SEE, To
SEE, To
To See is in several places a prophetical expression, shewing the proper work of the prophets. For in 1Sa 9:9, he that was in those days called a prophet, was before time called a seer; and therefore their inspiration, when it was given them by symbols, comes under the name of seeing or vision; as in Numb 24:4, 16. And this is the very style of the heathens, as appears from Euripidesf1 and Virgil…f2
Verbs that belong to the human senses are often put for one another in the best authors. Thus to see a voice is an expression used by the sacred writers,f3 and by schylus.f4
Aristophanes uses , taste the door, instead of, feel the door.f5 And Petronius, a nice author as to matter of style, bath used the same kind of expression, who saith ” necdum libaveram cellulae limen.” For another instance of the rule, see Lucretius, B. i. ver. 645.
The eyes oftentimes sympathize with the affections of the soul: and therefore to see, in Scripture, frequently signifies to rejoice or be grieved, according to the circumstances of the person affected. Thus old Simeon, when he saw our Saviour, said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation:” that is, I shall now die in peace, or with joy, because I have seen My Saviour. So in Psa 66:18, ” If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:” that is, if I take delight in sin, God will not bless me.
In like manner, as to the affection of sorrow, 2Ki 7:2, “thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eat thereof:” that is, thou shalt have the sorrow not to enjoy the benefit of it. See also. 2Ki 22:20; Est 8:6; Psa 112:10; 1Sa 2:33; Deu 28:34.
So in profane authors, in relation to joy, Pascere oculos, to feed the eyes,f6 signifies to take a delight in seeing. In oculis gestare, to carry or have a person in one’s eyes,f7 is to love him dearly, to desire to have him always present. And in relation to sorrow, a thing done before the eyes heightens the grief, as in several places in Terence,f8 and Virgil.f9
After the same manner, according to the circumstances, are many expressions of Holy Writ, in which God is said to behold, see, or regard, to be understood. As when in Luk 1:48, the Virgin Mary saith, “he hath regarded the low estate of his hand-maiden,” the meaning is, he hath taken a delight in, or hath favoured the low estate of his handmaiden, so as to account her worthy of the greatest honour.
On the other hand, our seeing God, denotes the large and clear knowledge we shall have of God, the inconceivable pleasure of contemplating him, the joy of loving, and of being loved by him. All which is very fitly represented by seeing; because this of all our senses is the most noble and refined, the most critical and exact, the most perfect and comprehensive, the most unwearied and inquisitive, and the most desirable and delightful.
F1 Eurip. Helen. ver. 755.
F2 Virgil. n. L. vi. ver. 86, 87.
F3 Exo 20:18.
F4 Eschyl. Prom. ver. 21.
F5 Aristoph. Ran.
F6 Terent. Form.
F7 Terent. Eunuch.
F8 Terent. Heauton.-” non mihi per fallacies adducere ante oculos?” Ter. Eun. ” Qu mihi ante oculos coram amatorem adduxisti tuum.” Elsewhere the grief itself is expressed; as in Phorm. Act. v. Sc. ult. ver. 64.
F9 See Servius in Virgil. n. L. i. ver. 118; and in n. L. ii. col. 585.