H2372 H2372
To see, behold, perceive; poetic synonym of ra'ah, ranging from physical sight to prophetic vision and reverent contemplation.
Chazah is the elevated, predominantly poetic verb for seeing in Biblical Hebrew — the word prophets and psalmists reach for when ordinary ra'ah feels too plain. Nearly confined to poetry and prophecy, it carries an inherent dignity that makes it the natural vehicle for Balaam's oracles ('the vision of the Almighty he sees,' Num 24:4), the Psalms' longing to 'gaze upon the beauty of YHWH' (Ps 27:4), and Isaiah's visionary commands. The Aramaic cognate chaza is the standard word for 'see' (as in Daniel's visions), and Arabic haza preserves the inner-perception nuance that BDB notes: 'perceive with the inner vision.' Spanish contemplar appears repeatedly in the reverential senses, while Korean and German both struggle to find a single word that captures the blend of visual perception and spiritual insight that makes chazah distinctive.
Senses
1. see, perceive visually — Basic visual perception — to see, perceive, look at — the broadest sense cluster at 34 occurrences spanning all conjugations and persons. In Exod 18:21 Jethro tells Moses 'you shall select' (literally 'you shall see/identify') capable men; in Job 15:17 Eliphaz says 'what I have seen, I will declare.' The multilingual evidence shows a clean mapping to standard sight vocabulary: German schauen, Spanish ver/vieron, French voir. This is chazah at its most semantically unmarked, though even here the poetic register distinguishes it from the prosaic ra'ah. 34×
AR["أَرَاهُ-","أَرَى","تَرَى","تَرَيْنَ","رَآهَا","رَآهُ","رَأى","رَأَوْا","رَأَيْتُمْ","هَلْ-رَأَيْتَ","وَرَأَوْا","يَرَوْنَ","يَرَى"]·ben["আমি-দেখব","এবং-দেখেছে","তারা-দেখেছে","তিনি-দেখলেন","তিনি-দেখেছিলেন","তুমি-দেখেছ","তোমরা-দেখবে","তোমরা-দেখেছ","দর্শন-দেখেছিলেন","দেখ","দেখব-","দেখবে","দেখে","দেখেছ","দেখেছিল","দেখেছিলেন","দেখেছে"]·DE["schauen","schaute","sieht","soll-sehen","und-schaute"]·EN["I-will-see","and-they-saw","do-you-see","he-saw","saw","sees","shall-see","they-saw","they-see","will-see","you-saw","you-shall-see"]·FR["--voir","contempler","et-contempler","vision","voir","voit"]·heb["אחזה","ו-יחזו","חזה","חזו","חזית","חזיתם","יחזה","יחזו","תחזה","תחזינה"]·HI["उन्होंने-देखा","उसने-देखा","और-देखा","तुम-देखोगी","तुमने-देखा","देख","देखता-है","देखता-है-तू","देखते-हैं","देखा","देखा-है-तूने","देखूँगा","मैं-देखूँगा"]·ID["Engkau-melihat","Mereka-melihat","akan-kamu-lihat,","akan-melihat","aku-melihat","dan-mereka-melihat","dia-melihat","dilihat","dilihatnya","ia-lihat","ia-melihat","kamu-lihat,","melihat","mereka-melihatnya"]·IT["contemplare","e-vedere-in-visione","shall-vedere","vede","vedere-in-visione"]·jav["Tiyang-tiyang-punika-ningali","dipunmirengaken","dipuntingali","kawula-badhe-ningali","kawula-badhe-ningali-","lan-piyambakipun-sami-mirsani","madosi","mirsani","ningali","panjenengan-mirsani","panjenengan-sedaya-badhé-ningali","panjenengan-sedaya-ningali","piyambakipun-mirsani","sami-mirsani"]·KO["그리고-그들-이-보았네","너는-보았다","너희가-보리라","너희가-보았다","보는","보리니","보리라","보리라-","보았네","보았느냐-네가","보았는","보았다","보았도다","보았으니","보았음이라","볼지니"]·PT["Viste","e-viram","verei","vereis","verás","verão","viram","viste","vistes","viu","vê"]·RU["будете-видеть","видел","видел-ли-ты","видели","видели-вы","видит","видят","и-видели","увижу","увижу-","усмотри"]·ES["Has-visto","Vieron","han-visto","la-ven","ve","verás","veré","veré-","veréis","vieron","vio","visteis","y-vieron","¿Has-visto"]·SW["Wameona","aliona","anaona","mumeona","na-wameona","nitamwona","ona","oni","umeona","unaona","utachagua","wameona"]·TR["ara","gordu","gorurler","gördü","gördüler","gördün-mü","gördünüz","göreceksiniz","göreceğim","göreceğim-","görür","ve-gördüler"]·urd["اور-دیکھی","تلاش-کر","دیککں گا-","دیکھا","دیکھا-تم-نے","دیکھا-تو-نے","دیکھتا-ہے","دیکھتا-ہے-تُو","دیکھتے-ہیں","دیکھو-گی-تم","دیکھی","دیکھے-اُنہوں-نے","میں دیکھوں گا","نے-دیکھا"]
