Word Study for H2374 (חֹזֶה) | Strong's Concordance

chôzeh /kho-zeh'/ Ask about this word

Rootactive participle of חָזָה

Meaninga beholder in vision; also a compact (as looked upon with approval)

KJV usageagreement, prophet, see that, seer, (star-) gazer.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of chôzeh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word chôzeh, represented by H2374, is an active participle meaning "a beholder in vision." It is primarily translated as seer or prophet, but can also refer to a compact or agreement. Occurring 22 times in 22 unique verses, the term is applied to individuals who receive divine revelation and, in a negative context, to those who engage in illegitimate forms of divination like stargazing.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H2374 is often used to denote an official prophetic role, particularly one associated with a king. Several figures are identified by this title, including Gad, "David's seer" 2 Samuel 24:11, Asaph the seer 2 Chronicles 29:30, and Heman the king's seer 1 Chronicles 25:5. The word also distinguishes between true and false prophecy. Ezekiel condemns prophets who are "seeing vanity" and "divining lies" Ezekiel 22:28. In a distinct usage, Isaiah describes a covenant with death as an agreement H2374 with hell Isaiah 28:15, highlighting its secondary meaning of a pact. In another context, it is used pejoratively for the "stargazers" of Babylon Isaiah 47:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of vision and prophecy:

H2372 châzâh: This is the root verb meaning "to gaze at; mentally to perceive" or "to have a vision of." It is the action a chôzeh performs, such as when the people told the prophets, "Prophesy not unto us right things" Isaiah 30:10.
H2377 châzôwn: This noun refers to the revelation itself, meaning "a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle; vision." It is written, "Where there is no vision, the people perish" Proverbs 29:18.
H5030 nâbîyʼ: Translated as prophet, this term is often used alongside chôzeh. Scripture notes that the LORD testified to Israel "by all the prophets H5030, and by all the seers H2374" 2 Kings 17:13.
H7200 râʼâh: A common word for "to see," its participle form is also used for a seer. In 1 Chronicles 29:29, the acts of David are recorded in the books of "Samuel the seer H7200," "Nathan the prophet H5030," and "Gad the seer H2374," showing the terms could be used distinctly for different individuals.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2374 is significant, defining the means of divine communication and the standard for spiritual truth.

Authorized Revelation: A true seer was an authorized messenger for God, delivering His commandments to kings and the people. The arrangement of the Levites in the temple was established according to the commandment of David, Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet 2 Chronicles 29:25.
Spiritual Rebellion: The term is used to expose Israel's willful rejection of God's word. The people demanded that the seers "Prophesy deceits" instead of truth Isaiah 30:10. As a form of judgment, God covered the eyes of their "seers" Isaiah 29:10.
False Prophecy: The role of the seer is contrasted with those who claim spiritual insight apart from God. False prophets who "see vanity" H2374 Ezekiel 13:9 and "divine lies" Ezekiel 22:28 are condemned, and those who are "stargazers" H2374 are deemed powerless Isaiah 47:13.
Prophetic Accountability: Those who claimed the title of seer were held accountable. Micah prophesied that false seers would be "ashamed" and diviners "confounded" because they had "no answer of God" Micah 3:7.

Summary

In summary, chôzeh H2374 is a specific and weighty term for a "seer" or one who beholds visions. While it can denote a formal agreement, its primary function is to describe a prophetic office, setting a clear distinction between those who receive genuine revelation from God and those who practice false divination. The word is foundational to understanding the office of the prophet and the critical difference between divine truth and human or demonic falsehood.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun and a verb across 22 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

חֹזֶה
חֹזֵה
חֹזִים
חֹזִים
חוֹזָי

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 22 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Chronicles (8 verses); never once in the other 31.

2 Samuel

2 Kings

1 Chronicles

2 Chronicles

Isaiah

Ezekiel

Amos

Micah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.