of the respective nations called by their names. The listing in Genesis, chapter ten, therefore might be termed the oldest tabulation of nations, seventy in number. Fourteen were Japhetic, thirty Hamitic and twenty-six Shemitic in origin.—Gen. 10:1-8, 13-32; 1 Chron. 1:4-25; see articles on each of the seventy descendants of Noah for more information regarding these national groups.

Many changes, of course, came with the passing of time. Some nations were absorbed by their neighbors or disappeared altogether because of weakness, disease and war; others came into existence through new migrations and population increases. The spirit of nationalism at times became very strong among certain groups, and this, coupled with great military exploits, gave ambitious men the necessary thrust to build world empires at the expense of weaker nations.

A FATHER OF NATIONS

God told Abram to leave Ur and move to a land he would show him, for as He said, “I shall make a great nation out of you.” (Gen. 12:1-4) Later, God enlarged on his promise, saying, “You will certainly become a father of a crowd of nations. . . . And I will make you very, very fruitful and will make you become nations, and kings will come out of you.” (Gen. 17:1-6) This promise was fulfilled. Abraham’s son Ishmael fathered “twelve chieftains according to their clans” (Gen. 25:13-16; 17:20; 21:13, 18) and, through the six sons of Keturah, other nations traced their ancestry back to Abraham. (Gen. 25:1-4; 1 Chron. 1:28-33; Rom. 4:16-18) From Abraham’s son Isaac sprang the Israelites and Edomites. (Gen. 25:21-26) In a much larger, spiritual sense Abraham became “a father of many nations,” for persons of many national groups, including those of the Christian congregation in Rome by reason of their faith and obedience could call Abraham their father, “the father of all those having faith.”—Rom. 4:11, 16-18; see ISRAEL No. 2.

HOW GOD VIEWS THE NATIONS

As the Creator and Universal Sovereign, God is within his absolute rights in setting the nations’ territorial boundaries, if he chooses to do so and as he did in the case of Ammon, Edom and Israel. (Deut. 2:17-22; 32:8; 2 Chron. 20:6, 7; Acts 17:26) The Most High and Lofty One over all the earth is not to be compared in greatness with nations of mankind. (Jer. 10:6, 7) Actually the nations are as but a drop from the bucket in his sight. (Isa. 40:15, 17) So when such nations rage and mutter against Jehovah, as when they put Jesus to death on a torture stake, He only laughs at them in derision and confounds and destroys their presumptuous counsel against Him.—Ps. 2:1, 2, 4, 5; 33:10; 59:8; Dan. 4:32b, 34, 35; Acts 4:24-28.

Yet for all Jehovah’s superlative greatness and power no one can rightly charge him with being unjust in his treatment of national groups. It makes no difference whether God is dealing with a single man or a whole nation, he never compromises his righteous principles. (Job 34:29) If a nation is repentant, as were the people of Nineveh, he blesses them. (Jonah 3:5-10) But if they turn to doing bad, even though in a covenant with him, he destroys them. (Jer. 18:7-10) When an issue arises, Jehovah sends his prophets with a message of warning. (Jer. 1:5, 10; Ezek. 2:3; 33:7) God is not partial toward any, great or small.—Deut. 10:17; 2 Chron. 19:7; Acts 10:34, 35.

Therefore, when whole nations refuse to recognize and obey Jehovah, or they cast him out of their minds and hearts, then Jehovah executes his judgments upon them. (Ps. 79:6; 110:6; 149:7-9) He devotes them to destruction and turns them back to Sheol. (Ps. 9:17; Isa. 34:1, 2; Jer. 10:25) In descriptive language God says these wicked nations will be turned over to his Son, the one called “Faithful and True . . . The Word of God,” to be dashed to pieces.—Ps. 2:7-9; Rev. 19:11-15; compare Revelation 12:5.

THE NEW NATION OF SPIRITUAL ISRAEL

For centuries Jehovah God dealt exclusively with natural Israel, time and again sending his prophets to the nation so that the people might turn from their wayward course. Finally he sent his Son, Christ Jesus, but the majority rejected him. Therefore, Jesus said to the unbelieving chief priests and Pharisees: “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and be given to a nation producing its fruits.”—Matt. 21:33-43.

The apostle Peter clearly identified that “nation” as one composed of persons who had accepted Christ Jesus. (1 Pet. 2:4-10) In fact, Peter applied to fellow Christians the very words that had been directed to natural Israel: “You are ‘a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession.’” (1 Pet. 2:9; compare Exodus 19:5, 6.) All of them recognized God as ruler and his Son as Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:34, 35; 5:32) They possessed heavenly citizenship (Phil. 3:20) and were sealed with the holy spirit, which was an advance token of their heavenly inheritance. (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:13, 14) Whereas natural Israel was constituted a nation under the Law covenant, the “holy nation” of spirit-begotten Christians became such under the new covenant. (Ex. 19:5; Heb. 8:6-13) For these reasons it was most appropriate that they be called a “holy nation.”

When God’s spirit was first poured out upon about 120 disciples of Jesus (all natural Jews) on the day of Pentecost in the year 33 C.E., it became evident that God was dealing with a new spiritual nation. (Acts 1:4, 5, 15; 2:1-4; compare Ephesians 1:13, 14.) Later, beginning in the year 36 C.E., membership in the new nation was extended to non-Jews, who likewise received God’s spirit.—Acts 10:24-48; Eph. 2:11-20.

Regarding the preaching of the good news to all nations, see GOOD NEWS.