Q: #233. How many prophets are mentioned in the Bible?
A: This is a VERY hard list to compile with complete accuracy. There are numerous men (for women see Q: #232) who are called “prophets” in the Bible, but there are also numerous men who prophesied but are not called a “prophet.” Part of determining this also hinges on what one believes a “prophet” actually is. For my definition, see (Q: #231). Based on my definition, I have a list of 73 prophets. I would not presume to say this list is totally complete, but it was the best I could come up with after studying for quite some time. Honestly, to make a more accurate list, I think one would have to read the Bible cover to cover and write each time a prophecy is uttered, because a “prophecy” can be found in many places you might not think to look when studying this subject. Here is my list.
Aaron (Ex 7:1)
Abel (Lk 11:50-51)
Abraham (Gen 20:7)
Agabus (Acts 21:10)(Acts 11:27-28)
Agur (Prov 30:1)
Ahijah (1 Kin 11:29)(1 Kin 14:2,18)(2 Chr 9:29)
Amos (Amos 1:1)(Amos 7:12-15)
Asaph (2 Chr 29:30)(Mt 13:35)(Ps 78:2)
Azariah (2 Chr 15:1-8)
Balaam (Num 23 & 24)
Caiaphas (Jn 11:49-52)
Daniel (Mt 24:15)(Dan 12:11)(Mk 13:14)
David (Acts 2:25-30)(Ps 16:8-11)
Disciples At Ephesus (Acts 19:6)
Eldad (Num 11:26)
Eliezer (2 Chr 20:37)
Elijah (1 Kin 18:22,36)(1 Kin 17:1)
Elisha (1 Kin 19:16)(2 Kin 9:1)(2 Kin 6:12)
Enoch (Jude 1:14)
Ezekiel (Ezek 6:1-2)(Ezek 11:4-5)(Ezek 13:2,17)
Gad (1 Sam 22:5)(2 Sam 24:11)(1 Chr 21:9)
Habakkuk (Hab 1:1)(Hab 3:1)
Haggai (Hag 1:1,3,12)(Hag 2:1,10)(Ezra 5:1)
Hanani (2 Chr 16:7-10)(2 Chr 19:2)
Heman (1 Chr 25:5)
Hosea (Hos 1:1)
Iddo (Zech 1:1)(2 Chr 13:22)(2 Chr 9:29)
Isaiah (2 Kin 19:2)(2 Chr 26:22)(Matt 3:3)
Jacob (Gen 49:1)
Jahaziel (2 Chr 20:14-17)
Jeduthun (2 Chr 35:15)(1 Chr 25:3)
Jehu (1 Kin 16:1,7,12)
Jeremiah (2 Chr 36:12,21)(Jer 20:1-2)(Jer 25:2)
Jesus (Mt 13:57)(Mt 21:11)(Lk 24:19)
Joel (Acts 2:16)(Joel 1:1)
John The Baptist (Lk 7:26-28)(Mt 14:5)(Lk 1:76)
John (Rev 1:1)
Jonah (2 Kin 14:25)(Mt 12:39)(Mt 16:4)
Joseph (Gen 37:5-11)
Joshua (1 Kin 16:34)
Judas Barsabas (Acts 15:32)
Malachi (Mal 1:1)
Medad (Num 11:26)
Micah (Mic 1:1)(Jer 26:18)(Mt 2:5-6)
Micaiah (1 Kin 22:7-8)
Moses (Deut 34:10)(Deut 18:18)(Acts 3:22-23)
Nahum (Nah 1:1)
Nathan (2 Sam 7:2)(1 Kin 1:10)(2 Chr 9:29)
Obadiah (Ob 1:1)
Obed (2 Chr 28:9)
Prophet From Judah (1 Kin 13:1-3)(2 Kin 23:17-18)
Prophet Sent To Ahab (1 Kin 20:13-14)
Prophet Sent To Ahab (2nd time) (1 Kin 20:35-42)
Prophet Sent To Amaziah (2 Chr 25:7-9)
Prophet Sent To Amaziah (2nd Time) (2 Chr 25:15-16)
Prophet Sent To Eli (1 Sam 2:27-36)
Prophet Sent To Israel (Judg 6:7-10)
Prophet That Elisha Sent To Anoint Jehu (2 Kin 9:1-10)
Prophets That Prophesied To Elisha (2 Kin 2:3,5)
Samuel (1 Sam 3:20)(1 Sam 9:18-19)(Acts 13:20)
Saul (And Others) (1 Sam 10:5-6,10-13)(1 Sam 19:20-24)
Seventy Elders Of Israel (Num 11:25)
Shemaiah (1 Kin 12:22)(2 Chr 12:5,7,15)
Silas (Acts 15:32)
Simeon (Lk 2:25-35)
Solomon (Ps 72:7,10-11,17)
Two Witnesses Of Revelation (Rev 11:3,6,10)
Urijah (Jer 26:20)
Zacharias (Father Of John The Baptist) (Lk 1:67)
Zadok (2 Sam 15:27)
Zechariah (Zech 1:1)(Ezra 5:1)(Ezra 6:14)
Zechariah (Son Of Jehoiada) (2 Chr 24:20)
Zephaniah (Zeph 1:1)
In addition to these names, the Bible also speaks of groups of prophets such as (1 Kin 18:4,13)(2 Kin 23:2)(Acts 11:27)(Acts 13:1), but I did not list those here.
This list does not contain any of the New Testament authors either, except for John. I could not find any evidence that they were called or considered prophets per se, but they certainly filled many of the requirements of a prophet i.e. delivering messages from God and proclaiming the mind of God. Some also spoke of future events, although most were relating what Jesus had said. If we include these writers, we can add Matthew, Mark, Luke, Paul, James, Peter, and Jude to the list.
Every author of an Old Testament book (or what is believed to be the author by most) is on this list. Solomon was the only one that was hard to find proof for, as none of his 3 books contain any prophecy that I could find. However, he did write prophetic words regarding the Messiah in Psalm 72, so I used that to qualify him as a prophet.
