Greek word - (prophetes G4396)
Quiz - Choose the answer that is closest to what you think PROPHET is.
A - a religious person
B - a preacher
C - a seer
D - someone who foretells future events
Problem - Transliteration, Misleading, Outdated, Misused
KJV Example - "But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet" (Matthew 11:9).
Explanation
The English word, prophet, comes from the Greek word, prophetes. It is a transliteration. The Greek word is made up of two parts: pro (before) and phetes (speaker). The pro part of prophet can mean either beforehand or in front of.
Most people think of a prophet as someone who only tells what is going to happen in the future, but that is not the case. Just as pro in Greek has two meanings, a prophet also spoke in two ways (speaking about events that would happen in the future and speaking in front of people). An old definition of prophet is that he is a foreteller and a forth teller (forth teller meaning to speak a message forth or out to people).
The main job of a prophet was to preach God's message, to forth tell and not to foretell. If you read the Prophets in the Old Testament (Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Micah, Jonah, and all the others), you will see that they are mainly preaching. Their preaching may or may not include foretelling future events. Their main emphasis is speaking the message that God wants them to tell the people (God often spoke directly to the prophet). Today we call such a person, a preacher.
If you look into the history of the English word prophet, you will see that hundreds of years ago, it also meant preacher. The Online Etymology Dictionary says that in the late twelfth century a prophet was a "person who speaks for God", an "inspired preacher." So in 1190 AD a preacher was called a prophet. Even though today it has lost this meaning, this is what it means in the Bible. Most Christians do not know this.
A prophet foretold future events, but he did so to provide proof or an indicator that his message was from God. His main emphasis was preaching God's message and not the foretelling of future events.
In the Bible, a prophet is a preacher.
Modern Synonym - preacher
Bible Version Tally (how other versions translate this word) - prophet (46 of 50)
Breakthrough Version - "But what did you go out to see, a preacher? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a preacher" (Matthew 11:9).