Journal: Priscilla Papers
Volume: PP 32:2 (Spring 2018)
Article: Women Prophets In The Old Testament
Author: Christine Marchetti

PP 32:2 (Spring 2018) p. 9

Women Prophets In The Old Testament

Christine Marchetti

Christine Marchetti is an adjunct professor of Old Testament at Holy Apostles College & Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut, and an instructor of world religions in Glastonbury, Connecticut. She received a BA in theology from St. Joseph’s College of Maine and an MA in biblical studies from Hartford Seminary.

Those who seek an intimate relationship with God often turn to the prophets of the OT for inspiration. Commentaries such as Abraham Heschel’s classic, The Prophets, provide rich insight into these ancient visionaries. Anyone who has read Heschel’s masterpiece may feel a sense of holy envy as they discover “what the prophets mean to us and what they mean to God.”1 Yet for women, that sense of envy may be heightened by the assumption that the prophets of the OT form a category that largely excludes women. This article investigates the female prophets of the OT, offering a close examination of their texts and contexts. First, the words “prophet” and “prophecy” will be defined. Then, each of the female prophets named in the OT will be discussed, with attention paid to the ways biblical writers, redactors, and commentators may have minimized their impact. Other women in the text who performed prophetic activities will be identified, and the article will conclude with a reflection on female prophecy in ancient Israel.

What Is A Prophet And What Is Prophecy?

The Hebrew word for “prophet” is nabi, from the verb naba, “to call.” A nabi is called by God. The feminine form is nebiah, “female prophet” or “prophetess.” “Prophets” (pl.) is nebiim. Hebrew is a gendered language; thus, in a mixed group where as few as one male prophet is present, grammar demands that the plural noun be masculine. It is therefore difficult to identify all of the female prophets in the Scriptures.2

The formulaic phrase, “Thus says YHWH,” identifies the prophets as men and women who had access to God and spoke on God’s behalf. This phrase originated in the royal court, but not all prophecy involves oracles delivered to kings. Prophecy had many manifestations and modern scholars persist in probing its meaning.3 Joseph Blenkinsopp rightly notes that the prophetic books themselves represent “only a small and . . . anomalous minority” of all the prophets in ancient Israel.4 A broad range of professional religious intermediaries were engaged in a wide variety of prophetic activities: intercessory prayer (You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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