5013. neba

Lexical Summary

neba: Spring, fountain, source

Original Word: נְבָא
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: nba'
Pronunciation: nay-BAH
Phonetic Spelling: (neb-aw')
Word Origin: [(Aramaic) corresponding to H5012 (נָבָא - prophesy)]

1. prophesy

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

prophesy

(Aramaic) corresponding to naba' -- prophesy.

see HEBREW naba'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) the same as nebi, q.v.

Topical Lexicon

Scope of the Term

The Aramaic verb נְבָא appears three times in the Book of Ezra, always describing the active ministry of God–called prophets during the early post-exilic period. Carrying the sense “to prophesy,” it highlights the Spirit-empowered proclamation that both reveals the divine will and moves the covenant community toward obedience.

Occurrences in Ezra

1. Ezra 5:1 – “Now the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who was over them.”
2. Ezra 6:14 (first use) – “So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, descendant of Iddo.”
3. Ezra 6:14 (second use) – The same verse repeats the participle to stress the ongoing prophetic activity that accompanied and sustained the work.

Historical Setting

The exiles had returned from Babylon in 538 B.C. with an initial enthusiasm that quickly waned under opposition (Ezra 4:4-5). For about sixteen years the foundations of the Second Temple lay unfinished. Into this spiritual malaise God sent Haggai and Zechariah (520 B.C.). Their Aramaic-described “prophesying” (נְבָא) provided both rebuke and hope, rekindling faith and fortitude among leaders and people alike.

Prophetic Function Highlighted by נְבָא

• Revelation: The prophets disclosed Yahweh’s purposes, insisting that the rebuilding of the Temple was central to covenant faithfulness (Haggai 1:8).
• Exhortation: They called for repentance from apathy and fear (Haggai 1:4; Zechariah 1:3).
• Encouragement: Zechariah’s night visions assured the community of divine protection and ultimate glory (Zechariah 2:5).
• Authorization: By pronouncing the Lord’s “command” (Ezra 6:14), the prophets supplied a higher authority than Persian edicts, even though God would sovereignly use those royal decrees as well.

Relationship to the Restoration Work

Nehemiah’s later wall-building campaign shows a parallel dynamic: prophetic words precede and empower practical action (Nehemiah 2:18). In Ezra the repeated נְבָא underscores that the Temple’s completion (516 B.C.) was not merely an architectural feat but a redemptive milestone, marking the reinstatement of sacrificial worship and covenant life.

Theological Significance

1. Continuity of Revelation – The post-exilic prophets stand in the same line as earlier spokesmen like Isaiah and Jeremiah, demonstrating that, after judgment, God still speaks and guides.
2. Divine Initiative – The narrative credits success not to human resilience but to the living word of God “who was over them” (Ezra 5:1).
3. Covenant Renewal – Prophecy serves the renewal of worship, which in turn signals restored relationship (compare Exodus 25:8; John 4:23-24).

Implications for Ministry

• Word and Work – Authentic ministry unites proclamation with practical obedience; prophetic preaching fuels faithful labor.
• Encouragement in Opposition – When external pressure or internal discouragement stalls God’s work, fresh words from Scripture revive resolve (Romans 15:4).
• Spiritual Oversight – Leaders today, like the elders of Ezra 6:14, prosper when they act “according to the command of the God of Israel,” received through his written and preached word.

Devotional Applications

1. Hear and Do – The people “continued to build and prosper” because they responded to prophecy; blessing follows hearing linked to obedience (James 1:22-25).
2. God’s Timely Voice – Even long-delayed callings can be resurrected when the Lord speaks anew; seasons of dormancy need not be final.
3. Christ the Ultimate Prophet – The office typified by נְבָא finds its perfection in Jesus Christ, “a prophet powerful in word and deed” (Luke 24:19), whose message still directs the building of a living Temple composed of believers (Ephesians 2:20-22).

Further Study

Compare the Hebrew cognate נָבָא (Strong’s 5012) in 1 Samuel 10:10; Joel 2:28; Amos 3:8. Observe how prophecy in both testaments advances God’s redemptive plan, culminating in the Spirit’s universal outpouring (Acts 2:17) and the church’s ongoing call to “earnestly desire to prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:39).

Forms and Transliterations

וְהִתְנַבִּ֞י והתנבי נְבִיַּיָּ֔א נְבִיָּ֗א נביא נבייא nə·ḇî·yā nə·ḇî·yay·yā nəḇîyā nəḇîyayyā neviYa neviyaiYa vehitnabBi wə·hiṯ·nab·bî wəhiṯnabbî

Englishman's Concordance

Ezra 5:1
HEB: וְהִתְנַבִּ֞י חַגַּ֣י [נְבִיאָה
KJV: of Iddo, prophesied unto
INT: prophesied Haggai prophesied

Ezra 5:1
HEB: [נְבִיאָה כ] (נְבִיָּ֗א ק) וּזְכַרְיָ֤ה
INT: prophesied Haggai prophesied and Zechariah the son

Ezra 5:1
HEB: [נְבִיאַיָּא כ] (נְבִיַּיָּ֔א ק) עַל־
INT: the son of Iddo prophesied was over to the Jews

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 5013
3 Occurrences

nə·ḇî·yā — 1 Occ.
nə·ḇî·yay·yā — 1 Occ.
wə·hiṯ·nab·bî — 1 Occ.