1.
prophet; one who delivers divine messages
A person believed to speak on behalf of God or a divine being, conveying sacred messages or commands to humanity. Used specifically in religious contexts.
モーセは偉大な預言者だった。
Moses was a great prophet.
旧約聖書には多くの預言者が登場する。
Many prophets appear in the Old Testament.
預言者は神の言葉を人々に伝える役割を担っていたとされる。
The prophet is said to have borne the role of conveying God's word to the people.
Written with 預 (entrust; deposit) rather than 予 (beforehand), distinguishing it from 予言者 (predictor; foreteller). The kanji 預 conveys the idea of being entrusted with a divine message — the prophet receives God's words and delivers them, rather than simply predicting the future.
KANJI DISTINCTION:
- 預言者: prophet — a person entrusted with divine words (religious context)
- 予言者: predictor; soothsayer — a person who foretells the future (secular context)
In practice, both are pronounced identically and are sometimes confused, but careful writers maintain the distinction, especially in biblical and theological texts.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 預言者の言葉: the prophet's words
- 偽預言者: false prophet
- 預言者を名乗る: to call oneself a prophet
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 予言者: predictor; soothsayer — secular term for someone who predicts the future
- 聖人: saint — a holy person, but not necessarily one who delivers divine messages
- 教祖: religious founder; cult leader — the originator of a religious group