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questions about 1.Samuel 9:9/18/19

.lava

Veteran Member
hi :)
i am reading these verses in Turkish. so i may not know right words in English exactly. in these verses, it tells about a certain kind of man. according to text in Turkish he is called "the knower". i've been wondering how you define knower, how you know if someone was a knower and if you have any person like that in your lives

thank you

.
 

Levite

Higher and Higher
hi :)
i am reading these verses in Turkish. so i may not know right words in English exactly. in these verses, it tells about a certain kind of man. according to text in Turkish he is called "the knower". i've been wondering how you define knower, how you know if someone was a knower and if you have any person like that in your lives

thank you

.

The original Hebrew word is ro'eh, which literally translates into English as "the one who sees," or "seer." Jay is quite correct in that definition.

It is an archaic usage, mostly found in early strata of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, although there may be some similar uses in Judges or Joshua-- I can't recall. The word seems to have originally indicated any kind of diviner or soothsayer, including but not at all limited to those whose visions or knowledge come from God. This would indicate that it was likely a common usage in monolatrous Israelite society. As the monotheistic schools of thought gained dominance, the word became obsolete in this usage, being superseded by the more precise navi (generally translated as "prophet"), used to describe a person whose miraculous abilities and knowledge came from YHVH.

As for whether someone has such powers, that can be more difficult to determine. I do believe such people exist though. Whether I have ever met any...that is a different story!
 

Lion of Yehuda

New Member
hi :)
i am reading these verses in Turkish. so i may not know right words in English exactly. in these verses, it tells about a certain kind of man. according to text in Turkish he is called "the knower". i've been wondering how you define knower, how you know if someone was a knower and if you have any person like that in your lives

thank you

.
I read the text which is mentioned in your reply, and the text itself explains that the word "roeh" is merely an early word for the later word "nabi" or prophet. Nabi is the same word used in the Quran and it has the same meaning.

Certainly Samuel Ha-Nabi was not less a true man of God. And the irony of this story is that just as Saul was seeking someone to tell him how he can find his father's donkey, so the nabi Samuel has been told by God that this boy will become the first annointed king of the tribes of Israel.
 
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