Bible Lexicons

רָאָה inf. absol. רָאֹה, רָאוֹ, constr. רְאֹה, רְאוֹת, fut. יִרְאֶה, apoc. יֵרֶא, with ו convers. וַיַּרְא, rarely וַיִּרְאֶה 1 Samuel 17:42; 2 Kings 5:21 in the rest of the forms תֵּרֶא, וָאֵרֶא ;וַתֵּרֶא.

(1) to see (Arab. رَأَى id. To this answers the Gr. ὁράω, like יָדַע, Gr. εἴδω, Lat. video). Const. followed by an acc. (very frequently), rarely followed by a dat. Psalms 64:6 and with two acc. Genesis 7:1, אוֹתְךָ רָאִיתִי צַדִּיק “thee have I seen righteous;” followed by an entire sentence, with כִּי prefixed, e.g. Genesis 6:5, וַיַּרְא יְהֹוָה כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם. Genesis 28:6, 29:31 38:14 also by attraction, Genesis 1:4, וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים אֶת־הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב. Genesis 6:2; Exodus 2:2 followed by הֲ interrogative (whether), Exodus 4:18. Without the accusative, Psalms 40:13, “the penalties of sins [my iniquities] לֹא יָכֹלְתִּי לִרְאוֹת I cannot see them,” i.e. take them in with my eyes, they are so much. Psalms 40:4, רַבִּים יִרְאוּ וַיִּירָאוּ “many shall see (shall be witnesses of my liberation) and shall fear;” compare the same paronomasia, Psalms 52:8; Job 6:21.-Specially

(a) to see the face of a king, is said of his ministers, who are received to his presence, 2 Kings 25:19; Jeremiah 52:25; Esther 1:14.

(b) To see the face of God, i.e. to be admitted to behold God, a privilege conferred, according to the Old Test., to very few mortals; as to the elders of Israel in the giving of the law, Exodus 24:10 (compare Psalms 11:7, 17:15 ); to Moses, Exodus 33:20. It was commonly considered that this could not be done without peril of life, Genesis 16:11, 32:30 Judges 13:22; Isaiah 6:5 compare Exodus 33:20 so also Judges 6:22.-Absol.

(c) to see is used for to enjoy the light, to live; Gr. βλέπειν; more fully, to see the sun, Ecclesiastes 7:11 (compare Gr. ζώειν καὶ ὁρᾷν φάος Ἠελίοιο, Hom.; in later writers simply ὁρᾷν); also, to see Jehovah in the land of the living, Isaiah 38:11. It is thus that the difficult passage Genesis 16:13, is to be understood, הֲגַם הֲלֹם רָאִיתִי אַחֲרֵי רֹאִי “do I then here see (i.e. live) also after the vision,” sc. of God, having beheld God? compare letter b.

(d) to see, i.e. to be taught in visions divinely brought, is said of the prophets, Isaiah 30:10 (comp. 29:10 ). Hence part. רֹאֶה a prophet (which see), מַרְאֶה vision. Compare חָזָה No. 2.

(2) to see, i.q. to look at, to view, to behold (befehn, anfehn), with a purpose, followed by an acc. Genesis 11:5, “and Jehovah came down לִרְאֹת אֶת־הָעִיר.” Leviticus 13:3, Leviticus 13:5, 17 Leviticus 13:17; 1 Kings 9:12. Followed by בְּ Genesis 34:1, לִרְאוֹת בִּבְנוֹת הָאָרֶץ “to see the daughters of the land.” Ezekiel 21:26, רָאָה בַכָּבֵד “he looked at the liver.” Ecclesiastes 11:4, רֹאֶה בֶעָבִים “one who looks at the clouds.” Song of Solomon 6:11. But Ecclesiastes 12:3, בַּאֲרֻבּוֹת רֹאוֹת is, “those who look out at the windows.”- Jeremiah 18:17, “I will look at them with the back and not with the face,” i.e. I will turn my back upon them. Specially

(a) to be pleased with the sight, as the eye lingers on objects of pleasure, and with them we feast our eyes. Proverbs 23:31, “look not upon the wine when it is red.” Isaiah 53:2. Especially followed by בְּ (compare page 97, B ), Job 3:9, 20:17 Isaiah 66:5 [Niphal]; Psalms 106:5 very often used of joy felt at the destruction of enemies. Psalm 54:9, בְּאֹיְבַי רָֽאֲתָה עֵינִי “mine eye has looked (with pleasure) on my enemies,” i.e. on their destruction. Psalms 22:18, 37:34 112:8 118:7 Obadiah 1:12. On the other hand

(b) to look with sorrow, to be witness of anything sorrowful, grievous. Genesis 21:16, אַל אֶרְאֶה בְּמוֹת הַיֶּלֶד “let me not see the death of the child.” Genesis 44:34; Numbers 11:15; Esther 8:6.

(c) to despise (as if to look down upon any one, comp. καταφρονέω, herabfehn auf), to behold with contempt. Job 41:26, אֶת כָּל־גָּבוֹהַּ יִרְאֶה “he despises every thing high” (as if set in the very highest place); compare Song of Solomon 1:6, אַל תִּרְאֻנִי שֶׁאֲנִי שְׁחַרְחֹרֶת “despise me not (fehet mich nicht verächtlich an) because I am dark.”

(d) to regard, have respect to. Isaiah 26:10, בּל יִרְאֶה גֵּאוּת יְהֹוָה “he will not regard the majesty of Jehovah;” especially used of God as looking on affliction in order to remove it. Exodus 4:31, כִּי רָאָה אֶת־עָנְיָם “when he regarded their affliction.” Psalms 9:14, 25:18 31:8 2 Kings 14:26 and followed by בְּ Genesis 29:32; 1 Samuel 1:11; Psalms 106:44.

(e) to see about anything, to provide or care for it, i.q. יָדַע No. 7. 1 Kings 12:16, רְאֵה בֵיתְךָ דָּוִד “see to thine own house, David!” Genesis 39:23, “the keeper of the prison cared for nothing which was delivered to Joseph.” Isaiah 22:11. Psalms 37:37, רְאֵה יָשָׁר “take care (to follow) uprightness,” fiehe aufs Recht.

(f) רָאָה לוֹ to provide anything for oneself (fich auserfehen), i.e. to choose, to procure for oneself. Genesis 22:8, “God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering:” Genesis 22:14, “and Abraham called the name of that place (Moriah), יְיָ יִרְאֶה (that which) Jehovah chooses” = מָרְאִיָּה, contr. מֹרִיָּה (which see). Deuteronomy 33:21, וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לוֹ “and he chose the first-fruit for himself.” Genesis 41:33; Deuteronomy 12:13; 1 Samuel 16:1, 17 1 Samuel 16:17. Part. רָאוּי selected, Esther 2:9. Compare Tob_12:1, ὅρα, τέκνον, μιαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ.

(g) to go to see, to visit any one, to go in order to visit and salute, 2 Samuel 13:5; 2 Kings 8:29; 2 Chronicles 22:6. In this sense there is more fully said רָאָה אֶת־שְׁלוֹם פּ׳ Genesis 37:14 (compare שָׁאַל לְשָׁלוֹם לְ).

(h) followed by אֶל to look unto any one as expecting aid, Isaiah 17:7 followed by עַל to look upon any one, to examine his cause, Exodus 5:21.

(1) figuratively, to look at any thing (beabfichtigen, im Auge haben), to aim at, to propose to oneself. Genesis 20:10, “what hadst thou in view that thou hast done this?”

(3) The Hebrews (like the Greeks and others) not unfrequently use of a verb of seeing of those things also which are not perceived by the eyes, but

(a) by other senses, as by hearing; Genesis 2:19, לִרְאוֹת מַה יִּקְרָא לוֹ “to see what he would call them;” Genesis 42:1; Exodus 20:19; Jeremiah 33:24; Job 2:13 (compare Gr. ὁράω, Brunk ad Soph. Œd. Col. 138); taste, Genesis 3:6 touch, feeling, Isaiah 44:16, רָאִיתִי אוּר “I feel the fire” (the warmth).

(b) of those things which are perceived, felt, and enjoyed by the mind (נֶפֶשׁ of the Hebrews, see No. 2). Thus it is said to see life, Ecclesiastes 9:9 to see death, Psalms 89:49 (compare ἰδεῖν θάνατον, Hebrews 11:5); and in the same sense to see the pit [corruption], Psalms 16:10, 49:10 also to see sleep, Ecclesiastes 8:16 (compare Terent. Heautontim. iii. 1, 82); to see famine, Jeremiah 5:12 to see good (Cic. Mil. 28, bona videre), i.e. to enjoy the good of life, Psalms 34:13; Ecclesiastes 3:13, 6:6 also רָאָה בְטוֹב Jerem. 29:32 Micah 7:9; Ecclesiastes 2:1 and on the other hand, to see affliction, Lamentations 3:1 evil, Proverbs 27:12; Jeremiah 44:17 also רָאָה בְרָעָה Obadiah 1:13. Compare ὁρᾷν κινδύνονς, Tob. iv. 4. Hence used

(c) of the things which we perceive with the mind or heart (בַּלֵּב); hence to perceive, to understand, to learn, to know. Ecclesiastes 1:16, לִבִּי רָאָה הַרְבֵּה חָכְמָה “my heart knew much wisdom;” Ecclesiastes 2:12; Jeremiah 2:31, 20:12 1 Samuel 24:12; 1 Kings 10:4. Often used of the things which we learn by the experience of life. Isaiah 40:5, “all flesh shall see (shall understand, prove) that God hath spoken.” Job 4:8, כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי “even as I have proved.” רָאָה בֵין to see (the difference) between, Malachi 3:18.

Niphal.

(1) to be seen, Judges 5:8; 1 Kings 6:18; Proverbs 27:25.

(2) to let oneself be seen, to appear, Genesis 1:9, 9:14 used of persons, followed by אֶל to shew oneself, Leviticus 13:7, 19 Leviticus 13:19; 1 Kings 18:1. נִרְאָה אֶת־פְּנֵי יְיָ to appear at the sanctuary (see אֶת־פְּנֵי p. 680, B ). Often used of Jehovah, or an angel, who appears, 1 Samuel 3:21 followed by אֶל of pers. Genesis 12:7, 17:1 18:1 לְ Jeremiah 31:3.

(3) pass. of No. 2, letter f, to be provided, cared for, Genesis 22:14, בְּהַר יְהֹוָה יֵרָאֶה “in the mount of Jehovah there shall be provided,” i.e. in Mount Moriah God shall provide for men, and give them aid, as he formerly did to Abraham (verse Genesis 22:8); so now: a proverbial phrase [?], implying that God cares for those who go to his temple, and affords them his aid; allusion is at the same time made to the etymology of the name מֹרִיָּה, which see.

Pual, to be seen. Plur. רֻאוּ (Dag. forte, or rather Mappik in the letter א, see Lehrg. p. 97), Job 33:21.

Hiphil הִרְאָה and הֶרְאָה fut. יַרְאֶה apoc. וַיַּרְא (like the fut. Kal), 2 Kings 11:4.

(1) causat. of Kal No. 1, to cause one to see, Deuteronomy 1:33 hence followed by two acc. to shew anything to any one, Exodus 25:9; 2 Kings 11:4; Nahum 3:5 especially used of the prophets, to whom things were divinely shown, Amos 7:1; 2 Kings 8:13.

(2) causat. of Kal No. 2, letter a, to cause one to see with pleasure, followed by בְּ Psalms 59:11.

(3) causat. of Kal No. 3, letter b, to cause any one to experience evil, with two acc. Psalms 60:5, 71:20 to cause to enjoy good, Ecclesiastes 2:24; Psalms 4:7, 85:8 with acc. of pers. and בְּ of thing, Psalms 50:23, 91:16.

Hophal הָרְאָה pr. to be made to see any thing, i.e. to be shewn something. Exodus 25:40, “according to the pattern אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה מָרְאֶה בָּהָר which was shewn to thee in the mount.” Exodus 26:30; Deuteronomy 4:35; Leviticus 13:49, הָרְאָה אֶת־הַכֹּהֵן “and he shall be shewn to the priest.”

Hithpael, to look at one another

(a) used of those who are delaying, who, being uncertain what to do, do nothing, Genesis 42:1.

(b) used of those who fight hand to hand, 2 Kings 14:8, 11 2 Kings 14:11(compare Isaiah 41:23). So the old Germ. proverb, fich die Köpfe befehn, fich das Weiße im Auge befehn.

Derived nouns, רָאֶה, רֹאֶה, רְאוּת and רְאִית, רְאִי, רֳאִי, מַרְאֶה, מַרְאָה, Ch. רֵו, אֲרוּ (אֲלוּ), and pr.n. רְאָיָה, רְאוּבֵן, רוּת, יִרְאִיָּה, מֹרִיָּה.