2. gaze upon, contemplate — To gaze upon or contemplate with sustained, reverent attention — 8 occurrences in the Psalms and Wisdom literature. Ps 27:4 expresses the psalmist's one desire: 'to gaze upon the beauty of YHWH'; Ps 63:2 recalls 'I have gazed upon you in the sanctuary'; Prov 24:32 describes looking and 'taking it to heart.' Spanish contemplar and French contempler both select the specifically reverential-attention verb rather than generic voir/ver, confirming a real lexical distinction. The sense combines visual perception with interior reflection — seeing that transforms the seer. 8×
AR["أَرَى","تِحِزُو","رَأَوا","رَأَيتُكَ","لِأَنْظُرَ","وَ-رَأَيْتُ","وَلِتَنْظُرْ","وِ-نِحِزِه-"]·ben["আমি-তোমাকে-দেখেছি","এবং-আমি-দেখলাম","এবং-দেখুক","তোমরা-দেখবে","দেখতে","দেখব","দেখেছে","যেন-আমরা-দেখতে-পারি-"]·DE["ich-haben-gazed-auf-du","schaute","soll-behold","und-schaute","zu-gaze-auf"]·EN["I-have-gazed-upon-You","and-I-looked","and-let-gaze","and-let-us-gaze-","have-gazed-","shall-behold","to-gaze-upon","will-you-gaze"]·FR["contempler","et-contempler","et-nous-te-contemplerons.","et-voir","verrez-vous","à-contempler"]·heb["אחזה","ו-אחזה","ו-נחזה","ו-תחז","חזו","חזיתיך","ל-חזות","תחזו"]·HI["और-देखा-मैंने","और-देखें","और-हम-देखें-","के-लिए-देखने","देखते-हैं","देखूँगा","देखोगे-तुम","मैंने-तुझे-देखा-है"]·ID["Dan-aku-memperhatikan","aku-telah-memandang-Engkau","dan-biarlah-melihat","kamu-memandang","melihat","melihat-","supaya-kami-memandang"]·IT["contemplare","e-contemplare","vide"]·jav["kanggé-ningali","kawula-sampun-ningali-Panjenengan","kula-ningali","lan-kawula-mirsani","lan-mugi-mirsani","lan-sumangga-kita-mirsani-","mirsani","panjenengan-badhe-mirsani"]·KO["그러면-보았노라-내가","그리고-보자","그리고-우리-가-바라보리라","너희-가-바라보느냐","보려고","보았다","보았도다","비다보리로다"]·PT["E-vi","contemplarei","contemplareis","contemplou-","e-contemplaremos","e-vejam","para-contemplar","te-contemplei"]·RU["видели-","и-поглядим-","и-пусть-смотрят","и-увидел","смотрите","созерцал-Тебя","созерцать","увижу"]·ES["contemplaré","contemplaréis","la-contempló-","para-contemplar","te-he-visto","y-contemplaba","y-contemplaremos-","y-miren"]·SW["ili-kutazama","ili-tukutazame","mnamtazama","na-macho-yataone","na-nilitazama","nimekuangalia","nitaona","wameiona"]·TR["bakarsınız","gördüler-","gördüm-seni","göreceğim","görmek-için-","ve-bakalim","ve-baksın","ve-düşündüm"]·urd["-دیکھنے-کے-لیے","اور-دیکھا-میں-نے","اور-دیکھیں","اور-ہم-دیکھیں","تم-دیکھتے-ہو","دیکھا-تُجھے","دیکھتے ہیں","دیکھوں-گا"]
3. behold, look (imperative) — Imperative summons — 'behold! look!' — 5 occurrences where chazah functions as a command to direct attention toward something momentous. In Ps 46:8 'come, behold the works of YHWH'; in Isa 33:20 'look upon Zion, the city of our festivals.' Exod 24:11 records the extraordinary moment when the elders of Israel 'beheld God, and ate and drank.' German schauen and French contempler maintain the elevated register, while Spanish mira and vean select the imperative-specific forms. The imperative force transforms seeing into an act of obedient attention. 5×
