Lexical Definition

‎נָבִיא‎ nâbîyʼ (naw-bee') prophet ^H:N-M
from ‎נָבָא‎

prophecy, that prophesy, prophet.

• a prophet or (generally) inspired man

1) spokesman, speaker, prophet
1a) prophet
1b) false prophet
1c) heathen prophet

See Greek: ψευδοπροφήτης

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: ne.vi (‎נ‎ְ‎ב‎ִ‎יא‎ "prophet" נְבִיא)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎נָבִיא‎₃₀₆ noun masculine spokesman, speaker, prophet — ‎׳‎‎נ‎ Gen 20:7 + 155 t.; suffix ‎נְבִיאֶ֑ךָ‎ Exod 7:1 plural ‎נְבִיאִים‎ Num 11:29 + 82 t.; ‎נְנִאִים‎ Jer 27:18 + 16 t.; suffix ‎נְבִיאַי‎ Ps 105:15 ‎נְבִיָאו‎ 1Kgs 22:22 ‎נְבִיאָו֯‎ 2Kgs 17:13, etc.; —

1. genuine prophet of ‎׳‎‎י‎, ‎נביא‎, anciently called ‎רֹאֶה‎, 1Sam 9:9 (antiquarian note); change probably occurred in times of Elijah and is first reflected in Ehpraimitic source literally as applied to Abraham Gen 20:7 Moses Deut 34:10, M. and other early prophets. Hos 6:5; Hos 12:11* (twice in verse); Hos 12:14* (twice in verse); Amos 2:11; Amos 2:12 of prophets in ecstatic state Num 12:6 (E), Num 11:24 (JE). So in Judaic literature, of prophet like Moses Deut 18:15; Deut 18:18 (D), of Aaron (as mouthpiece of Moses) Exod 7:1 (P), of Samuel 1Sam 3:20, an unknown Judg 6:8 in time of Samuel prophets were organized in bands: ‎חֶבֶל נביאים‎ ‎׳‎‎להקת הנ‎ 1Sam 19:20 and in time of Elijah were ‎בְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים‎ = members of prophets' guilds 1Kgs 20:35; 2Kgs 2:3; 2Kgs 2:5; 2Kgs 2:7; 2Kgs 2:15; 2Kgs 4:1; 2Kgs 4:38 (twice in verse); ‎נָבִיא‎ of genuine prophets (besides phrases), in Judaic prophets, only Jeremiah, Jer 1:5 Ezekiel, Ezek 2:5 = Ezek 33:33 of ancient prophets Jer 28:8; Jer 28:9 (3 t. in verse); Zech 1:6; Zech 8:9 especially ‎הנביאים‎ ‎הראשׁנים‎ Zech 1:4; Zech 7:7; Zech 7:12, compare ‎הנביאים‎ ‎עבדי(וׅ‎ my (his) servants the prophets 2Kgs 9:7; 2Kgs 17:13; 2Kgs 17:23; 2Kgs 21:10; 2Kgs 24:2 (all R^D) Ezra 9:11; Jer 7:25; Jer 25:4; Jer 26:5; Jer 29:19; Jer 35:15; Jer 44:4; Amos 3:7; Zech 1:6, compare Ezek 38:17; Dan 9:6 ‎׳‎‎עבדוֺ הַנּ‎ his servant the prophet 1Kgs 14:18; 2Kgs 14:25 ‎הַנָּבִיא‎ with proper name: Jerome, 2Chr 36:12; Dan 9:2 + 31 t. Jeremiah (but ᵐ5 only 4 t., the rest probably redactional, see Gie^{Jer. xxvii}); Elijah 1Kgs 18:36 (om ᵐ5), 2Chr 21:12; Mal 3:23* Nathan 2Sam 7:2 + 10 t. Samuel and Kings; 4 t. Chronicles; Ps 51:2* (title); Isaiah, 2Kgs 19:2; 2Kgs 20:1; 2Kgs 20:14 = Isa 37:2; Isa 38:1; Isa 39:1; 2Kgs 20:11; 2Chr 26:22; 2Chr 32:20; 2Chr 32:32 Habakkuk Hab 1:1; Hab 3:1 (titles); Haggai, Hag 1:1; Hag 1:3; Hag 1:12; Hag 2:1; Hag 2:10 Zechariah, Zech 1:1; Zech 1:7 (titles); elsewhere several others in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles 15 t.; ‎נביא‎ is used elsewhere of genuine prophecy only 1Sam 9:9 + 34 t. Samuel and Kings; 1Chr 16:22 = Ps 105:15, + 13 t. Chronicles; Ps 74:9 complains of absence of ‎׳‎‎נ‎; ‎לַחְתֹּם חָזוֺן וְנָבִיא‎ Dan 9:24 see ‎חתם‎

2. false prophets: prophets as official class, beside priests, character as false prophets: Isa 28:7; Jer 2:26; Jer 4:9; Jer 6:13; Jer 8:1; Jer 8:10; Jer 13:13; Jer 14:18; Jer 18:18; Jer 23:11; Jer 23:33; Jer 23:34; Jer 26:7; Jer 26:8; Jer 26:11; Jer 26:16; Jer 32:32; Zech 7:3, app. also 2Kgs 23:2; Neh 9:32; Lam 2:20; Jer 29:1; Ezek 7:26 (in these not characterized); always false (except of ancient and special prophets given above) in Amos 7:14; Hos 4:5; Hos 9:7; Hos 9:8; Mic 3:5; Mic 3:6; Mic 3:11; Isa 3:2; Isa 9:14*; Isa 29:10; Isa 5:13; Isa 5:31; Isa 14:13; Isa 14:14; Isa 14:15 (twice in verse); Jer 23:9 + 16 t. Jer 27:9; Jer 27:14; Jer 27:15; Jer 27:16; Jer 27:18; Jer 29:8; Jer 29:15; Jer 37:19; Ezek 13:2 (twice in verse); Ezek 13:3; Ezek 13:4; Ezek 13:9; Ezek 13:16; Ezek 14:4; Ezek 14:7; Ezek 14:9 (twice in verse); Ezek 14:10; Ezek 22:25; Ezek 22:28; Zeph 3:4; Lam 2:9; Lam 2:14; Lam 4:13 especially discredited Deut 13:2*; Deut 13:4*; Deut 13:6*; Deut 18:20 (twice in verse); Deut 18:22 (twice in verse); Zech 13:2; Zech 13:4; Zech 13:5 such a prophet Hananiah called ‎הַנָּבִיא‎ Jer 28:1; Jer 28:5; Jer 28:10; Jer 28:12; Jer 28:15; Jer 28:17 ( ᵐ5 omits in all but vJer 28:1, where ψευδοπροφήτης). Usage of prophets themselves gives such a bad flavour to ‎נביא‎, that we are not surprised that it is absent from exilic Isaiah, the Wisdom Literature, and Psalms (except for special reasons in 3 Psalms given under 1).

3. heathen prophets 1Kgs 18:20; 1Kgs 19:1; 2Kgs 3:13 (twice in verse); ‎נביאי‎ ‎האשׁדה‎ 1Kgs 18:19 ‎נביאי הבעל‎ 1Kgs 18:19; 1Kgs 18:22; 1Kgs 18:25; 1Kgs 18:40; 2Kgs 10:19; 1Kgs 22:6; 1Kgs 22:10; 1Kgs 22:12; 1Kgs 22:13; 1Kgs 22:22; 1Kgs 22:23 = 2Chr 18:5; 2Chr 18:9; 2Chr 18:11; 2Chr 18:12; 2Chr 18:21; 2Chr 18:22.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References