Why are the books of Nathan and Gad not in the Bible?

Why are the books of Nathan and Gad not in the Bible?

 

It is often claimed that there are “missing” or “lost” books of the Bible. These books include Enoch and a number of Gospels including the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Mary Magdaline.  2 of these lost or missing books, the book of Nathan the prophet and the book of Gad the seer, are supposedly mentioned within scripture in 1 Chronicles 29:29 

1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,

 

At first glance, taking this verse at simple face value it most certainly does look like it does reference both of these books. In the verse there are actually 3 “books” referenced, Samuel, Gad and Nathan. We know that Samuel is included in scripture but neither Gad or Nathan are included in the biblical canon and so the claim that they are lost or missing does seem to have some credibility. Why is Samuel considered scripture but Gad and Nathan not? 

 

When we investigate these books in more detail and the supposed reference to them in the cited verse, we will find that neither was “lost” and neither was removed from the canon. 

 

The first thing we need to do is notice that the word translated as book in this verse is the Hebrew דָבָר Dabar.  Dabar does not mean a literal book, but rather a speech or a word. 

The Hebrew word for book in this verse is  סֵפֶר sepher ,this is a document or book as found in Exodus 17:14 where the LORD told Moses to write the law in a book. 

Exodus 17:14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.

Sepher, can simply mean writings.  It is used in Deuteronomy 24:1 referring to the bill (writing) of divorcement that a man must give to his wife. 

Deuteronomy 24:1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

 

These are not the same things. 

The verse in 1 Chronicles is not referring to books of Samuel, Gad and Nathan, but rather the saying of these prophets. 

1 Chronicles 29:29 As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer, the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer, NIV

1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the words of Samuel the seer, and in the words of Nathan the prophet, and in the words of Gad the seer; JPS Tanakh 1917

The words translated as “now the acts” in the KJV and “As for the events” in the NIV and “Now the acts”  is also the word dabar, so in literal terms it is saying, the words of David, behold they are “written” in the sayings of the three prophets.  

 

The sayings or speech of Samuel, Nathan and Gad who were seers or prophets. 

Seer simply means prophet. Seer was an old term for prophet. 

1 Samuel 9:9 (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)

Gad is called David’s seer or prophet. 

2 Samuel 24:11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,

Take a look at the Hebrew words translated as  (Samuel the) seer hā-rō-’eh,, (Nathan the) Prophet han-nā-ḇî, and (Gad the) seer ha-ḥō-zeh., 

1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer ,

ha-ḥō-zeh. is translated as prophet in Isaiah 30:10 

Isaiah 30:10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

 

These sayings of the 3 seers are recorded within scripture. 

 

The book that today is known as the book of Gad the seer is actually based on one single manuscript that dates to the 18th or 19th Century. This manuscript came from the Black Jews of Cochin, India. This manuscript is currently housed in the Cambridge Library. While some scholars do date the original writing to the 2nd Century AD this is no doubt a pseudepigraphic book that has been called by the same name and has nothing to do with the “book” referenced in the Bible. 

As for the book of Nathan the Prophet this is even less attested to by manuscript evidence, yes less than the one manuscript of the book of Gad. 
Ken Johnson Th.D. claimed to have discovered some fragments of the book but as yet they have never been published. 

No Dead dead scroll attestation…nothing at all bar the one manuscript for Gad. 


What is most certain is that what passes as the books of Gad and Nathan today, are in no way connected to the biblical reference.  

NO BOOKS of Gad or Nathan. 

 

1 Chronicles 29:29 is not referring to 3 separate books at all, but rather 3 separate accounts or the words or sayings, of Samuel, Nathan and Gad. 

 

What we will see is that these 3 accounts are all recorded in the 1st and 2nd Samuel .

While these are 2 separate books in the Christian Bible it is very important to note that in the Hebrew Bible they are actually one single work, one book, simply known as Samuel. 

What is interesting about these books or book, depending on which version you are reading is that Samuel dies 6 chapters before the end of 1 Samuel. 

 

1 Samuel 25:1 And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran.

 

This is before King David became King as this did not happen until 2 Samuel. 

 

2 Samuel 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

It is generally understood by Hebrew tradition that Gad and Nathan finished writing the book of Samuel. 

If we go back and look at the verse in 1 Chronicles, we will see that it clearly states the acts of David the King FIRST AND LAST

 

1 Chronicles 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,

 

We see that Samuel recorded information regarding the birth and early life of David, it was Samuel who anointed David to be future king. 

 

1 Samuel 16: 13Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

 

However, there is no way that Samuel could have recorded the last acts of King David seeing he was already dead. 

Last is the Hebrew אַחֲרוֹן acharon which means coming after. So, this is simply a reference to the acts that would follow after the things before. 

Let’s just go back and get some context. 

Samuel was an old man when he made his sons judges over Israel. 

 

1 Samuel 8:1And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel

 

However, these sons did not walk in the way of the LORD like Samuel did. They took bribes and perverted judgement. 

 

1 Samuel 8: 3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

 

Because of this the people demanded that Samuel anoint them a king like the other nations had. 

 

1 Samuel 8: 4Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah, 5 And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

 

Saul, the father (*in law – David Married Saul’s daughter Michal) of David was chosen as King in chapter 9 and anointed as King in chapter 10 

Now we know that Saul reigned for 40 years before he died, and David took his reign. 

Acts 13: 21And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years.

* 1 Samuel 18: 20And Michal Saul’s daughter loved David: and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him. 21 And Saul said, I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him, and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. Wherefore Saul said to David, Thou shalt this day be my son in law in the one of the twain. 22 And Saul commanded his servants, saying, Commune with David secretly, and say, Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee: now therefore be the king’s son in law. 23 And Saul’s servants spake those words in the ears of David. And David said, Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king’s son in law, seeing that I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed? 24 And the servants of Saul told him, saying, On this manner spake David. 25 And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. 26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired. 27 Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. 28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him. 29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually.

 

So, David became King 40 years after Saul was anointed king by Samuel who we already know was old when he anointed Saul and had died before David had become King. 

Therefore, it was necessary that God use someone else to instruct David and take over from Samuel. 

What we will see is that God used both Gad and Nathan to instruct King David. 

 God had actually first used Gad to instruct King David while Samuel was still alive. David was being pursued by King Saul and Gad instructed him where to hide. 

1 Samuel 22:5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

 

God also used Nathan the prophet to instruct David on numerous occasions

2 Samuel 7:2 That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. 3 And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee. 4 And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came unto Nathan, saying,

 

2 Samuel 7: 17 According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. 

 

2 Samuel 12:1 And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

 

2 Samuel 12:5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

2 Samuel 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

2 Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

And then we see that Gad was once again used by God to give David instruction.

 

2 Samuel 24:11 For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,

2 Samuel 24:13 So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that there be three days’ pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see what answer I shall return to him that sent me.

2 Samuel 24:18 And Gad came that day to David, and said unto him, Go up, rear an altar unto the Lord in the threshingfloor of Araunah the Jebusite. 19 And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the Lord commanded.

So, the acts of David are written in the words of Samuel, Nathan and Gad which are all recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel. There are no lost or missing book of Gad or book of Nathan, and the Bible does not refer to these books. The “book” or rather sayings of Samuel, Nathan and Gad is Samuel (1 and 2). 

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The Bible contains the books that God inspired.