Basic HTML Version
consciously aware of—so idols “neither see, nor hear” (Deut. 4:28). Third,
can
represent perception in the sense of hearing something—God brought the animals before
Adam “to see what he would call them” (Gen. 2:19). In Isa. 44:16 the verb means “to
enjoy”: “… I am warm, I have seen the fire.” It can also mean “to realize” or “to get
acquainted with”: “When I applied mine heart to know wisdom, and to see the business
that is done upon the earth …” (Eccl. 8:16). The rebellious men of Jerusalem tell God
they will not “see sword nor famine”; they will not experience it (Jer. 5:12).
This verb has several further extended meanings. For example,
can refer to
“perceiving or ascertaining” something apart from seeing it with one’s eyes, as when
Hagar saw that she had conceived (Gen. 16:4). It can represent mentally recognizing that
something is true: “We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee …” (Gen. 26:28).
Seeing and hearing together can mean “to gain understanding”: “… Kings shall shut their
mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they
had not heard shall they consider” (Isa. 52:15). In Mal. 3:18 the verb means “to
distinguish”: “Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked.…”
The word can mean to consider the fact that Israel is God’s people (Exod. 33:13).
In addition to these uses of
referring to intellectual seeing, there is seeing used
in the sense of living. “To see the light” is to live life (Job 3:16; cf. 33:28). It can mean
“experience” in the sense of what one is aware of as he lives: “Even as I have seen, they
that plow iniquity … reap the same” (Job 4:8). In 2 Kings 25:19 the verb is used in the
unique sense of “having trusted concourse with” when it speaks of the five advisors of
the king.
A fourth idea of seeing is “to examine”: “And the Lord came down to see the city and
the tower …” (Gen. 11:5). This examining can have to do with more than looking
something over; it can refer to looking after or supervising something (Gen. 39:23). Used
in this sense
can imply looking upon with joy or pain. Hagar asked that she not be
allowed to look on the death of Ishmael (Gen. 21:16). This verb may be used of attending
to or visiting—so Jonadab said to Amnon: “… When thy father cometh to see thee, say
unto him …” (2 Sam. 13:5). When Joseph advised Pharaoh “to look out a man discreet
and wise,” he was telling him to choose or select such a man (Gen. 41:33). “To examine”
may also be “to observe” someone in order to imitate what he does (Judg. 7:17), or “to
discover” something (find it out; Judg. 16:5).
B. Nouns.
(
, 7203), “seer; vision.”
, which occurs 11 times, refers to a
“prophet” (emphasizing the means by which revelation was received; 1 Sam. 9:9) and to
“vision” (Isa. 28:7).
Several other nouns are related to the verb
!
appears once to mean
“looking-glass” (Job 37:18).
, which occurs 4 times, means “looking, appearance” (1
Sam. 16:12,
NASB
).
$
occurs once, and it means “look” (Eccl. 5:11).
"
means
“visionary appearance” or "(prophetic) vision” (Gen. 46:2) and “looking glasses” (Exod.
38:8); this word appears 12 times. Of its 15 occurrences the noun
means “form,
shape” in 1 Sam. 28:14 and “stately appearance” in 1 Sam. 25:3.
"
occurs 103