Brief Overview of προφητεύω (Strong’s G4395: prophēteuō)

Strong’s G4395: A verb derived from πρό (before/forth) and φημί (to speak), meaning to prophesy or speak forth divine revelation. Used for both predictive prophecy and Spirit-inspired proclamation of God’s truth, emphasizing the divine origin and authoritative nature of the message.

U- Unveiling the Word

Προφητεύω represents the act of speaking forth divine truth under inspiration. As a verb derived from prophetic terminology, it describes both foretelling future events and forth-telling God’s message. In New Testament usage, it appears in contexts ranging from false claims to genuine spiritual gifts. The early church understood this term as encompassing both predictive prophecy and inspired teaching. Today, it continues to describe both the authoritative proclamation of Scripture and the Spirit’s ongoing revelatory work in the church.

N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: προφητεύω, prophēteuō, /pro-fē-TEU-ō/
• Detailed pronunciation: pro (as in ‘pro’) + fē (as in ‘faith’) + teu (as in ‘few’) + ō (as in ‘oh’)
• Part of Speech: Verb

Etymology:

• πρό (pro-) – prefix meaning “before/forth”
• φημί (phēmi) – verb meaning “to speak”
• -εύω (-euō) – verb-forming suffix indicating action
  The combination describes the action of speaking forth divine truth.

D – Defining Meanings

• To prophesy
• To speak under divine inspiration
• To proclaim God’s message

For compound words:
While not strictly compound, its elements combine to express speaking forth divine revelation with authority.

Translation Options:

1. “To prophesy” – Best captures both predictive and declarative aspects
2. “To speak forth” – Emphasizes proclamation aspect
3. “To declare divinely” – Highlights inspired nature

E – Exploring Similar Words

• μαντεύομαι (manteuomai, /man-TEU-o-mai/) – To divine, practice divination
  See G3132
• λαλέω (laleō, /la-LE-ō/) – To speak
  See G2980
• κηρύσσω (kēryssō, /kē-RYS-sō/) – To preach, proclaim
  See G2784

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a verb, προφητεύω exhibits these morphological features:

• Tense: Present, Future, Aorist
• Voice: Active
• Mood: Indicative, Subjunctive, Imperative
• Person: First, Second, Third
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Aspect: Imperfective (Present), Perfective (Aorist)

Example morphological variations:

• Present: προφητεύω (I prophesy)
• Future: προφητεύσω (I will prophesy)
• Aorist: προεφήτευσα (I prophesied)

Related words in other parts of speech:

• προφητεία (prophēteia) – noun form meaning “prophecy”

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes both predictive and declarative functions. Thayer’s notes its usage in spiritual gift contexts. LSJ provides examples distinguishing it from pagan divination. Vine’s highlights its Spirit-inspired nature. Strong’s emphasizes divine origin. Moulton and Milligan cite examples from religious texts.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:
“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not [προφητεύω] prophesy in your name?'” Matthew 7:22

Additional References:
Matthew 11:13
Mark 7:6
John 11:51
Acts 2:17
1 Corinthians 13:9
1 Peter 1:10

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Προφητεύω powerfully demonstrates God’s commitment to communicate with His people. The good news of King Jesus fulfills ancient prophecies while empowering His church with prophetic ministry that proclaims His truth and reveals His will.

D – Did You Know?

1. This word distinguished true prophecy from pagan oracle-speaking
2. It was used for both spontaneous and prepared prophetic messages
3. Early church prophets used it for both prediction and instruction

Strong’s G4395: A verb derived from πρό (before/forth) and φημί (to speak), meaning to prophesy or speak forth divine revelation. Used for both predictive prophecy and Spirit-inspired proclamation of God’s truth, emphasizing the divine origin and authoritative nature of the message.

Part of speech: Verb

Tags: prophecy, inspiration, revelation, spiritual gifts, divine communication, proclamation, prediction, declaration, Spirit-led, teaching​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​