Writers: Gad and Nathan

The prophets Nathan and Gad, who completed the writing of First Samuel, continued on in writing all of Second Samuel. (1 Chron. 29:29) They were well qualified for this task. Gad had been with David when he was a hunted outlaw in Israel, and toward the end of David’s 40-year reign, he was still actively associated with the king. Gad was the one used to pronounce Jehovah’s displeasure on David for unwisely numbering Israel. (1 Sam. 22:5; 2 Sam. 24:1-25) Overlapping and extending beyond the period of Gad’s lifetime was the activity of Nathan the prophet, a close associate of David. It was his privilege to make known Jehovah’s significant covenant with David, the covenant for an everlasting kingdom. He it was who courageously and under inspiration pointed out David’s great sin involving Bath-sheba and the penalty for it. (2 Sam. 7:1-17; 12:1-15) Thus Jehovah used Nathan, whose name means “[God] Has Given,” and Gad, whose name means “Good Fortune,” to record the inspired and beneficial information in Second Samuel. These unassuming historians did not seek to preserve memory of themselves, as no information is given of their ancestry or personal lives. They sought only to preserve the record inspired by God, for the benefit of future worshipers of Jehovah.