προφῆτις G4398
a prophetess, a woman who speaks forth God's message or revelation
The feminine form of 'prophet,' denoting a woman with a prophetic ministry. In Luke 2:36, Anna is identified as a prophetess who served God night and day in the temple, recognizing and proclaiming the infant Jesus as the redemption of Israel. In Revelation 2:20, the title is applied (perhaps mockingly or ironically) to the false teacher 'Jezebel' in Thyatira who leads believers astray. The term itself is neutral—context determines whether the prophetic ministry is genuine or counterfeit.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The glosses ('prophetess,' 'profetisa,' 'prophétesse,' 'Prophetin') uniformly denote a female prophetic figure. Luke 2:36 honors Anna as a true prophetess who testifies to Messiah, while Revelation 2:20 warns against a false prophetess corrupting the church. The term's use for both faithful and unfaithful speakers underscores that the title alone does not guarantee truth—content and fruit reveal authenticity. 2×
AR["نَبِيَّةً", "نَبِيَّةٌ"]·ben["ভাববাদিনী"]·DE["Prophetin", "προφῆτις"]·EN["a-prophetess"]·FR["prophétesse"]·heb["נְבִיאָה"]·HI["भविष्यवक्तिन,", "भविष्यवक्त्री"]·ID["nabiah", "nabiah,"]·IT["prophetis", "prophētin"]·jav["nabi-èstri", "nabi-èstri,"]·KO["여예언자", "예언자라고"]·PT["profetisa"]·RU["пророчица", "пророчицей,"]·ES["profetisa"]·SW["nabii,", "nabii-wa-kike"]·TR["peygamber", "peygamber-kadın"]·urd["نبیہ"]
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
προφῆτις, ιδος, feminine of προφήτης, especially of the Pythia, LXX+5th c.BC+: metaphorically, π. τῆς ἀληθείας Refs 1st c.BC+ __2 prophet's wife, LXX