חֹזֶה (cho.zeh)
cho.zeh
seer
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 17 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun chozeh refers to a person who sees, specifically one who receives divine visions. In the Hebrew Bible, this term identifies a prophet whose primary mode of communication is visual revelation rather than auditory speech. The word appears seventeen times in Scripture, with significant usage in the books of Isaiah and Chronicles.
Its root relates to the act of seeing or gazing intently. This distinguishes it from other prophetic titles that emphasize hearing God's voice. For example, 1 Samuel 9:9 notes that earlier prophets were called seers because they perceived God's messages through sight. The term underscores a specific gift of spiritual perception.
Translators often render chozeh as "seer" or "visionary." This highlights the unique role these individuals played in Israel's history. They served as intermediaries who witnessed heavenly realities and conveyed them to the people. The word connects the physical act of seeing with the spiritual experience of revelation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word chozeh describes a person who receives divine messages through visual visions. In ancient Israel, this was a primary way God communicated with His people. It highlights that spiritual insight often begins with seeing something beyond the physical world. This term reminds us that God is not silent; He actively reveals His heart and plans to those willing to look up.
For your faith, this means you can trust that God provides guidance even when circumstances seem unclear. The seers of old did not invent their messages but faithfully reported what they witnessed from heaven. This encourages believers today to seek clarity through Scripture and prayer, knowing that God still speaks to His children with purpose and love.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 17 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ seer5×
- [the] seer of5×
- the/ seers3×
- seer1×
- and/ to the/ seers1×
- an agreement1×
- O seer1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- חֹזֵ֥ה3×
- חוֹזֵ֣ה1×
- חֹזֶ֜ה1×
- חֹזֶ֕ה1×
- חֹזֶ֑ה1×
- חֹזֵֽה\־1×
- וְ/לַ֣/חֹזִ֔ים1×
- הַֽ/חֹזִ֔ים1×
- הַ/חֹזֶה֒1×
- הַ/חֹזֶֽה\׃1×
- הַ/חֹזֶ֖ה1×
- הַ/חֹזֶ֔ה1×
Key Verses
-
II Samuel 24:11
When David rose up in the morning, Yahweh’s word came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying,
This verse identifies Gad as David’s seer, showing how kings relied on visual revelation for divine direction during critical moments.
-
I Chronicles 25:5
All these were the sons of Heman the king’s seer in the words of God, to lift up the horn. God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
Heman is called the king’s seer in the context of worship, linking spiritual sight directly to music and praise in the temple.
-
Amos 7:12
Amaziah also said to Amos, “You seer, go, flee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there,
Amaziah calls Amos a seer, using the term to challenge his authority while acknowledging his role as a divine messenger.