ORACLES. The word oracle is derived from the Latin word oraculum, which referred both to a divine pronouncement or response concerning the future or the unknown as well as to the place where such pronouncements were given. (The Latin verb orare means "to speak" or "to request.") In English, oracle is also used to designate the human medium through whom such prophetic declarations or oracular sayings are given.

Oracles and Prophecy

In Western civilization the connotations of the word oracle (variously rendered in European languages) have been largely determined by traditional perceptions of ancient Greek oracles, particularly the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. The term prophecy, on the other hand (from the Greek word propheteia, meaning "prophecy" or "oracular response"), has been more closely associated with traditions of divine revelation through human mediums in ancient Israel and early Christianity. One major cause of this state of affairs is...