He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that prophecy wasn't solely a male gift, and these women, described as "virgins," may have dedicated themselves to a specific service for the Lord. Their prophetic ability points to God empowering women to speak His message, even if the exact way they exercised this gift in public gatherings remains debated.
He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul and his companions have just arrived at Caesarea and are staying with Philip the evangelist. This encounter with Philip and his prophetic daughters occurs as Paul is on his way to Jerusalem, despite receiving multiple warnings that he will face imprisonment there.
Philip's daughters were prophetesses, but was that the whole story of their service? Dig into what 'prophesy' really meant for women in the early church.
In Acts 21:9, we meet Philip's four daughters, who "did prophesy." While the word 'prophesy' often makes us think of predicting the future, its meaning in the New Testament is much broader. It encompassed inspired teaching, public speaking, and proclaiming God's truth – essentially, sharing a message from God.
Diverse Gifts and Roles
Philip's daughters were not only prophetesses but also virgins. What does this combination tell us about their calling and commitment?
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The description of Philip's four daughters as "virgins" who "prophesied" offers a profound glimpse into dedicated service in the early church.
A Life Set Apart
Understand the original words
prophēteuō · Greek Verb
The exercise of a spiritual gift wherein a person is moved by the Holy Spirit to declare a message from God to his people, which may include exhortation, edification, or predictions regarding the future.
The presence of Philip's four prophesying daughters highlights the dynamic role women played in the early church, exercising spiritual gifts like prophecy alongside emerging, and sometimes debated, guidelines for their public ministry.
c. AD 30s
Pentecost and the First Believers
The Holy Spirit is poured out on believers in Jerusalem, empowering them with gifts, including prophecy, which is explicitly mentioned as being for both sons and daughters. This marks the beginning of the church age and the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy.
c. AD 40s-50s
Paul's Missionary Journeys
Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and others undertake extensive missionary journeys throughout the Roman Empire, establishing churches and spreading the Gospel. Philip, the evangelist, is also actively involved in ministry during this period.
c. AD 50s
Discussions on Women's Roles in the Church
Apostle Paul addresses questions about women's participation in church gatherings, including prophecy and teaching. His letters to the Corinthians and Timothy offer guidance that some interpret as restrictions on public speaking for women in certain contexts.
c. AD 60
Paul's Imprisonment and Travel to Jerusalem
Paul is warned by various individuals, including the prophet Agabus, about the dangers awaiting him in Jerusalem. Despite these warnings, he resolves to go to the city, a decision that ultimately leads to his arrest.
c. AD 60— this verse
Philip's Family in Caesarea
Philip the evangelist and his four prophesying daughters are residing in Caesarea. They encounter Paul and his companions, and the daughters' prophetic gift plays a role in the unfolding events, warning Paul about his impending suffering in Jerusalem.
This Old Testament prophecy, quoted in Acts 2, directly foretells that God will pour out His Spirit on all people, causing sons and daughters to prophesy, directly illuminating the gift exercised by Philip's daughters.
Acts 2:17-18Peter explicitly quotes Joel 2:28-29 when explaining the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, showing that the gift of prophecy, including for women, was a sign of the new covenant era.
1 Corinthians 11:5Paul acknowledges that women did pray and prophesy in public worship settings, providing a New Testament precedent and context for Philip's daughters exercising this gift, though he later discusses its regulation.
1 Timothy 2:11-12While Paul later instructs that women should not teach or exercise authority over men in church, this passage, understood alongside Acts 21, suggests the gift of prophecy was recognized and potentially expressed differently by women in the early church, possibly in private or within specific contexts.
Romans 16:1Paul commends Phoebe, a deaconess, highlighting the significant roles women played in the early church's ministry, which aligns with the idea that Philip's daughters, through prophecy, would have been ministering in some capacity.
ellicottActs 21:9: "And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy."
(9) The same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy. —Both elements of the description are full of interest as throwing light on the life of the Apostolic Church. (1) The four daughters were “virgins.” The word then, as afterwards, probably indicated, not merely the bare fact that they were as yet unmarried, but that they had devoted themselves, if not by irrevocable vows, yet by a steadfast purpose, to…
barnesActs 21:9: "And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy."
Which did prophesy - See the notes on Acts 2:17 ; Acts 11:27 . That females sometimes partook of the prophetic influence, and foretold future events, is evident from various places in the New Testament. See the notes on Acts 2:17 .
This verse highlights that prophecy wasn't solely a male gift, and these women, described as "virgins," may have dedicated themselves to a specific service for the Lord. Their prophetic ability points to God empowering women to speak His message, even if the exact way they exercised this gift in public gatherings remains debated.
Paul and his companions have just arrived at Caesarea and are staying with Philip the evangelist. This encounter with Philip and his prophetic daughters occurs as Paul is on his way to Jerusalem, despite receiving multiple warnings that he will face imprisonment there.
Paul and his companions have just arrived at Caesarea and are staying with Philip the evangelist. This encounter with Philip and his prophetic daughters occurs as Paul is on his way to Jerusalem, despite receiving multiple warnings that he will face imprisonment there.
"He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied." — This verse highlights that prophecy wasn't solely a male gift, and these women, described as "virgins," may have dedicated themselves to a specific service for the Lord. Their prophetic ability point…
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Last reviewed October 2026