רֹאֶה
ro.eh
seer
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# The Hebrew Term רֹאֶה (ro'eh): Seer The Hebrew word רֹאֶה (ro'eh) designates a "seer"—a person who receives or perceives divine vision. Based on its eleven biblical occurrences, this term identifies an individual with a distinctive spiritual role, one who "sees" in a manner distinct from ordinary perception. The term appears to function as a substantive noun describing a category of religious figure rather than a common action, emphasizing the person's identity and function rather than a momentary act of seeing. The modest frequency of this word in biblical texts (11 occurrences) suggests it represents a recognized but specialized role within ancient Hebrew religious life. Unlike more common terms for sight or vision, רֹאֶה carries a technical sense—it names a particular type of person defined by their capacity to perceive divine communication. This distinction parallels other Hebrew designations for religious specialists such as prophets or priests, indicating that seers held a recognized institutional position in biblical society. The significance of this term lies in its compression of religious authority into the act of seeing divine truth. A "seer" was not merely someone who looked at things in the ordinary sense, but rather someone gifted or appointed to perceive divine realities invisible to others. This terminology reflects a worldview in which access to spiritual knowledge was mediated through specially qualified individuals
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
11 total occurrences across the text
who tell the seers, “Don’t see!” and the prophets, “Don’t prophesy to us right things. Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy deceits.
1 Samuel 9:9(In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come! Let’s go to the seer;” for he who is now called a prophet was before called a seer.)
1 Samuel 9:9(In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come! Let’s go to the seer;” for he who is now called a prophet was before called a seer.)
1 Samuel 9:11As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”
1 Samuel 9:18Then Saul approached Samuel in the gateway, and said, “Please tell me where the seer’s house is.”
1 Samuel 9:19Samuel answered Saul, and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you are to eat with me today. In the morning I will let you go, and will tell you all that is in your heart.
1 Chronicles 9:22All these who were chosen to be gatekeepers in the thresholds were two hundred twelve. These were listed by genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer ordained in their office of trust.
1 Chronicles 26:28All that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah, had dedicated, whoever had dedicated anything, it was under the hand of Shelomoth, and of his brothers.
1 Chronicles 29:29Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Samuel the seer, and in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the history of Gad the seer,
2 Chronicles 16:7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Syria, and have not relied on Yahweh your God, therefore the army of the king of Syria has escaped out of your hand.
2 Chronicles 16:10Then Asa was angry with the seer, and put him in the prison; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time.