prophet

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Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:

“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)

Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):

  • San Blas Kuna: “one who speaks the voice of God”
  • Central Pame and Vai: “interpreter for God”
  • Kaqchikel, Navajo (Dinė), Yaka: “one who speaks for God”
  • Northern Grebo: “God’s town crier” (see more about this below)
  • Sapo: “God’s sent-word person”
  • Shipibo-Conibo, Ngäbere: “one who speaks God’s word”
  • Copainalá Zoque: “one who speaks-opens” (a compound meaning “one who discloses or reveals”)
  • Sierra Totonac: “one who causes them to know” (in the sense of “revealer”)
  • Batak Toba: “foreteller” (this and all the above acc. to Nida 1961, p. 7)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “one who is inspired of God” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Alekano: “the true man who descended from heaven” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
  • Aguaruna: “teller of God’s word” (source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125)
  • Ekari: “person who speaks under divine impulse”
  • Mandarin Chinese: 先知 xiānzhī — “one who foreknows” (or the 1946/1970 translation by Lü Zhenzhong: 神言人 shényánrén — “divine-word-man”)
  • Uab Meto: “holy spokesman” (source for this and two above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Kouya: Lagɔɔ gbʋgbanyɔ — “the one who seeks God’s affairs” (source: Saunders, p. 269)
  • Kafa: “decide for God only” (source: Loren Bliese)
  • Martu Wangka: “sit true to God’s talk” (source: Carl Gross)
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “word passer” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation November 1964, p. 1-22)
  • Obolo: ebi nriran: “one with power of divine revelation” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Mairasi: nonondoai nyan: “message proclaimer” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Highland Totonac: “speaker on God’s behalf”
  • Central Tarahumara: “God’s preacher” (source for this and above: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
  • Coatlán Mixe: “God’s word-thrower”
  • Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
  • Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
  • Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
  • Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
  • Ebira: ọnịsẹ, a neologism that combines the prefix ọn for “a person” with ịsẹ for “prediction” (source: Scholz /Scholz 2015, p. 49)
  • French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
  • Cherokee: adolehosgi (ᎠᏙᎴᎰᏍᎩ) or “discoverer of things,” a “term that was was traditionally applied to Cherokee medicine men or women who used divining.” (Source: Bender / Belt 2025, p. 49)

In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)

About the translation into Northern Grebo:

“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)

In American Sign Language it is a person who sees into the future:


“Prophet” in American Sign Language (source )

In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)


“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

See also prophesy and prophesy / prophetic frenzy.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: How to Recognize a Biblical Prophet .

See also seer.

complete verse (Judges 4:4)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Judges 4:4:

  • Kupsabiny: “There was a lady in those days who was called Deborah. She was a prophet and adviser in Israel. Her husband was called Lappidoth.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “At that time Deborah, wife of Lappidoth, was the judge in Israel. She was a prophetess.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “At that time, the leader/[lit. head] of Israel was Debora. She was a prophet of God and wife of Lapidot.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “At that time Deborah, who was the wife of Lappidoth, was a prophetess who had become the leader in Israel.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Judges 4:4

Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth: This phrase introduces the new character, Deborah. Revised Standard Version begins this unit with Now, but translators should introduce this important character in keeping with the storytelling devices of their own language, for example, “Now, there once was a woman named Deborah….” In some languages it may be even more natural to introduce her husband Lappidoth first by saying “There once was a man named Lappidoth, who had a wife named Deborah….”

The name Deborah means “honey bee” in Hebrew. She is described as a prophetess, a title also given to Miriam (Exo 15.20). In Hebrew a prophetess, the wife of is literally “a woman, a prophetess, the woman of,” which is an impressive sounding expression with an obvious emphasis on the word “woman.” Deborah’s role as a prophetess is not explained, but certainly she was acknowledged as one who brought God’s messages to the community. Translators should take care here and elsewhere not to give the impression that prophets told only about future events. The role of prophets was to communicate God’s message, involving the past, present or future. We can describe Deborah as “God’s spokesperson” or “woman who spoke God’s message.”

The name Lappidoth means “torches” in Hebrew. Other than this episode, he does not appear anywhere else in the Bible. His name is important because it plays a role in a number of plays on words, as the “honey bee” is married to the “torches.” Peoples who are familiar with bees know that to get the honey, a smoking torch is held up to the hive, driving the bees away and allowing the honey to be collected. Many scholars note the link between this story and the story of Samson, where “bees” and “torches” figure prominently (verse 14.8; verse 15.4-5). In a way this could be a kind of inclusio, since these words occur near the beginning of the judges’ saga, with a closing mention toward its end. The tie between the two passages could be mentioned in a footnote, but most translators will not consider these links to be important for the reader.

Was judging Israel at that time describes Deborah’s specific role in her community. Was judging renders the same Hebrew root (sh-f-t) that was used previously (verse 2.16; verse 3.10). However, here this verb has its primary meaning of settling conflicts and making judgments (see verse 2.16). Like Moses (Exo 18.13-27) and Huldah (verse 2 Kgs 22.14), Deborah gave advice and decided legal cases. However, it is clear from the story that Deborah is also a “leader” (Contemporary English Version), even if she may not be in the forefront of the battle. In this context, quite exceptionally in this book, this verb should be rendered “was [or, served as] a judge.” In many languages there is an idiomatic expression for such a person, for example, “one who cuts the truth” or “one who cuts judgments.” Thus, in the whole book of Judges, Deborah seems to be the only person who qualifies as a real (legal) judge, in the modern sense of the term.

As elsewhere the narrator presents Israel as a unified nation, when in fact, Deborah probably served as judge in one small part of the country. See the comments on “the people of Israel” at verse 1.1. At that time is the same expression used in verse 3.29. This temporal phrase can of course be moved to the beginning of the sentence, according to constraints of style in the target language.

Some translation examples for this verse are:

• Deborah, the wife of Lappidoth, was a woman prophet. At the time she served as a judge for the people of Israel.

• At that time there was a man named Lappidoth who had a wife named Deborah. She was God’s spokesperson and she made judgments for the people of Israel.

Quoted with permission from Zogbo, Lynell and Ogden, Graham S. A Handbook on Judges. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Judges 4:4

4:4 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.

At that time Deborah the wife of Lappidoth was the prophet and the leader of Israel.
-or-
Deborah was the leader of Israel at that time. She was a prophet. The name of her husband was Lappidoth.

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