Original Word: חֲזָא
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chaza'
Pronunciation: khaw-ZAW
Phonetic Spelling: (khaz-aw')
KJV: behold, have (a dream), see, be wont
NASB: looking, saw, seen, see, usually
Word Origin: [corresponding to H2372 (חָזָה - see)]

1. to gaze upon
2. mentally to dream, be usual (i.e. seem)

behold, have a dream, see, be wont

(Aramaic) or chazah (Aramaic) {khaz-aw'}; corresponding to chazah; to gaze upon; mentally to dream, be usual (i.e. Seem) -- behold, have (a dream), see, be wont.

see HEBREW chazah

Word Origin
(Aramaic) corresponding to chazah
Definition
see, behold
NASB Translation
looking (13), saw (10), see (2), seen (4), usually (1).

חֲזָה verb see, behold (see Biblical Hebrew); —

Pe`al Perfect3masculine singular ׳ח Daniel 4:20; Daniel 5:1; 2masculine singular תֲוַיְתָ Daniel 2:43 +, תָה- Daniel 2:41.2: 41; 1singular חֲזֵית Daniel 2:46 +; 2 masculine plural תֲוֵיתוּן Daniel 2:8;

Pe`al Infinitive מְֶָחֱזֵז֑א Ezra 4:14; Participle active חָוֵה Daniel 2:31 14t.; plural חָוַיִן Daniel 3:27; Daniel 5:23; passive חֲוֵה Daniel 3:19; —

1 see, have sense: of sight Daniel 5:23.

2 see, behold:

a. accusative of person Daniel 3:25, with ל Daniel 3:27, accusative of thing Daniel 5:5.

b. see, witness dishonour of king (accusative) Ezra 4:14.

3 usually behold in dream or vision (often participle in periphrastic conjugation), accusative of person, Ezra 4:20, accusative of thing Ezra 2:41. Ezra 2:41. Ezra 2:43; Ezra 4:17, absolute Ezra 2:34; Ezra 7:4. Ezra 7:7. Ezra 7:9. Ezra 7:11. Ezra 7:11. Ezra 7:21, + אֲלוּ Ezra 2:31; Ezra 4:7. Ezra 4:10, אֲרוּ Ezra 7:2. Ezra 7:6. Ezra 7:13; with object clause Ezra 2:8. Ezra 2:45; behold a dream, accusative חֵלֶם, Ezra 2:26; Ezra 4:2; Ezra 6:15; Ezra 7:1.

4 passive = customary (seemly) Daniel 3:19 (so ᵑ7 Leviticus 5:10 and elsewhere, see Dr).

Overview of Usage

חֲזָא occurs about thirty-one times in the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel. Its basic sense is “to see” or “behold,” but the contexts range from ordinary observation to the reception of revelatory visions. The word therefore spans the whole spectrum from natural sight to supernatural disclosure, linking court chronicles, historical narrative, and apocalyptic prophecy into one coherent testimony of God’s oversight of history.

Occurrences in Ezra: Royal Allegiance and Civic Responsibility

1. Ezra 4:14-15 records Persian officials who “eat the salt of the palace” and are unwilling “to see the king’s dishonor.” Their claim underscores covenant loyalty to the monarch and justifies their petition to halt temple construction.
2. Ezra 5:8-13 again uses the verb as the officials “went to the province of Judah, to the temple of the great God, and it is being built with large stones” (5:8). Their seeing becomes legal testimony.
3. Ezra 5:17; 6:1, 12 extend the theme: searching archives, verifying decrees, and calling down divine “oversight” on royal decrees. In every instance חֲזָא binds accurate observation to truthful record-keeping, demonstrating how God safeguards His people even through pagan bureaucracy.

Occurrences in Daniel 2: Monarch Dreams and Prophetic Interpretation

Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 2:31-45) repeatedly employs חֲזָא to recount what the king “saw.” Daniel tells him, “You, O king, were watching, and behold, a great statue” (2:31). The same verb marks the transition from the king’s perplexity to Daniel’s God-given interpretation, showing that true understanding of what is seen belongs to those to whom God reveals mysteries (2:28).

Occurrences in Daniel 3–4: Theophany and Humbling of Nations

In the furnace narrative the king declares, “Look! I see four men, unbound and unharmed, walking in the fire” (Daniel 3:25). The verb reports a theophany that vindicates faithful worshipers and warns world rulers.

Chapter 4 repeats the cycle: “In my visions as I lay on my bed, I looked and saw a watcher, a holy one” (4:13). Nebuchadnezzar’s seeing turns to confession, proving that the Most High grants sight as an act of grace that leads to repentance (4:34-37).

Occurrences in Daniel 5: Judgment on the Profane

Belshazzar literally sees the handwriting on the wall (5:5). Yet the inability of his wise men to read or interpret that sight underscores a moral blindness brought on by pride. Daniel alone can tell the king what he has seen, reinforcing the pattern that revelation accompanies righteousness.

Occurrences in Daniel 7: Apocalyptic Panorama

Daniel 7 contains the densest concentration of חֲזָא, marking each stage of the vision of four beasts and the heavenly court:
• “I watched as the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea” (7:2).
• “While I was watching, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took His seat” (7:9).
• “I continued to watch in my vision in the night, and I saw One like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven” (7:13).

Here חֲזָא records not merely sensory input but divinely granted disclosure of history’s consummation, culminating in the kingdom given to “the saints of the Most High” (7:27).

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty: Whether through pagan officials, dreams of kings, or visions of prophets, all seeing is ultimately governed by God’s purpose (Proverbs 15:3).
2. Revelation and Responsibility: Those who truly see must faithfully interpret and proclaim what has been shown (Daniel 2:30; 7:16).
3. Judgment and Redemption: The same verb that describes seeing the “handwriting on the wall” also describes beholding the “Son of Man.” Sight becomes the dividing line between the proud who are judged and the humble who inherit the kingdom.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Integrity in Public Service: Like the officials in Ezra, believers who work within secular structures can testify truthfully and thereby advance God’s redemptive plan.
• Discernment in Spiritual Leadership: Daniel models prayerful dependence on God to understand what others merely observe.
• Hope in Eschatology: Daniel’s visions assure the church that the kingdoms of this world will yield to the everlasting dominion of Christ.

Christological and Eschatological Connections

Daniel 7:13 is echoed by Jesus before the Sanhedrin—“From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:64). The same Hebrew-Aramaic root underlies the promise of Revelation 1:7, “Every eye will see Him.” Thus חֲזָא bridges Old and New Testaments, grounding Christian hope in the unified revelation of the coming King.

חֲזֵ֔ית חֲזֵ֖ה חֲזֵ֖ית חֲזֵ֛ית חֲזֵית֔וֹן חֲזַ֔יְתָ חֲזַ֔יְתָה חֲזַ֗יְתָ חֲזַ֜יְתָה חֲזַ֡יְתָ חֲזָ֔ה חֲזָ֣ה חָזֵ֔ה חָזֵ֜ה חָזֵ֣ה חָזֵ֤ה חָזֵ֥ה חָזֵ֨ה חָזַ֣יִן חָזַ֧יִן חזה חזין חזית חזיתה חזיתון לְמֶֽחֱזֵ֑א למחזא chaZah chaZayin chaZayta chaZaytah chaZeh chaZeit chazeiTon ḥā·za·yin ḥă·zāh ḥă·zay·ṯā ḥă·zay·ṯāh ḥă·zê·ṯō·wn ḥă·zêh ḥā·zêh ḥă·zêṯ ḥăzāh ḥāzayin ḥăzayṯā ḥăzayṯāh ḥăzêh ḥāzêh ḥăzêṯ ḥăzêṯōwn lə·me·ḥĕ·zê lemecheZe ləmeḥĕzêInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts