The female prophets in the Bible
Just as we have male prophets in the Bible, we also have female prophets, normally, referred to as prophetess. The majority of these female prophets were noted positively in the Bible. However, two of them, Noadiah and Jezebel of Thyatira were mentioned for bad reasons in the Bible.
Miriam
Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron, and the daughter of Amram and Jochebed (Numbers 26:59). When Moses’ mother put him in a papyrus basket and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile, Miriam stood at a distance to see what would happen to him (Ex 2:4). When Pharoah’s daughter and her attendants discovered the baby and the basket, it was Miriam who came to ask them, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” (Exodus 2:7)
When they answered ‘yes’, she went to call Moses’ mother for Pharaoh’s daughter to nurse the baby. Miriam grew up to become a prophetess (Nu 12:1-2) and played a key role in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Miriam lived in Egypt and later journeyed with her people the Israelites through the wilderness.
One of her significant contributions was leading the women of Israel in praise after the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. She took a timbrel and led them in singing:
“Sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea.”(Exodus 15:21).
Deborah
Deborah was a prophetess and judge of Israel who lived during the time of the Judges. She was the wife of Lappidoth and lived in the hill country of Ephraim between Ramah and Bethel (Judges 4:4). Because of her wisdom in judgment, many people came to her. She held court under the Palm of Deborah at her home, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.
At that time, the Israelites were under the oppression of Jabin king of Canaan and Sisera the commander of his army for twenty years. By the guidance of God, Deborah sent Barak and ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun to war against Sisera. She also prophesied to Barak that, though he would defeat Sisera’s army, God would deliver Sisera himself into the hands of a woman (Judges 4:9).
This prophecy was fulfilled when Jael killed Sisera by driving a tent peg through his head (Judges 4:21). After the victory, Deborah and Barak sang a song of praise to God (Judges 5), recounting how God delivered Israel from oppression. Her leadership brought peace to Israel for forty years (Judges 5:31).
Isaiah’s Wife
Isaiah authored the Book of Isaiah. He is a highly revered prophet from his time to this day. Interestingly, he was also married to a woman who had the gift of prophecy. Isaiah’s wife is called a prophetess in Isaiah 8:3. Isaiah said, “Then I made love to the prophetess, and she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the Lord said to me, “Name him Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz.”
She was the mother of Isaiah’s children and she lived in the Kingdom of Judah during the reign of Kings Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1). Although the Bible does not record a specific prophecy from her, she played a role in God’s plan. She gave birth to their son, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz, whose name was a prophetic sign of the impending Assyrian invasion of Damascus and Samaria (Isaiah 8:3-4).
Huldah
Huldah was a prophetess who lived in Jerusalem during the reign of King Josiah. She was the wife of Shallum, the keeper of the king’s wardrobe (2 Kings 22:14). Though a contemporary of the prophets Jeremiah and Zephaniah, she appeared to be highly regarded among them all because the king enquired of God by her.
After many years, the high priest Hilkiah found the Book of the Law in the temple, and he gave it to Shaphan who also went to read it to the king. When King Josiah realized how much the Kingdom of Judah had transgressed the law, he sent five men to Huldah to enquire of the Lord.
Huldah prophesied that God’s judgment would come upon the Kingdom of Judah because they had forsaken Him, but Josiah would be spared from seeing the disaster because of his humility (2 Kings 22:15-20; 2 Chronicles 34:22-28). Her prophecy played a key role in Josiah’s religious reforms, as he led the people to renew their covenant with God.
Noadiah
Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, but God raised the likes of Nehemiah to restore the city after many years had gone by. Nehemiah faced much opposition from people such as Tobiah, Sanballat, and Noadiah while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. Noadiah was a prophetess during the time of Nehemiah. Her name appeared once when Nehemiah was praying against his arch-enemies who opposed the building of the wall of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah said, “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.” (Nehemiah 6:14). We see that she is noted negatively in the Bible. Apart from her mention in Nehemiah’s prayer, there is no record of her or of any positive prophecy she gave anywhere else in the Bible.
Anna
Anna was a prophetess (Lu 2:36) and widow who lived in Jerusalem. Anna was the daughter of Penuel of the tribe of Asher. At the time she came into the spotlight, she was very old – aged 84 years. She lost her husband seven years into their marriage and from then on she dedicated her time to the Lord’s service at the temple in Jerusalem, fasting and praying while waiting for the coming of the Messiah. When she saw baby Jesus, she praised God and spoke of Him to all who awaited redemption (Luke 2:36-38). Though what she said about baby Jesus was not recorded, it is likely that, being a prophetess, she revealed mysteries about Him to her hearers.
Jezebel of Thyatira
In the early years of Christianity, there was a Christian woman in the church of Thyatira who drew heaven’s attention for bad reasons. Her real name was not mentioned, but because Jesus referred to her as Jezebel, she is now nicknamed Jezebel of Thyatira.
In a letter Jesus addressed to Thyatira (Re 2:18-29), she was identified as an evil woman who was misteaching in the church, seducing Christian men to have fornication with her, and misleading Christians to eat food sacrificed to idols. Upon all these evil deeds, she called herself a prophetess.
Perhaps, she started as a true prophetess before she corrupted her ways and became evil. Or she was never a true prophet but had always feigned to be one. By and large, at the time she came into the spotlight, she was a false prophetess whom Jesus Christ Himself testified against in these words,
“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” (Revelation 2:20 NIV)