חָזָה

Exodus 18:21 תֶחֱזֶ֣ה you will provide

Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.

Here: Literally 'you will see'. Here it means look out for, scrutinise and pick. It is a careful, discerning kind of looking. The verb is often used of seeing visions, so later Jewish interpreters heard a hint of God-given insight in it. The form is an imperfect used as a polite instruction: 'you shall look out'.

Exodus 24:11 וַֽיֶּחֱזוּ֙ and they saw

But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.

Here: "And they beheld." Verse 10 used the ordinary verb for seeing (ra'ah). Here the text switches to chazah, a verb often used for visionary seeing and for gazing on God in worship (Ps 11:7; 27:4). The wording leans toward intense, worshipful looking.

Numbers 24:4 יֶֽחֱזֶ֔ה he sees

the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:

Here: An imperfect verb, which here describes what keeps happening: "he sees", as a regular part of his role. The verb is the usual one for prophetic seeing, and with the noun beside it the line makes a sound play: "a vision…he envisions".

Numbers 24:16 יֶֽחֱזֶ֔ה he sees

the prophecy of one who hears the words of God, who has knowledge from the Most High, who sees a vision from the Almighty, who bows down with eyes wide open:

Job 8:17 יֶחֱזֶֽה׃ it sees

His roots wrap around the rock heap; he looks for a home among the stones.

Job 15:17 חָ֝זִ֗יתִי I have seen

Listen to me and I will inform you. I will describe what I have seen,

Here: "I have seen." A poetic verb for seeing that can mean ordinary observation, insight, or a vision. Eliphaz claims first-hand knowledge, and the word may recall the night vision he described in 4:12–16.

Job 19:26 אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה I will see

Even after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.

Here: 'I will see/behold.' The verb is incomplete action, pointing to the future or to a firm expectation. Chazah is a weighty verb for looking intently, often used of seeing in a vision. Verse 27 repeats it ('whom I will see for myself') and insists on his own eyes.

Job 19:27 אֶֽחֱזֶה־ I will see

I will see Him for myself; my eyes will behold Him, and not as a stranger. How my heart yearns within me!

Job 23:9 אָ֑חַז I see [him]

When He is at work in the north, I cannot behold Him; when He turns to the south, I cannot see Him.

Job 24:1 חָ֥זוּ have they seen?

“Why does the Almighty not reserve times for judgment? Why may those who know Him never see His days?

Here: 'Have seen' or 'have looked on'. This is a poetic word for seeing, and it is also used for prophetic vision. It suggests looking on with your own eyes at something significant. The faithful never get to watch God's reckoning happen.

Job 27:12 חֲזִיתֶ֑ם you have seen

Surely all of you have seen it for yourselves. Why then do you keep up this empty talk?

Job 34:32 אֶ֭חֱזֶה [that which] I see

Teach me what I cannot see; if I have done wrong, I will not do it again.’

Here: 'I see' or 'I can see'. This is the poetic word for seeing, used for insight as well as eyesight. Here it means the limit of what the speaker can discern about his own conduct.

Job 36:25 חָֽזוּ־ they have looked

All mankind has seen it; men behold it from afar.

Psalm 11:4 יֶחֱז֑וּ they see

The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men.

Here: To look at, gaze on, perceive. The verb form describes ongoing action: his eyes keep watching. The same word, in the same form, comes back in verse 7: 'the upright will behold (yeḥĕzû) his face.' He watches them, and in the end they will see him.

Psalm 11:7 יֶחֱז֥וּ they will see

For the LORD is righteous; He loves justice. The upright will see His face.

Here: A poetic word for seeing, often used for seeing with intent, or for seeing God or a vision. The verb is plural, which is why the subject is debated. It could be 'the upright' taken as a group, or 'face', which is plural in form in Hebrew.

Psalm 17:2 תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה may they see

May my vindication come from Your presence; may Your eyes see what is right.

Here: A word for looking carefully, beholding, sometimes used of prophetic vision but often just intent seeing. Like 'let it go out', it is most naturally a wish: 'let your eyes behold'. The same verb comes back at the end of the psalm, where the psalmist hopes to 'behold your face' (v. 15).

Psalm 17:15 אֶחֱזֶ֣ה I will see

As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied in Your presence.

Here: A verb for looking intently, often used of visionary sight. It is the same form Job uses in "from my flesh I shall see God" (Job 19:26). Here it is a confident expectation, "I will behold", with a hint of longing.

Psalm 27:4 לַחֲז֥וֹת to look

One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.

Here: 'To gaze.' This is a weighty, often visionary word for seeing. Followed by the preposition 'upon' (be-), it means looking intently and with delight, as opposed to glancing.

Psalm 46:8 חֲ֭זוּ see

Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth.

