חוֹזַי (cho.zay)
cho.zay
seer
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The term chozay refers to a "seer," an individual who receives divine revelation through visions. In the Hebrew Bible, this title distinguishes those who perceive God’s messages visually, setting them apart from prophets who primarily communicate spoken oracles. The word appears only once in Scripture, in 2 Chronicles 9:29, where it identifies Samuel as a chozay alongside other leaders like Nathan and Gad.
Etymologically, the noun derives from the root chazah, meaning "to see" or "to behold." This linguistic connection highlights the visual nature of the prophetic experience. While the term is rare in the Old Testament, it underscores a specific mode of divine communication where truth is revealed through sight rather than speech alone.
Its singular usage in Chronicles serves to categorize Samuel within a broader group of royal advisors who conveyed God’s will. By labeling him a seer, the text emphasizes his role as a recipient of heavenly visions that guided Israel’s history. This specific designation adds depth to our understanding of how divine guidance was mediated through different sensory experiences.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chozay means "seer," pointing to someone who sees what God shows them. It comes from a root meaning to behold or look carefully. In Scripture, this title highlights a specific way divine truth is revealed through vision rather than just spoken words.
Although it appears only once in the text, its presence reminds us that God communicates in many ways. Some receive His guidance through clear visions, while others hear His voice directly. Both methods are valid and important for understanding His will.
This rare term encourages us to pay attention to how God speaks in our own lives. Whether through a sudden insight or a quiet stillness, He desires to guide us. We can trust that He reveals what we need to know for our journey of faith.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Hozai1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חוֹזָֽי\׃1×
Key Verses
-
II Chronicles 33:19
His prayer also, and how God listened to his request, and all his sin and his trespass, and the places in which he built high places and set up the Asherah poles and the engraved images before he humbled himself: behold, they are written in the history of Hozai.
This verse references the "history of Hozai," showing how seers recorded events that might otherwise be lost to time.