προφητ-εία G4394
Prophecy: the spiritual gift, act, or content of inspired utterance revealing God's will and purposes.
In biblical Greek, prophēteia encompasses the entire prophetic phenomenon—the divine gift enabling one to speak God's word, the act of delivering that word, and the message itself. Paul ranks it among the highest spiritual gifts, urging the Corinthians to pursue it above tongues (1 Cor 14:1). In Romans 12:6 it appears as a charism to be exercised in proportion to one's faith, while in Revelation it frames the entire book as prophetic testimony. The word carries weight across languages: Spanish 'profecía,' French 'prophétie,' German 'Weissagung'—each preserving its dual sense of foretelling and forth-telling.
Senses
1. prophecy (the gift, act, or content of prophetic utterance) — The gift of Spirit-empowered speech, the act of delivering a divine message, or the message itself. In 1 Corinthians 12–14 Paul treats it as a charism that edifies the church, superior to tongues because it communicates intelligibly. In Matthew 13:14 Jesus cites Isaiah's prophēteia as fulfilled prediction. The Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim 1:18; 4:14) recall prophetic words spoken over Timothy at ordination, showing prophēteia as living speech that shapes ministry. 19×
AR["النُّبوءَةُ", "النُّبوَّةِ", "النُّبوّاتِ", "النُّبُوّاتِ", "نُبوءَةِ", "نُبوَّاتٌ", "نُبوَّةٌ", "نُبوَّةٍ", "نُبوَّةُ", "نُبوَّةِ", "نُبوّتِهِم", "نُبُوءَةُ", "نُبُوَّةٍ", "نُبُوَّةِ", "نُبُوّةً"]·ben["ভবিষ্যদ্বাণী", "ভবিষ্যদ্বাণী,", "ভবিষ্যদ্বাণীর,", "ভাববাণী", "ভাববাণী,", "ভাববাণী;", "ভাববাণীতে,", "ভাববাণীর"]·DE["Weissagung"]·EN["prophecies", "prophecy"]·FR["prophétie"]·heb["הַנְּבוּאָה", "נְבוּאַת", "נְבוּאָה", "נְבוּאָתָם", "נְבוּאוֹת"]·HI["इस", "के-पुस्तक", "घटाएगा", "भविश्यवअनि", "भविश्यवअनियोन", "भविष्यद्वाणी", "भविष्यद्वाणी-की", "भविष्यवाणियाँ", "भविष्यवाणी", "भविष्यवाणी-की,"]·ID["nubuat", "nubuat,", "nubuat-nubuat", "nubuatan,"]·IT["profezia"]·jav["medarhèni,", "medhar-wangsit,", "pameca", "pamedhar-wahyu", "pamedhar-wangsit", "pamedhar-wangsitipun", "wangsit", "wangsit;"]·KO["예언", "예언,", "예언-의", "예언들을", "예언들을,", "예언들이라면", "예언은", "예언을", "예언의", "예언이"]·PT["profecia", "profecia,", "profecia;", "profecias", "profecias,"]·RU["-соразмерности", "пророчества", "пророчества,", "пророчествам", "пророчестве", "пророчество", "пророчество;"]·ES["profecía", "profecía.", "profecías"]·SW["unabii", "unabii,", "unabii.", "yako"]·TR["ama-", "içinde-", "peygamberlik", "peygamberlikler", "peygamberliklerinin", "peygamberliği", "peygamberliğin", "peygamberliğinin"]·urd["نبوت", "نبوت-کی", "نبوتوں", "نبوتیں", "نبوّت"]
Matt 13:14, Rom 12:6, 1 Cor 12:10, 1 Cor 13:2, 1 Cor 13:8, 1 Cor 14:6, 1 Cor 14:22, 1 Thess 5:20, 1 Tim 1:18, 1 Tim 4:14, 2 Pet 1:20, 2 Pet 1:21 (+7 more)
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
προφητ-εία, ἡ, gift of interpreting the will of the gods, gift of prophecy, διδασκαλίαν ὡς π. ἐκχεῶ LXX; ἡ δὲ προφητείη δίης φρενός ἐστιν ἀπορρώξ Oracle texts cited in Refs 2nd c.AD+ __2 concrete, prophecy or oracular response, LXX+3rd c.AD+ __II office of προφήτης Refs 2nd c.BC+ __III in NT, gift of expounding scripture, or of speaking and preaching, under the influence of the Holy Spirit (compare προφήτης), NT