1 Thessalonians 5:20

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Do not make little of the words of the prophets;

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Προφητείας μὴ ἐξουθενεῖτε.

Transliteration

Prophēteias mē exoutheneite.

Grammar Details

• *Prophēteias*: accusative, feminine, plural - prophecies
• *mē*: negative particle - not
• *exoutheneite*: present, active, imperative, 2nd person plural - despise/treat with contempt

Word Meanings

• *Prophēteias*: prophecies/prophesyings
• *exoutheneite*: despise/treat with contempt/regard as nothing

Referenced Verses

• 1 Cor 11:4 : 4 Every man who takes part in prayer, or gives teaching as a prophet, with his head covered, puts shame on his head.
• 1 Cor 14:1 : 1 Go after love; still desiring to have the things which the Spirit gives, but most of all that you may have the prophet's power.
• 1 Cor 14:3-6 : 3 But the word of the prophet gives men knowledge and comfort and strength. 4 He who makes use of tongues may do good to himself; but he who gives the prophet's word does good to the church. 5 Now though it is my desire for you all to have the power of tongues, it would give me more pleasure to be hearing the prophet's word from you; for this is a greater thing than using tongues, if the sense is not given at the same time, for the good of the church. 6 But, now, my brothers, if I come to you using tongues, what profit will it be to you, if I do not give you a revelation, or knowledge, or the word of the prophet, or teaching?
• 1 Cor 14:22-25 : 22 For this reason tongues are for a sign, not to those who have faith, but to those who have not: but the prophet's word is for those who have faith, and not for the rest who have not. 23 If, then, the church has come together, and all are using tongues, and there come in men without knowledge or faith, will they not say that you are unbalanced? 24 But if all are teaching as prophets, and a man without faith or knowledge comes in, he is tested by all, he is judged by all; 25 The secrets of his heart are made clear; and he will go down on his face and give worship to God, saying that God is truly among you.
• 1 Cor 14:29-32 : 29 And let the prophets give their words, but not more than two or three, and let the others be judges of what they say. 30 But if a revelation is given to another who is seated near, let the first be quiet. 31 For you may all be prophets in turn so that all may get knowledge and comfort; 32 And the spirits of the prophets are controlled by the prophets;
• 1 Cor 14:37-39 : 37 If any man seems to himself to be a prophet or to have the Spirit, let him take note of the things which I am writing to you, as being the word of the Lord. 38 But if any man is without knowledge, let him be so. 39 So then, my brothers, let it be your chief desire to be prophets; but let no one be stopped from using tongues.
• Eph 4:11-12 : 11 And he gave some as Apostles, and some, prophets; and some, preachers of the good news; and some to give care and teaching; 12 For the training of the saints as servants in the church, for the building up of the body of Christ:
• 1 Thess 4:8 : 8 Whoever, then, goes against this word, goes against not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
• Rev 11:3-9 : 3 And I will give orders to my two witnesses, and they will be prophets for a thousand, two hundred and sixty days, clothed with haircloth. 4 These are the two olive-trees and the two lights, which are before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if any man would do them damage, fire comes out of their mouth and puts an end to those who are working against them: and if any man has a desire to do them damage, in this way will he be put to death. 6 These have the power to keep the heaven shut, so that there may be no rain in the days when they are prophets: and they have power over the waters to make them into blood, and to send every sort of disease on the earth as their pleasure is. 7 And when they have come to the end of their witness, the beast which comes up out of the great deep will make war on them and overcome them and put them to death. 8 And their dead bodies will be in the open street of the great town, which in the spirit is named Sodom and Egypt, where their Lord was put to death on the cross. 9 And the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will be looking on their dead bodies three days and a half, and will not let their dead bodies be put in the earth. 10 And those who are on the earth will have pleasure and delight over them; and they will send offerings one to another because these two prophets gave great trouble to all on the earth. 11 And after three days and a half the breath of life from God went into them, and they got up on their feet; and great fear came on those who saw them.
• 1 Cor 12:10 : 10 And to another the power of working wonders; and to another the prophet's word; and to another the power of testing spirits; to another different sorts of tongues; and to another the power of making clear the sense of the tongues:
• 1 Cor 12:28 : 28 And God has put some in the church, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then those with wonder-working powers, then those with the power of taking away disease, helpers, wise guides, users of strange tongues.
• 1 Cor 13:2 : 2 And if I have a prophet's power, and have knowledge of all secret things; and if I have all faith, by which mountains may be moved from their place, but have not love, I am nothing.
• 1 Cor 13:9 : 9 For our knowledge is only in part, and the prophet's word gives only a part of what is true:
• Num 11:25-29 : 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and had talk with him, and put on the seventy men some of the spirit which was on him: now when the spirit came to rest on them, they were like prophets, but only at that time. 26 But two men were still in the tent-circle one of them named Eldad and the other Medad: and the spirit came to rest on them; they were among those who had been sent for, but they had not gone out to the Tent: and the prophet's power came on them in the tent-circle. 27 And a young man went running to Moses and said, Eldad and Medad are acting as prophets in the tent-circle. 28 Then Joshua, the son of Nun, who had been Moses' servant from the time when he was a child, said, My lord Moses, let them be stopped. 29 And Moses said to him, Are you moved by envy on my account? If only all the Lord's people were prophets, and the Lord might put his spirit on them!
• 1 Sam 10:5-6 : 5 After that you will come to Gibeah, the hill of God, where an armed force of the Philistines is stationed: and when you come to the town, you will see a band of prophets coming down from the high place with instruments of music before them; and they will be acting like prophets: 6 And the spirit of the Lord will come on you with power, and you will be acting like a prophet with them, and will be changed into another man.
• 1 Sam 10:10-13 : 10 And when they came to Gibeah, a band of prophets came face to face with him; and the spirit of God came on him with power and he took his place among them as a prophet. 11 Now when Saul's old friends saw him among the band of prophets, the people said to one another, What has come to Saul, the son of Kish? Is even Saul among the prophets? 12 And one of the people of that place said in answer, And who is their father? So it became a common saying, Is even Saul among the prophets? 13 Then going away from the prophets, he came to the house.
• 1 Sam 19:20-24 : 20 And Saul sent men to take David; and when they saw the band of prophets at work, with Samuel in his place at their head, the spirit of God came on Saul's men, and they became like prophets. 21 And Saul, having news of this, sent other men, who in the same way became like prophets. And a third time Saul sent men, and they like the others became like prophets. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah, and came to the great water-spring in Secu; and questioning the people he said, Where are Samuel and David? And one said, They are at Naioth in Ramah. 23 And he went on from there to Naioth in Ramah: and the spirit of God came on him, and he went on, acting like a prophet, till he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he took off his clothing, acting like a prophet before Samuel, and falling down he was stretched out, without his clothing, all that day and all that night. This is the reason for the saying, Is even Saul among the prophets?
• Acts 19:6 : 6 And when Paul had put his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they had the power of talking in tongues, and acting like prophets.