AR["انْظُروا","انْظُرْ","تَنْظُرَانِ","فَانْظُرْ","وَ-رَأَوا"]·ben["এবং-তারা-দেখলেন","তাকাও","দেখ","দেখুক"]·DE["behold","lass-sehen","schauen","und-sie-beheld"]·EN["Behold","and-they-beheld","behold","let-see","see"]·FR["contempler","et-ils-contempla"]·heb["ו-חזו","חזה","חזו","תחזינה"]·HI["और-देखा-उन्होंने","देख","देखें","देखो"]·ID["Pandanglah","dan-mereka melihat","lihatlah","melihat"]·IT["e-essi-beheld","vedere-in-visione","vide"]·jav["Mirsanana","Mirsani-a","mugi-mirsani","nguningani","sarta-tiyang-punika-ningali"]·KO["그리고-보았다","보라","보소서","보시게-하소서"]·PT["Contempla","e-contemplaram","olha","vede","vejam"]·RU["Взирай","да-увидят","и-увидели","смотри","смотрите"]·ES["mira","vean","y-contemplaron"]·SW["Utazame","angalieni","na-wakamwona","tazama","yatazame"]·TR["Bak","gor","görsün","görün","ve-gördüler"]·urd["اور-دیکھا","دیکھ","دیکھو","دیکھیں"]
4. see prophetically, envision — To see prophetically, to receive or perceive a vision — 3 occurrences where chazah denotes specifically revelatory seeing. In Isa 30:10 the people tell the seers 'do not see [visions] for us' (al techzu) and the prophets 'do not prophesy' — the parallelism with 'prophesy' confirms the visionary sense. Ps 11:7 may belong here: 'the upright shall behold his face.' Spanish profeticeis and profetizad ('prophesy!') map directly to this visionary register. This sense connects to the cognate noun chazon ('vision') and the title chozeh ('seer'), confirming chazah as the verb of prophetic perception. 3×
AR["أَبْصِرُوا","تُبْصِرُوا","يَرَى"]·ben["দেখ","দেখ-","দেখবে"]·DE["schauen","soll-behold"]·EN["prophesy","shall-behold"]·FR["contempler"]·heb["חזו","יחזו","תחזו"]·HI["देखेगा","देखो","देखो-"]·ID["Lihatlah","kamu-melihat-","melihat"]·IT["vedere-in-visione","vide"]·jav["nguningani","ningalana","ningali-"]·KO["보라","보리로다","보지-"]·PT["contemplarão","visionai","visioneis-"]·RU["видьте","видьте-","увидит"]·ES["profeticéis","profetizad","verá"]·SW["ataona","oneni","tazame-"]·TR["gorun","gorun-","görecek"]·urd["دیکھو","دیکھیں-گے"]
5. sense 5 — A difficult single occurrence at Job 23:9 where Job says he cannot perceive or discern God's presence despite searching: 'I turn to the right but I cannot behold him' (lo' achaz). English 'I behold' and Spanish lo alcanzo ('I reach/perceive') both struggle with the negated perception, while German ergriff ('grasped') shifts toward a tactile metaphor. The context suggests frustrated or failed perception — the opposite of sense 2's contemplative gazing. Job strains to see God but the vision eludes him, a poignant inversion of the psalmist's confident 'I shall behold your face' (Ps 17:15). 1×
AR["أُمْسِكُ"]·ben["আমি-দেখি"]·DE["ergriff"]·EN["I-behold"]·FR["contempler"]·heb["אחז"]·HI["मैं-उसे-पकड़ता"]·ID["aku-memandang"]·IT["contemplare"]·jav["kawula-nyepeng"]·KO["붙잡고"]·PT["o-alcanço;"]·RU["усматриваю"]·ES["lo-alcanzo;"]·SW["simwoni"]·TR["tutuyorum"]·urd["پکڑتا"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)H1818 1. blood (physical substance) (327×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H1320 1. body, physical being (207×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)G4561 1. flesh, physical body (150×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. חָזָה vb. (almost wholly poet.) see, behold (Aramaic ܚܙܳܐ, חֲזָא, see, perceive with the eyes; Palm. Ethp. אתחזי = ἔδοξεν Reckendorf ZMG, 1888, 397; Arabic حَزَى, perceive with the inner vision, only; حَازٍ astronomer, astrologer)— Qal Pf. ח׳ ψ 58:11 + 6 times; חָזִיתָ Pr 22:29; 29:20; חָזִית Is 57:8; חָזִיתִי Jb 15:17; חֲזִיתִךָ ψ 63:3; חָ֥זוּ Jb 24:1 + 5 times; חֲזִיתֶם Jb 27:12 Ez 13:7,…