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prophet

Prophet Proph"et, n. [F. proph[`e]te, L. propheta, fr. Gr. ?, literally, one who speaks for another, especially, one who speaks for a god an interprets his will to man, fr. ? to say beforehand; ? for, before + ? to say or speak. See Fame. ] [1913 Webster] 1. One who prophesies, or foretells events; a predicter; a foreteller. [1913 Webster]

2. One inspired or instructed by God to speak in his name, or announce future events, as, Moses, Elijah, etc. [1913 Webster]

3. An interpreter; a spokesman. [R.] --Ex. vii. 1. [1913 Webster]

4. (Zo["o]l.) A mantis. [1913 Webster]

{School of the prophets} (Anc. Jewish Hist.), a school or college in which young men were educated and trained for public teachers or members of the prophetic order. These students were called sons of the prophets. [1913 Webster]

to french

prophet [proufeit] prophète
prophete.idoneos.com

to deutch

prophet [proufeit] Prophet, Weissager
prophet.idoneos.com
weissager.idoneos.com

Bible Dictionary

Prophet
The ordinary Hebrew word for prophet is nabi, derived from averb signifying "to bubble forth" like a fountain; hence theword means one who announces or pours forth the declarations ofGod. The English word comes from the Greek prophetes(profetes), which signifies in classical Greek one who speaksfor another, especially one who speaks for a god, and sointerprets his will to man; hence its essential meaning is "aninterpreter." The use of the word in its modern sense as "onewho predicts" is post-classical. The larger sense ofinterpretation has not, however, been lost. In fact the Englishword ways been used in a closer sense. The different meaningsor shades of meanings in which the abstract noun is employed inScripture have been drawn out by Locke as follows: "Prophecycomprehends three things: prediction; singing by the dictate ofthe Spirit; and understanding and explaining the mysterious,hidden sense of Scripture by an immediate illumination andmotion of the Spirit." Order and office

The sacerdotal orderwas originally the instrument by which the members of theJewish theocracy were taught and governed in things spiritual.Teaching by act and teaching by word were alike their task. Butduring the time of the judges, the priesthood sank into a stateof degeneracy, and the people were no longer affected by theacted lessons of the ceremonial service. They required lessenigmatic warnings and exhortations, under these circumstancesa new moral power was evoked the Prophetic Order. Samuelhimself Levite of the family of Kohath, (1 chronicles 6:28) andalmost certainly a priest, was the instrument used at once foreffecting a reform in the sacerdotal order (1 chronicles 9:22)and for giving to the prophets a position of importance whichthey had never before held. Nevertheless it is not to besupposed that Samuel created the prophetic order as a new thingbefore unknown. The germs both of the prophetic and of theregal order are found in the law as given to the Israelites byMoses, (13:1; 18:20; 17:18) but they were not yet developed,because there was not yet the demand for them. Samuel tookmeasures to make his work of restoration permanent as well aseffective for the moment. For this purpose he institutedcompanies or colleges of prophets. One we find in his lifetimeat Ramah, (1 samuel 19:19,20) others afterward at Bethel, (2kings 2:3) Jericho, (2 kings 2:2,5) Gilgal; (2 kings 4:38) andelsewhere. (2 kings 6:1) Their constitution and object similarto those of theological colleges. Into them were gatheredpromising students, and here they were trained for the officewhich they were afterward destined to fulfill. So successfulwere these institutions that from the time of Samuel to theclosing of the canon of the Old Testament there seems never tohave been wanting due supply of men to keep up the line ofofficial prophets. Their chief subject of study was, no doubt,the law and its interpretation; oral, as distinct fromsymbolical, teaching being thenceforward tacitly transferredfrom the priestly to the prophetic order. Subsidiary subjectsof instruction were music and sacred poetry, both of which hadbeen connected with prophecy from the time of Moses (exodus15:20) and the judges. (judges 4:4; 5:1) But to belong to theprophetic order and to possess the prophetic gift are notconvertible terms. Generally, the inspired prophet came fromthe college of prophets, and belonged to prophetic order; butthis was not always the case. Thus Amos though called to theprophetic office did not belong to the prophetic order. (amos7:14) The sixteen prophets whose books are in the canon havethat place of honor because they were endowed with theprophetic gift us well as ordinarily (so far as we know)belonging to the prophetic order. Characteristics

What thenare the characteristics of the sixteen prophets thus called andcommissioned and intrusted with the messages of God to hispeople?

They were the national poets of Judea.

They were annalists and historians. A great portion ofIsaiah, of Jeremiah, of Daniel of Jonah, of Haggai, is director in direct history.

They were preachers of patriotism,--their patriotism beingfounded on the religious motive.

They were preachers of morals and of spiritual religion. Thesystem of morals put forward by the prophets, if not higheror sterner or purer than that of the law, is more plainlydeclared, and with greater, because now more needed,vehemence of diction.

They were extraordinary but yet authorized exponents of thelaw.

They held a pastoral or quasi-pastoral office.

They were a political power in the state.

But the prophets were something more than national poets andannalists, preachers of patriotism moral teachers, exponentsof the law, pastors and politicians. Their most essentialcharacteristic is that they were instruments of revealingGod s will to man, as in other ways, so specially bypredicting future events, and in particular foretelling theincarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ and the redemptioneffected by him. We have a series of prophecies which are soapplicable to the person and earthly life of Jesus Christ asto be thereby shown to have been designed to apply to him.And if they were designed to apply to him, propheticalprediction is proved. Objections have, been urged. We noticeonly one, vis., vagueness. It has been said that theprophecies are too darkly and vaguely worded to be provedpredictive by the events which they are alleged to foretell.But to this might be answered,

That God never forces men to believe, but that there is sucha union of definiteness and vagueness in the prophecies as toenable those who are willing to discover the truth, while thewillfully blind are not forcibly constrained to see it.

That, had the prophecies been couched in the form of directdeclarations, their fulfillment would have thereby beenrendered impossible or at least capable of frustration.

That the effect of prophecy would have been far lessbeneficial to believers, as being less adapted to keep themin a state of constant expectation.

That the Messiah of revelation could not be so clearlyportrayed in his varied character as God and man, as prophet,priest and king, if he had been the mere teacher."

That the state of the prophets, at the time of receiving thedivine revelation, was such as necessarily to make theirpredictions fragmentary figurative, and abstracted from therelations of time.

That some portions of the prophecies were intended to be ofdouble application, and some portions to be understood onlyon their fulfillment, Comp. (john 14:29; ezekiel 36:33)