προφῆτις (prophētis)
prophētis
prophetess
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun prophētis simply means "prophetess," referring to a woman who serves as a spokesperson for God. It is the feminine form of prophētēs, sharing the same root and core function: declaring divine messages or interpreting hidden truths. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, this role involves receiving revelation through inspiration, dreams, or visions, rather than merely predicting the future.
Scripture mentions this title in only two specific instances, highlighting its rarity. Luke 2:36 introduces Anna, an elderly widow who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah after speaking about him to those waiting for Jerusalem’s redemption. Revelation 2:20 references a figure called Jezebel, whom Jesus criticizes for misleading believers. These examples show that the role was active and significant, whether in welcoming the Savior or, in the latter case, leading people astray.
Translators consistently render this word as "prophetess," preserving the direct parallel to the male counterpart. The sources emphasize that the term does not imply a different kind of spiritual gift, but rather identifies the gender of the individual exercising the same prophetic office found throughout biblical history.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word prophētis appears only twice in the New Testament, yet it carries significant weight for how we understand spiritual leadership and discernment. It simply means prophetess, identifying a woman who speaks God’s truth just as men did in biblical times. The term does not suggest a different kind of gift but rather highlights that women have always held this vital role of sharing divine revelation.
In Luke 2:36, Anna is introduced as a prophetess who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. Her example shows that spiritual insight often comes through faithful waiting and prayerful attention to God’s work. She did not seek fame but shared what she saw with those longing for redemption. This reminds us that clarity about Christ often grows in quiet devotion.
Conversely, Revelation 2:20 mentions a woman called Jezebel who misleads others. This contrast warns us that claiming spiritual authority requires integrity and alignment with God’s truth. The Bible holds both positive and negative examples to guide believers toward genuine faithfulness rather than empty titles.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a prophetess,1×
- a prophetess1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- προφῆτις,1×
- προφῆτιν1×
Key Verses
-
Luke 2:36
There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,
This verse identifies Anna as a prophetess who, after a long life of devotion, recognized Jesus as the Messiah and shared this truth with others in Jerusalem.