HEBREW WORD STUDY – PROPHECY

HEBREW WORD STUDY – PROPHECY – NABA’ נבא 

1Samuel 10:10-11, “And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. (11) And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What [is] this [that] is come unto the son of Kish? [Is] Saul also among the prophets?”

Probably like most people when I hear the word prophet I think of someone foretelling the future.   So when I initially read this story of Saul prophesying I picture him walking around telling everyone their fortune. I then began to learn that prophecy had many different meanings. It could mean just speaking the Word of God, it could mean speaking under an anointing of God.  Commentators claim it is performing some ritual or playing a musical instrument.  This is basically what commentators say Saul was doing when he prophesied among the prophets, he was playing a musical instrument and singing songs of praise with them.  Your more high church commentators simply say Saul was just performing religious exercises with the prophets. 

I never felt comfortable with any of these answers.  The word prophet in Hebrew is naba’ which your lexicon tells you means a spokesman or a speaker.  It is used for one who speaks under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  In its Semitic root it means to make a noise while in a state of exaltation. 

I read something interesting in the Talmud this morning in Shabbat 30b.  It explains that Jewish prophecy is not the product of a morbid imagination of an agitated abnormal condition.  It is a product of wakefulness and joyful celebration.  The word naba’ with an Aleph and the word naba’ with an Ayin are related.  Naba’ with the Aleph means to speak forth the word of God and the word naba’  with the Ayin means to gush forth like a spring of water or like a babbling of incoherent speech.  Both words are rooted in its Semitic origins for an expression of ecstasy.  There doesn’t even have to be a spoken word for one to naba’or prophecy.  

I was reading in Jewish literature that in ancient times that when a person under the influence of the Holy Spirit who would break out in joyful exclamation and dance he was prophesying like David before the Ark of the Covenant.  This is what happened to Saul, he was just so filled with the Holy Spirit when he was among the prophets that he was just dancing, rejoicing and praising God. 

Next time you are in a worship service and you just feel the joy of the Lord welling in you and  you just let loose, remember, you are naba’, prophesying.