Here: A poetic, intense verb of seeing. It is the root of the prophets' word for a 'vision'. It means to look closely and take in what you see, not just glance. Also plural: 'all of you, look!'

Psalm 58:8 חָ֥זוּ they have seen

Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun.

Here: 'They have seen'. The verb is plural, so it most likely points back to the wicked themselves rather than to the single stillborn. In a string of wishes, Hebrew poetry can state the wished-for result as if it were already done: 'they have not seen the sun' means 'may they never see it'.

Psalm 58:10 חָזָ֣ה he has seen

The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

Here: A more weighty, poetic word for seeing. It is related to the word for a prophet-seer (ḥozeh). The form describes something already complete: once he has actually witnessed it. The righteous person watches. He does not carry out the punishment himself.

Psalm 63:2 חֲזִיתִ֑יךָ I have seen you

So I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and glory.

Here: 'I have gazed on you.' The verb is a poetic, intent kind of seeing, the word used for prophets' visions and for 'beholding God' in worship. The form looks at the seeing as something complete, most naturally a remembered experience, though some read it as describing present worship.

Proverbs 22:29 חָזִ֡יתָ you see

Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will be stationed in the presence of kings; he will not stand before obscure men.

Here: Literally 'you have seen'. In Proverbs this opens a formula meaning 'Have you noticed…?' or 'If you see…'. It calls the hearer to look at a type of person found in real life. The same opening appears in 26:12 and 29:20.

Proverbs 24:32 וָֽאֶחֱזֶ֣ה and I saw

I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:

Here: A poetic verb for looking hard at something, not just catching sight of it. The 'and' form carries on the story from v.30 ('I passed by the field…'): having walked past, he now stops and studies the ruined field.

Proverbs 29:20 חָזִ֗יתָ do you see?

Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Here: Literally "you have seen." It is a teacher's opening: "Have you ever seen…?" or "If you see…". It asks the student to call to mind a type of person he has met. Proverbs uses the same opening in 22:29 and 26:12.

Song of Songs 6:13 וְנֶחֱזֶה־ תֶּחֱזוּ֙ so we may look, will you look

Come back, come back, O Shulammite! Come back, come back, that we may gaze upon you. Why do you look at the Shulammite, as on the dance of Mahanaim?

Isaiah 1:1 חָזָ֔ה he saw

This is the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Here: 'He saw'. It comes from the same root as 'vision', so in Hebrew it reads 'the vision ... which he envisioned'. The verb stands for receiving revelation as a seer does, which can include hearing words (compare 2:1, 'the word that Isaiah ... saw'). The completed verb form presents the revelation as something already received and now set down.

Isaiah 2:1 חָזָ֔ה he saw

This is the message that was revealed to Isaiah son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

Isaiah 13:1 חָזָ֔ה he saw

This is the burden against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz received:

Here: The verb used for a seer's revelatory perception. Isaiah does not just 'receive' or 'write' the oracle. He 'sees' it, though what follows is mostly speech. In the Bible's way of putting it, the prophet perceives God's word as a revelation shown to him.

Isaiah 26:11 יֶחֱזָי֑וּן יֶחֱז֤וּ they behold !, they will behold

O LORD, Your hand is upraised, but they do not see it. They will see Your zeal for Your people and be put to shame. The fire set for Your enemies will consume them!

Here: 'They do not see.' The verb has an extra '-n' ending, an older, weightier poetic form that gives it emphasis: they simply do not see. The pause in the Hebrew accents falls here and splits the verse in two.

Isaiah 30:10 תֶחֱזוּ־ חֲז֖וּ you must see, see

They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.

Here: “You shall not envision.” Same root as the title “visionaries,” so it is a second wordplay: visionaries told not to have visions.

Isaiah 33:17 תֶּחֱזֶ֣ינָה they will see

Your eyes will see the King in His beauty and behold a land that stretches afar.

Here: 'They will gaze on.' This verb often means looking intently, and it is the root of the word for a prophet's 'vision' (Isa 1:1). Here it describes real seeing with the eyes. The verb form points forward: this is a promise of what will happen.

Isaiah 33:20 חֲזֵ֣ה see

Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful pasture, a tent that does not wander; its tent pegs will not be pulled up, nor will any of its cords be broken.

Here: A command to one person (the people addressed as a single 'you'): fix your gaze on Zion. The verb is the one used for a prophet's 'vision' (Isa 1:1) but also for ordinary steady looking; it picks up v.17, 'your eyes will behold the king in his beauty.'

Isaiah 47:13 הַֽחֹזִים֙ those [who] look

You are wearied by your many counselors; let them come forward now and save you—your astrologers who observe the stars, who monthly predict your fate.

Isaiah 48:6 חֲזֵה֙ look at

You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not acknowledge them? From now on I will tell you of new things, hidden things unknown to you.

