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, 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)
  • French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)

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.

Translation commentary on 2 Chronicles 12:15

Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in…?: See the comments on 2 Chr 9.29. This is a rhetorical question in Hebrew. In some languages it may be better to restate this information as a statement (so Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

The chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer: The Hebrew here may be understood as referring to one written source or two distinct sources (so Good News Translation). Whether one or two, the source or sources no longer exist. Since the names of the sources here are probably titles, Good News Translation uses italic font, and so does New Living Translation with “The Record of Shemaiah the Prophet and The Record of Iddo the Seer.” Some translations place these names in quotation marks and/or use capital letters in an attempt to show that specific written sources are intended. For Shemaiah the prophet, see 2 Chr 11.2; for Iddo the seer, see 2 Chr 9.29. Regarding the meaning and translation of the terms prophet and seer, see the comments on 1 Chr 9.22.

Following the words Iddo the seer, the Masoretic Text contains a Hebrew word that is not translated in Revised Standard Version. This word means “to be enrolled by genealogy” (see the comments on 1 Chr 4.33, where it is used for the first time by the Chronicler). It seems to make little or no sense here. Following some ancient versions, La Sainte Bible: La version Etablie par les moines de Maredsous corrects the text here to read “recorded accurately.” Moreover, the Septuagint reads “and his deeds” instead of “to be enrolled by genealogy.” Therefore some scholars think the Hebrew word meaning “to be enrolled by genealogy” was added to the text later, so Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and Peregrino omit it.

Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament suggests that the reading in the Septuagint shows that for the Greek translator the meaning of the Hebrew was not clear and that the translator substituted the words “and his deeds,” which are found in summaries of other kings’ reigns in 2 Chr 13.22; 27.7; and 28.26. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives the Masoretic Text a {B} rating here. Perhaps the Hebrew word meaning “to be enrolled by genealogy” refers to another historical source. In any case, unlike Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version follows the Masoretic Text by saying “recorded by genealogy.”

Other versions attempt to make sense of this word by rendering the last half of the rhetorical question as “the book entitled History of the prophet Shemaiah and the seer Iddo, where the genealogical lists appear” (Bible en français courant; similarly La Bible du Semeur, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), “and his family records are found in The History of Shemaiah the Prophet and The History of Iddo the Prophet” (Good News Translation), or “the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies.” According to the Anchor Bible translation, the official genealogy was also written in these histories. For the whole question it has “As for the history of Rehoboam from beginning to end, is it not written down in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer; so also is the official genealogy?”

There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam is literally “And wars Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.” Revised English Bible says “There was continual fighting between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.” If a rather literal translation would suggest that these two individuals were fighting, then this sentence should be rendered to state that during Rehoboam’s rule of the southern kingdom, there was constant war with the northern kingdom of Israel, ruled by Jeroboam. Rather than actual fighting, some interpreters think it is more likely that there was an armed truce between Jeroboam and Rehoboam, with each side building fortresses to protect its border against the other side. That is, there was a constant state of war between the two kingdoms, even though there may have been little or no actual fighting.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .