Prophetess
A prophetess is a woman recognized in Scripture as speaking God’s message under his authority. The Bible names several prophetesses, though the role is described less often than that of prophets.
At a Glance
A prophetess is a woman recognized in Scripture as speaking God’s message under his authority. The Bible names several prophetesses, though the role is described less often than that of prophets.
Description
A prophetess is a woman whom Scripture identifies as speaking a message from God. In both Testaments, God at times used women in this prophetic role, including Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, Anna, and the four daughters of Philip. Their presence shows that the Lord may gift women for prophetic ministry; however, interpreters should distinguish this from broader questions about church office, preaching, or governing authority, since those questions involve additional passages and are discussed differently among conservative evangelicals. The safest summary is that the Bible clearly recognizes prophetesses as genuine bearers of divine message in particular settings, while the precise relation of that ministry to other forms of leadership must be drawn from the whole counsel of Scripture.