the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Geneva Bible
1 Samuel 9:9
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Formerly in Israel, a man who was going to inquire of God would say, “Come, let’s go to the seer,” for the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.
(In earlier times in Yisra'el, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he who is now called a Prophet was before called a Seer.)
(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say: "Come, let us go up to the seer." For the prophet of today was formerly called a seer.)
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.)
(In the past, if someone in Israel wanted to ask something from God, he would say, "Let's go to the seer." We call the person a prophet today, but in the past he was called a seer.)
(Now it used to be in Israel that whenever someone went to inquire of God he would say, "Come on, let's go to the seer." For today's prophet used to be called a seer.)
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say, "Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is called a prophet today was formerly called a seer.)
(Previously in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, "Come, and let's go to the seer"; for he who is called a prophet now was previously called a seer.)
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, "Come, and let us go to the seer"; for he who is called a prophet now was formerly called a seer.)
"Great!" Saul replied. "Let's go to the man who can see visions!" He said this because in those days God would answer questions by giving visions to prophets. Saul and his servant went to the town where the prophet lived.
(In Isra'el, back in the old days, when someone went to consult God, he would say, "Come, let's go to the seer"; because a person now called a prophet used to be called a seer.)
(In former time in Israel, when a man went to ask counsel of God, he said, Come and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was in former time called a Seer.)
Saul said to his servant, "That is a good idea. Let's go." So they went to the town where the man of God was. Saul and the servant were walking up the hill toward town when they met some young women on the road. The young women were coming out to get water. Saul and the servant asked the young women, "Is the seer here?" (In the past, people in Israel called a prophet a "seer." So if they wanted to ask something from God, they would say, "Let's go to the seer.")
(Because formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, let us go to the seer; for he who is now called a prophet, before was called a seer.)
Saul replied, "A good idea! Let's go." So they went to the town where the holy man lived. As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women who were coming out to draw water. They asked these women, "Is the seer in town?" (At that time a prophet was called a seer, and so whenever someone wanted to ask God a question, he would say, "Let's go to the seer.")
Before in Israel, a man who was going to seek God said this, Come and we shall go to the seer; for the prophet of today, before, was called the seer.
(Afore tyme in Israel, whan a man wente to axe councell at the LORDE, he sayde: Come, let vs go to the Seer: for they that now are called prophetes, were called Seers afore tyme).
(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
(In the past in Israel, when a man went to get directions from God, he said, Come let us go to the Seer, for he who now is named Prophet was in those days given the name of Seer.)
(Before time in Israel when a man went to seke an aunswere of God, thus wyse he spake, Come and let vs go to the Seer: For he that is now called a prophete, was in the olde tyme called a Seer.
Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said: 'Come and let us go to the seer'; for he that is now called a prophet was beforetime called a seer.--
(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake; Come, and let vs go to the Seer: for he that is now called a Prophet, was beforetime called a Seer.)
Now before time in Israel every one in going to enquire of God said, Come and let us go to the seer; for the people beforetime called the prophet, the seer.
(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
(Formerly in Israel, a man on his way to inquire of God would say, "Come, let us go to the seer." For the prophet of today was formerly called the seer.)
Sumtyme in Israel ech man goynge to counsel God spak thus, Come ye, and go we to the seere; for he, that is seid `to dai a profete, was clepid sumtyme a seere.
Formerly in Israel, thus said the man in his going to seek God, `Come and we go unto the seer,' for the `prophet' of to-day is called formerly `the seer.'
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he that is now called a Prophet was formerly called a Seer.)
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spoke, Come, and let us go to the seer: for [he that is] now [called] a Prophet was formerly called a Seer.)
(In earlier times in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he said, Come, and let us go to the seer; for he who is now called a Prophet was before called a Seer.)
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: "Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)
(In those days if people wanted a message from God, they would say, "Let's go and ask the seer," for prophets used to be called seers.)
(Before in Israel, when a man went to ask God a question, he would say, "Come, let us go to the man of God." For he who is called a man who speaks for God now, was called a seer before.)
(Formerly in Israel, anyone who went to inquire of God would say, "Come, let us go to the seer"; for the one who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)
Beforetime, in Israel, thus, said a man when he went to enquire of God, Come and let us go as far as the seer, - for, the prophet of to-day, used to be called, beforetime, the seer.
Now in time past in Israel, when a man went to consult God, he spoke thus: Come, let us go to the seer. For he that is now called a prophet, in time past was called a seer.
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)
(Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, "Come, and let us go to the seer"; for he who is called a prophet now was formerly called a seer.)
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
inquire: Genesis 25:22, Judges 1:1
a Seer: 2 Samuel 24:11, 2 Kings 17:13, 1 Chronicles 26:28, 1 Chronicles 29:29, 2 Chronicles 16:7, 2 Chronicles 16:10, Isaiah 29:10, Isaiah 30:10, Amos 7:12
Reciprocal: Genesis 15:1 - in 2 Samuel 15:27 - a seer 1 Kings 22:17 - I saw 1 Chronicles 9:22 - Samuel 1 Chronicles 21:9 - Gad 1 Chronicles 25:5 - the king's seer 2 Chronicles 19:2 - the seer 2 Chronicles 33:18 - the seers 2 Chronicles 34:21 - inquire Jeremiah 24:3 - What Micah 3:7 - the seers 1 Corinthians 12:17 - General
Cross-References
But with thee will I establish my couenant, and thou shalt goe into the Arke, thou, and thy sonnes, and thy wife, and thy sonnes wiues with thee.
But bring ye forth fruite & multiplie: grow plentifully in the earth, and increase therein.
God spake also to Noah & to his sonnes with him, saying,
Behold, I, euen I establish my couenant with you, and with your seede after you,
And with euery liuing creature that is with you, with the foule, with the cattell, and with euery beast of the earth with you, from all that goe out of the Arke, vnto euery beast of the earth.
And my couenant will I establish with you, that from henceforth all flesh shall not be rooted out by ye waters of the flood, neither shall there be a flood to destroy the earth any more.
God said yet to Noah, This is the signe of the couenant, which I haue established betweene me and all flesh that is vpon the earth.
Therefore will I surely blesse thee, and will greatly multiplie thy seede, as the starres of the heauen, and as the sand which is vpon the sea shore, and thy seede shall possesse the gate of his enemies.
Thus sayth the Lord, If you can breake my couenant of the day, and my couenant of the night, that there should not be day, and night in their season,
Concerning his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord (which was made of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh,
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Before time in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God,.... To ask doctrine of him, as the Targum, to be taught by him, to have his mind and will in any affair of moment and importance; which was usually done by applying to some man of God, eminent for grace and piety, and a spirit of prophecy:
thus he spake, come, and let us go to the seer; a man used to say to his friend, when he wanted some instruction or direction, let us go together to such an one, the seer, and ask counsel of him what is proper to be done in such an affair:
for he that is now [called] a prophet was before called a seer; for though these names are used freely of the same persons, both before and after this time; yet now the more common appellation which obtained was that of a prophet; custom, and the use of language, varied at different times, though the same was meant by the one and the other; such men were called seers, because of the vision of prophecy, because they saw or foresaw things to come; and they were called prophets, because they foretold what they saw, or delivered out their predictions by word of mouth. This verse is put in a parenthesis, and is commonly supposed to be the words of the writer of this book: hence some draw an argument against Samuel being the writer of it, as Abarbinel does, who concludes from hence that it was written by Jeremiah, or some other person long after Samuel, or that this verse was added by Ezra; but as this book might be written by Samuel in the latter part of his life, he might with propriety observe this, that in his younger time, and quite down to the anointing of Saul king, both when there was no open vision, and afterwards when there was scarce any that had it but himself, he was used to be called the seer; but in his latter days, when there were many that had the vision of prophecy, and there were schools set up, it was more common to call them prophets; though perhaps these are the words of Saul's servant, spoken to encourage Saul to go to the man of God, and inquire of him, since in former times, as he could remember, being perhaps an old servant, or he had heard his parents so say, that such men used to be called seers, because they saw what others did not, and declared and made others to see what they did; and therefore there was a probability that this man of God, who was a seer, might show them the way they should go to find the asses.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
This is manifestly a gloss inserted in the older narrative by the later editor of the sacred text, to explain the use of the term in 1 Samuel 9:11, 1 Samuel 9:18-19. It is one among many instances which prove how the very letter of the contemporary narratives was preserved by those who in later times compiled the histories. We cannot say exactly when the term âseerâ became obsolete. See the marginal references.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse 1 Samuel 9:9. Beforetime in Israel — This passage could not have been a part of this book originally: but we have already conjectured that Samuel, or some contemporary author, wrote the memoranda, out of which a later author compiled this book. This hypothesis, sufficiently reasonable in itself, solves all difficulties of this kind.
Was beforetime called a seer. — The word seer, ר×× roeh, occurs for the first time in this place; it literally signifies a person who SEES; particularly preternatural sights. A seer and a prophet were the same in most cases; only with this difference, the seer was always a prophet, but the prophet was not always a seer. A seer seems to imply one who frequently met with, and saw, some symbolical representation of God. The term prophet was used a long time before this; Abraham is called a prophet, Genesis 20:7, and the term frequently occurs in the law. Besides, the word seer does not occur before this time; but often occurs afterwards down through the prophets, for more than three hundred years. See Amos 7:12; Micah 3:7.
All prophets, false and true, profess to see God; see the case of Balaam, Numbers 24:4; Numbers 24:16, and Jeremiah 14:14. All diviners, in their enthusiastic flights, boasted that they had those things exhibited to their sight which should come to pass. There is a remarkable account in Virgil which may serve as a specimen of the whole; the Sibyl professes to be a seer: -
________________ Bella, horrida bella,
Et Tyberim molto spumantem sanguine CERNO.
AEN. lib. vi., ver. 86.
Wars, horrid wars, I VIEW; a field of blood;
And Tyber rolling with a purple flood.
I think the 9th verse comes more naturally in after the 11th. 1 Samuel 9:9; 1 Samuel 9:11
