How Many Women Prophets Prophesied in the Bible?
What is a prophet? How many women prophets prophesied in the Bible? Prophets were God’s authorized spokespersons. Both women and men communicated God’s direct revelation to designated people. And, he instructed his people to listen to the prophets he raised up (Deut 18:15).
Sometimes prophets prefaced their message with, “This is what the Lord says.” At times, singing and musical instrumentation accompanied the ministry of prophecy (1 Chr 25:1–7).[1] Some prophets were called to deliver specific messages. In other instances, a prophet delivered a rebuke for disobedience, an encouragement, a prediction, a reminder of God’s covenant with his people, or specific instructions for carrying out the message from God.
How Did God Communicate with Prophets?
God communicated to his prophets through various methods. Moses was unique in that he had the privilege of speaking to God “face-to-face” (Num 12:6–8):
“Listen to my words: “When there is a prophet among you, I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions, I speak to them in dreams, but this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him, I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD.”
But most often, prophets received God’s messages by less direct means. They received messages in the form of visions, dreams, and vivid imagery; an audible voice; an inaudible, internal voice; by the supernatural opening of their eyes to see unseen things; through an angelic messenger; or through symbolic actions.
Did Women Prophesy?
Men delivered the majority of scriptural prophecies. Yet, God also called women to receive and proclaim his messages. Throughout the Bible are instances where women prophets prophesied in the Bible–they spoke the Word of the Lord to others. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on both women and men. At that time, Peter, one of the 12 disciples, echoed the prophecy of Joel (Joel 2:18), “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy…” (Acts 2:17–18). An ancient Near East scholar notes,
“The fact that certain biblical texts presuppose that there were women prophets, there can be no debate. There were women prophets in ancient Israel and in Early Christianity. And the term that is used in Hebrew and in Greek for women prophets is the same as the term used for men prophets, with the only difference being the marker of gender that is a linguistic component of these ancient languages.”[2] ~Dr. Christopher Rollston
Who are the Named Women Prophets in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament)?
The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) describes five women prophets, all in Israel. The four named women prophets are:
1. Miriam (Mic 6:4; Ex 15:20–21)
Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron. When baby Moses needed an overseer, young Miriam watched over him, in his basket among the reeds, until an Egyptian princess rescued him. Miriam’s prophetic ministry included music and singing. She was also described as one of the three leaders who led Israel’s children out of captivity.
“Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them: “Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”
2. Deborah (Judg 4–5)
Deborah was a prophet and one of the twelve major judges God called forth to lead the nation Israel. She spoke the Word of the Lord to Barak. Under her command, the Israelites defeated King Sisera and the Canaanites, thereby ensuring forty years of peace. And, her song of victory and praise is recorded in Judges 5.
Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time. She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.
3. Huldah (2 Kgs 22:14–20)
Huldah, a prophet and wife of Shallum, confirmed that a scroll discovered in the Temple was part of the Torah. [Some scholars view this as the first symbolic act of scripture canonization of the book of Deuteronomy.] She prefaced her prophetic message to King Josiah’s priestly entourage with, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says (2 Kgs 22:16).” King Josiah chose to consult Huldah, rather than one of her contemporary male prophets, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk.[3] Then, Josiah summoned all his leaders and “carried out the terms of the law recorded on the scroll…” (2 Kgs 22:24).
4. Noadiah (Neh 6: 14)
Noadiah was described as a prophet in Nehemiah’s prayer. She opposed Nehemiah’s work to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Some consider her a false prophet.
“Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.”
Note: A fifth woman prophet is found in the book of Isaiah:
5. Isaiah’s wife (Isa 8:3)
Although the Bible does not give her name, the wife of Isaiah is described as a “prophetess.”
Who are the Named Women Prophets in the New Testament?
The New Testament records two named women prophets. The first reference is to Anna and the second to Jezebel.
1. Anna (Luke 2:36–38)
Anna, a prophet in the temple court, “worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.” She was a widow. After Simeon spoke, Anna prophesied over the baby Jesus “to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”
2. Jezebel (Rev 2:20–25)
A teacher in the church at Thyatira, Jezebel “calls herself a prophet.” Jesus rebukes her. He explained that her immoral teaching “misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” She was punished for refusing to repent. Interestingly, Jezebel was not rebuked because she was a woman teaching in the church. [4]
Other New Testament references to prophesying women include:
- Mary, the mother of Jesus, sang a song of praise in response to, her relative, Elizabeth‘s Spirit-filled declaration of blessings (Luke 1:41–45). Mary’s prophetic song of praise is often called the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55).
- Peter quoted Joel, “and your sons and your daughters will prophesy (Acts 2:17).”
- Luke’s reference to the “four unmarried daughters who prophesied.” They were the daughters of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:9).
- Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, in which he described, “any woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered…(1 Cor 11:5).”
Is Prophecy Also Teaching?
Prophecy is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Paul described it as, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy (1 Cor 14:1).” Did those who prophesy also teach? There were many women prophets who prophesied in the Bible. Did these women prophets teach? Paul clearly described teachers as distinct from prophets (1 Cor 12:28). And, he described tangible ways people spiritually grow through prophetic words: “the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort” (1 Cor 14:3). And “the one who prophesies edifies the church” (1 Cor 14:4). Also, Paul encouraged prophecy in an orderly manner, “so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged” (1 Cor 14:31). It truly seems that the prophetic message included elements of teaching.
Conclusion
How many women prophets did you know prophesied in the Bible? Throughout the pages of Scripture, it is clear that God chose women and men to speak divine revelations to his people. One of my professors, Dr. Sandra Glahn, Professor of Media Arts and Worship at Dallas Theological Seminary, created a “Women Prophets by Era” chart. In this chart, she recorded the names of the women prophets within each era of redemption history. And, she noted,
“In every era of redemption history in which men have prophesied, God has raised up at least one woman, and sometimes multiple women, to speak for him as his prophet…Even if one believes the gift of prophecy ended in the first century, he or she must still reckon with the consistent Spirit–work of speaking God’s truth through women to men and women throughout redemption history”[5] ~ Dr. Sandra Glahn
How many of these women prophets were you familiar with? Does it surprise you that God chose to speak through the mouths of women?
If you’d like to learn more about women in the Bible and church history, join the waitlist for my 2021 online course, Theology of Women Academy, at cynthiahester.com/course. Looking for trustworthy podcasts, websites, books, etc… on women and the church? Get my complimentary Ultimate Resource Guide at cynthiahester.com/resources.
[1] Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet, 2nd ed., (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 218.
[2] Christopher Rollston, “Women Prophets in the Bible: Remembering the Oft Forgotten,” huffpost.com, January 06, 2017. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/women-prophets-in-the-bib_b_8918650.
[3] McKnight, The Blue Parakeet, 225.
[4] John DelHousaye, “Who are the Women Prophets in the Bible?” June 5, 2009, https://www.cbeinternational.org/resource/article/mutuality-blog-magazine/who-are-women-prophets-bible
[5] Sandra Glahn, “Women Speaking for God in Mixed Groups?” Engage at blogs.bible.org, October 22, 2019. https://blogs.bible.org/?s=women+prophets+by+era