Prophet — Meaning in the Bible
Someone who speaks God's message to others. Prophets in the Bible warned, encouraged and called people back to God; some also spoke about the future.
What it means
God told Moses he would raise up prophets who would speak his words. Prophets such as Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah and Jeremiah spoke to kings and people. Deuteronomy 18:181 Samuel 3:19–201 Kings 18:36–37Jeremiah 1:5
There were women prophets too, such as Miriam, Deborah, Huldah and Anna. Jesus was recognised by many as a prophet, and the New Testament church had prophets. Exodus 15:20Judges 4:42 Kings 22:14Luke 2:36Luke 7:16Acts 13:1
Key passages
- Deuteronomy 18:15–22 — True and false prophets.
- 1 Samuel 3:1–21 — Samuel becomes a prophet.
- 1 Kings 18:20–39 — Elijah on Mount Carmel.
- Jeremiah 1:4–10 — A prophet's call.
- Luke 2:36–38 — Anna the prophetess.
Original language
נָבִיא na.vi
Hebrew · Strong’s H5030 · gloss: “prophet”
The Hebrew word for prophet. Deuteronomy 18:18
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
For children
A prophet is someone who tells people God's message. Samuel was a prophet; God called him when he was a boy. 1 Samuel 3:101 Samuel 3:20
Study further
- 1 Samuel 3 A boy becomes a prophet.
- 1 Kings 17–18 Elijah.
- Jeremiah 1 Jeremiah's call.