Brief Overview of προφητεία (Strong’s G4394: prophēteia)

Strong’s G4394: A feminine noun derived from πρό (before) and φημί (to speak), meaning prophecy or inspired utterance. Used in both predictive and declarative contexts to describe divine revelation through human vessels, encompassing both foretelling and forth-telling of God’s truth.

U- Unveiling the Word

Προφητεία represents divine communication through human vessels. Derived from words meaning “to speak before/forth,” it encompasses both predictive prophecy and inspired declaration of God’s truth. In its New Testament usage, it appears first in Matthew quoting Isaiah’s prophecy, then develops through various contexts of spiritual gifts and divine revelation. The early church understood this term as describing both the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and ongoing prophetic ministry. Today, it continues to describe both the authoritative written prophecies of Scripture and the Spirit’s ongoing work of revelation in the church.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: προφητεία, prophēteia, /pro-fē-TEI-a/
• Detailed pronunciation: pro (as in ‘pro’) + fē (as in ‘faith’) + tei (as in ‘day’) + a (as in ‘ah’)
• Part of Speech: Noun

Etymology:

• πρό (pro-) – prefix meaning “before/forth”
• φημί (phēmi) – verb meaning “to speak”
• -εία (-eia) – noun-forming suffix indicating activity or state
  The combination describes the act or state of speaking forth divine truth.

D – Defining Meanings

• Prophecy
• Divine revelation
• Inspired utterance

For compound words:
While a derived rather than compound word, its elements suggest speaking forth or declaring beforehand divine truth.

Translation Options:

1. “Prophecy” – Best captures both predictive and declarative aspects
2. “Divine utterance” – Emphasizes inspired nature
3. “Revealed message” – Highlights revelatory aspect

E – Exploring Similar Words

• ἀποκάλυψις (apokalypsis, /a-po-KA-lyp-sis/) – Revelation
  See G602
• προφητεύω (prophēteuō, /pro-fē-TEU-ō/) – To prophesy
  See G4395
• μαντεία (manteia, /man-TEI-a/) – Divination
  See G3132

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a feminine noun, προφητεία exhibits these morphological features:

• Case: Nominative, Genitive, Dative, Accusative
• Number: Singular, Plural
• Gender: Feminine
• Declension: First

Example forms:

• Nominative singular: προφητεία
• Genitive singular: προφητείας
• Dative singular: προφητείᾳ
• Accusative singular: προφητείαν

Related words in other parts of speech:

• προφητεύω (prophēteuō) – verb meaning “to prophesy”

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes both predictive and declarative aspects. Thayer’s notes its development in biblical usage. LSJ provides examples from religious contexts. Vine’s highlights its spiritual gift aspect. Strong’s emphasizes its divine origin. Moulton and Milligan cite examples from religious documents.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:
“Indeed, in their case the [προφητεία] prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says: ‘You will indeed hear but never understand.'” Matthew 13:14

Additional References:
Romans 12:6
1 Corinthians 12:10
1 Corinthians 13:8
1 Thessalonians 5:20
Revelation 1:3

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Προφητεία powerfully conveys God’s ongoing communication with His people. The good news of King Jesus fulfills ancient prophecies while empowering His church with prophetic ministry. It reminds us that God continues to speak through both His written Word and His Spirit’s ongoing work.

D – Did You Know?

1. This word distinguished true prophecy from pagan divination
2. Early Christian prophets used it for both prediction and teaching
3. It appears significantly in discussions of spiritual gifts

Strong’s G4394: A feminine noun derived from πρό (before) and φημί (to speak), meaning prophecy or inspired utterance. Used in both predictive and declarative contexts to describe divine revelation through human vessels, encompassing both foretelling and forth-telling of God’s truth.

Part of speech: Noun

Tags: prophecy, revelation, inspiration, divine communication, spiritual gifts, prediction, declaration, utterance, Scripture, Holy Spirit​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​