Here: A command: "Look!" The people have heard the predictions; now they are told to look at how those predictions came true. Hearing is followed by seeing.

Isaiah 57:8 חָזִֽית׃ you have seen

Behind the door and doorpost you have set up your memorial. Forsaking Me, you uncovered your bed; you climbed up and opened it wide. And you have made a pact with those whose bed you have loved; you have gazed upon their nakedness.

Lamentations 2:14 חָ֤זוּ וַיֶּ֣חֱזוּ they have seen, and they have seen

The visions of your prophets were empty and deceptive; they did not expose your guilt to ward off your captivity. The burdens they envisioned for you were empty and misleading.

Here: This is the verb behind the noun 'seer' (chozeh) and 'vision' (chazon). It is the technical word for receiving prophetic revelation. Here it is bitter: they claimed to 'see', but what they saw was nothing.

Ezekiel 12:27 חֹזֶ֖ה [is] seeing

“Son of man, take note that the house of Israel is saying, ‘The vision that he sees is for many years from now; he prophesies about the distant future.’

Ezekiel 13:6 חָ֤זוּ they have seen

They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ when the LORD did not send them; yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.

Here: The technical verb for prophetic seeing, the root behind ḥōzeh ('seer') and ḥāzôn ('vision'). Ezekiel grants that these men 'see' something, but the object he gives them is emptiness. The perfect tense presents their visions as a settled, established pattern.

Ezekiel 13:7 חֲזִיתֶ֔ם have you seen

Haven’t you seen a false vision and spoken a lying divination when you proclaim, ‘Thus declares the LORD,’ even though I have not spoken?

Ezekiel 13:8 וַחֲזִיתֶ֖ם and you have seen

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Because you have uttered vain words and seen false visions, I am against you, declares the Lord GOD.

Here: "And you have seen". This is the technical verb for a seer's visionary perception. The charge is about their claimed revelatory experiences, not their eyesight.

Ezekiel 13:9 הַחֹזִ֣ים who see

My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and speak lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of My people or be recorded in the register of the house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.

Here: A participle for ongoing activity: 'the ones who keep seeing'. The verb is the technical word for receiving visions, and it is used here with bitter irony.

Ezekiel 13:16 וְהַחֹזִ֥ים and who saw

those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw a vision of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Lord GOD.’

Ezekiel 13:23 תֶחֱזֶ֔ינָה you will see

therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will deliver My people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”

Here: A future verb addressed to a group of women (second person feminine plural). It is the verb for a seer's visionary 'seeing', the root of ḥōzeh, 'seer'. They claimed to see, but what they saw was empty.

Ezekiel 21:29 בַּחֲז֥וֹת when see

while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you—to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.

Here: 'In the seeing', 'while (someone) sees'. Ḥazah is the verb for prophetic seeing. With no subject named, it works like 'while visions are being seen'. The verb is kept for seers who claim to have a revelation.

Ezekiel 22:28 חֹזִ֣ים [they are] seeing

Her prophets whitewash these deeds by false visions and lying divinations, saying, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says,’ when the LORD has not spoken.

Here: The technical verb for prophetic seeing, used of visionaries. The ongoing form ('seeing') describes a continuing business of producing visions.

Amos 1:1 חָזָ֨ה he saw

These are the words of Amos, who was among the sheepherders of Tekoa—what he saw concerning Israel two years before the earthquake, in the days when Uzziah was king of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash was king of Israel.

Here: This is the verb of prophetic seeing. The pairing 'words … which he saw' presents the message as perceived by revelation, not composed by Amos. It also anticipates the vision reports of chapters 7–9.

Micah 1:1 חָזָ֥ה he saw

This is the word of the LORD that came to Micah the Moreshite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah—what he saw regarding Samaria and Jerusalem:

Here: 'He saw.' This is the special verb for prophetic perception. A 'word' that is 'seen' shows that receiving revelation is described as both hearing and seeing.

Micah 4:11 וְתַ֥חַז and let it look

But now many nations have assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let us feast our eyes on Zion.”

Here: 'And let [our eye] gaze.' The shortened form expresses a wish. With the preposition 'on' (bə-), 'seeing' becomes gloating: staring with satisfaction at someone's downfall.

Habakkuk 1:1 חָזָ֔ה he saw

This is the burden that Habakkuk the prophet received in a vision:

Zechariah 10:2 חָ֣זוּ they see

For idols speak deceit and diviners see illusions; they tell false dreams and offer empty comfort. Therefore the people wander like sheep, oppressed for lack of a shepherd.

Here: The verb for a seer's visionary 'seeing', the root of ḥōzeh, 'seer'. Using it here is ironic: the diviners have prophetic-sounding visions, but what they see is a lie.