Brief Overview of προφῆτις (Strong’s G4398: prophētis)

Strong’s G4398: A feminine noun derived from προφήτης (prophet), meaning prophetess or female prophet. Used to designate women who received and communicated divine revelation, affirming women’s role in prophetic ministry both in Old Testament and New Testament contexts.

U- Unveiling the Word

Προφῆτις represents women who function as prophets, receiving and declaring divine revelation. The feminine form of προφήτης, it acknowledges women’s legitimate role in prophetic ministry. In New Testament usage, it appears describing Anna at Jesus’ dedication and continues in early church practice. The early church recognized this term as validating women’s prophetic ministry while maintaining biblical order. Today, it continues to inform discussions about women’s roles in ministry and spiritual gifts.

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N – Necessary Information

• Greek Word: προφῆτις, prophētis, /pro-FE-tis/
• Detailed pronunciation: pro (as in ‘pro’) + fē (as in ‘faith’) + tis (as in ‘tease’)
• Part of Speech: Noun (feminine)

Etymology:

• προφήτης (prophētēs) – base noun meaning “prophet”
• -ις (-is) – feminine noun suffix
  Forms the feminine counterpart to προφήτης.

D – Defining Meanings

• Prophetess
• Female prophet
• Woman who prophesies

For compound words:
Not a compound word, but derives from προφήτης with feminine ending -ις.

Translation Options:

1. “Prophetess” – Traditional translation preserving gender distinction
2. “Female prophet” – Modern equivalent emphasizing role
3. “Woman prophet” – Alternative highlighting gender and function

E – Exploring Similar Words

• προφήτης (prophētēs, /pro-FE-tēs/) – Prophet (masculine)
  See G4396
• μάντις (mantis, /MAN-tis/) – Diviner, seer
  See G3132
• διακόνισσα (diakonissa, /di-a-KO-nis-sa/) – Deaconess
  See G1249

R – Reviewing the Word’s Morphology

As a feminine noun, προφῆτις exhibits these morphological features:

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

Example forms:

• Nominative singular: προφῆτις
• Genitive singular: προφήτιδος
• Dative singular: προφήτιδι
• Accusative singular: προφῆτιν

Related words in other parts of speech:

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

S – Studying Lexicon Insights

BDAG emphasizes its use for recognized female prophets. Thayer’s notes biblical examples from both testaments. LSJ provides examples from religious contexts. Vine’s highlights its validity in ministry. Strong’s emphasizes its relation to προφήτης. Moulton and Milligan cite examples showing women’s religious roles.

T – Tracing the Scriptures

First Appearance:
“And there was a [προφῆτις] prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.” Luke 2:36

Additional References:
Revelation 2:20

A – Analyzing Classical Usage

N – Noteworthy Summary

Προφῆτις powerfully demonstrates God’s inclusion of women in prophetic ministry. The good news of King Jesus affirms the Spirit’s gifting of both men and women, as prophesied by Joel and fulfilled at Pentecost, while maintaining biblical order and authority.

D – Did You Know?

1. This term appears in inscriptions honoring temple prophetesses
2. Early church women prophets were recognized by this title
3. It influenced discussions of women’s ministry roles

Strong’s G4398: A feminine noun derived from προφήτης (prophet), meaning prophetess or female prophet. Used to designate women who received and communicated divine revelation, affirming women’s role in prophetic ministry both in Old Testament and New Testament contexts.

Part of speech: Noun (feminine)

Tags: prophetess, women in ministry, female prophet, prophecy, spiritual gifts, divine revelation, women’s roles, biblical women, ministry, spiritual authority​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​