prophet

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)

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 (Micah 3:6)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Micah 3:6:

  • Kupsabiny: “So darkness in which you do not see anything shall engulf you.
    (It) shall close you up/in so you do not get visions.
    The sun shall set/go down on you prophets
    and darkness shall come to you in the daytime.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Therefore, there will be night for you without visions.
    Because of the great darkness
    you will not be able to tell fortune.
    Because of you prophets, the sun will set
    and the day will be darkness.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Because of your (plur.) leading- my people -astray, you (plur.) no-longer can-see visions and you (plur.) can- also not -practice-divination. (It) seems as-if you (plur.) (are) in the darkness or in the night where you (plur.) see nothing.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “So now it is as though night will descend on you prophets;
    you will not receive any more visions.
    It is as though the sun will set for you;
    the time when you are greatly honored will end.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Micah 3:6

In verse 6 the Lord states his judgment on the false prophets. This is given in picture language in four clauses, as seen in Revised Standard Version, and is more conveniently discussed in Revised Standard Version order. The first two clauses are put in the second sentence in Good News Translation. They are parallel to each other and speak of the imminent end of the prophets’ influence, using the figure of night coming on. Just as one cannot see in the dark, so the prophets will lose their spiritual vision.

The second two clauses are parallel to each other, and may both suggest the figure of the sunset. They are understood this way, for instance, by Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible. However, the last clause is perhaps an expansion of the idea of loss of light using the figure of an eclipse of the sun. This has the effect of strengthening the picture. Not only will the night bring no visions or dreams, but even the day itself will be a time of darkness. The figure of sunset and eclipse is similar to the language used in Amos 5.18-20 to describe the day of the Lord.

Revised Standard Version gives a clear idea of the poetic parallelism of the Hebrew, but even if the figures of the sunset and possibly of eclipse are meaningful in other languages, the structural parallelism may not be. It is not very natural in English and has been recast considerably in Good News Translation to give a flow of thought that is easier to follow. The four figurative references to darkness have all been understood to refer to sunset. They have been combined into two clauses to avoid repetition that would be clumsy in English, and they have been placed together at the beginning of the verse: Prophets, your day is almost over; the sun is going down on you. The meaning of this figure is stated by the two clauses at the end of the verse, you will have no more prophetic visions, and you will not be able to predict anything. The figure and its explanation are linked by the repetition of the charge against the false prophets in the words Because you mislead my people. These words explain the meaning of the “Therefore” of Revised Standard Version.

Your day is almost over is an idiom in English meaning “your time of importance is about to end.” Translators should be especially careful with the English the sun is going down on you. In English this is just another way of saying “your day is almost over,” but a literal translation in other languages could sound as if the sun itself was falling on the prophets’ heads.

Prophetic visions refer to special revelations from God, often like a dream that the prophet seemed to see with his eyes. In this verse visions probably includes dreams, since Micah is speaking about nighttime. The parallel term “divination” (Revised Standard Version) in the second clause is a term with strong pagan overtones. It is never used in the Bible for the activities of true prophets but rather describes such practices as telling the future by observing the flight of birds or examining the entrails of sacrificed animals.

Good News Translation undoubtedly conveys the essential meaning of the verse clearly in English. However, it must be emphasized that Good News Translation is just one example of how to restructure a complex sentence in a situation where a literal translation would sound unnatural. Many translators will need to follow Good News Translation in its general method of approach to the problem. Few, if any, will produce the best translation in their language if they simply follow the exact wording of Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Clark, David J. et al. A Handbook on Micah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1978, 1982, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .