A prophet or (generally) inspired man
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נָבִיא (navi) is the Hebrew noun for a prophet, one who speaks or acts in a prophetic role. Genesis 20:7 calls Abraham a prophet in connection with intercession, Exodus 7:1 describes Aaron as Moses' prophet or spokesperson before Pharaoh, and the historical and prophetic books use the title for individuals and groups.
Reader summary
Full entry for נָבִיא (H5030) · Open the biblical lexicon
נָבִיא (navi) is the Hebrew noun for a prophet, one who speaks or acts in a prophetic role. Genesis 20:7 calls Abraham a prophet in connection with intercession, Exodus 7:1 describes Aaron as Moses' prophet or spokesperson before Pharaoh, and the historical and prophetic books use the title for individuals and groups.
The BSB source-word alignment has 316 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include The prophet (87), the prophets (51), of the prophets (17), prophets (17), a prophet (14).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 20:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Jeremiah (95), 1 Kings (50), 2 Kings (33), 2 Chronicles (26).
נָבִיא (navi) is the Hebrew noun for a prophet, one who speaks or acts in a prophetic role. Genesis 20:7 calls Abraham a prophet in connection with intercession, Exodus 7:1 describes Aaron as Moses' prophet or spokesperson before Pharaoh, and the historical and prophetic books use the title for individuals and groups. The label alone does not prove that a message is true, since Scripture also calls some speakers false prophets or records contested claims.
Moses becomes the central prophetic pattern. Numbers 12 distinguishes his unusually direct relationship with the Lord, Deuteronomy 18 promises a prophet like Moses and supplies tests for presumptuous speech, and Deuteronomy 34 says no prophet had arisen in Israel like Moses in the stated respects. These texts join revelation, covenant mediation, signs, obedience, and accountability rather than reducing prophecy to prediction.
Amos 7:14-15 denies an inherited or professional prophetic identity before recounting that the Lord took him from tending the flock and sent him to prophesy to Israel. Whatever grammatical nuance is adopted for his denial, the passage clearly grounds his mission in the Lord's call. The New Testament applies the prophet-like-Moses promise to Jesus, giving Christian interpretation a direct canonical trajectory without making every prophet an identical precursor.
Navi covers prophetic vocation, spokesperson function, intercession, public proclamation, visions, covenant accusation, encouragement, and false claims. Scripture evaluates prophets by divine commission, fidelity to God's word, covenant truth, and stated tests, not by title or charisma alone.
God calls Abraham a prophet and instructs Abimelech that Abraham will pray for him.
Aaron is appointed as Moses' prophet in the confrontation with Pharaoh, highlighting a spokesperson function.
The Lord describes dreams and visions as prophetic means before distinguishing Moses' unique access.
Moses promises that the Lord will raise up a prophet like him whom Israel must hear.
The Lord condemns prophets who ran and spoke without being sent, exposing title without commission.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. One who speaks forth God's word with divine authority; messenger of divine will, not merely predictor of future events
One who speaks forth God's word with divine authority; messenger of divine will, not merely predictor of future events
a prophet or (generally) inspired man BDB: spokesman Usage: prophecy, that prophesy, prophet.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 317 lexical occurrence verses.
נָבִיא is built from this root:
False prophetic guidance magnifies communal deception and accountability.Hosea 12:7-14
Instrument of divine revelation.Isaiah 9:13-17
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Navi helps a congregation distinguish prophetic authority from personality, prediction, or a religious title. Abraham's intercession, Aaron's spokesperson role, Moses' covenant mediation, Amos's call, and Jeremiah's confrontation with unsent speakers show a varied office held together by divine commission and truthful service. Deuteronomy does not tell Israel to admire every prophetic claim; it commands hearing of God's true prophet and supplies serious tests for presumptuous speech.
A sermon can therefore affirm that God addresses his people while cultivating discernment and accountability. The New Testament's use of the prophet-like-Moses promise gives a strong path to Jesus, but that fulfillment should not be used to make every Old Testament prophet identical or every contemporary speaker unquestionable. Faithful teachers submit claims to Scripture, distinguish exposition from claimed revelation, and refuse to exploit urgency, charisma, or private access as substitutes for truth.
Deut.18.15
Navi names the prophet or prophetic role. The noun itself does not distinguish true from false, permanent office from episodic activity, or one mode of revelation from another.
Acts explicitly applies Deuteronomy 18's prophet-like-Moses promise to Jesus. New Testament prophecy texts require their own covenant and ecclesial interpretation.