What does ὁράω (horáō) mean in the Bible?
Horao is a broad verb for seeing, perceiving, noticing, experiencing, or appearing. Its forms cover ordinary sight, recognition, visionary seeing, and passive expressions in which someone appears.
Greek · G3708
ὁράω
By extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear
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ὁράω G3708
Pronunciation horáō
What does ὁράω (horáō) mean in the Bible?
Horao is a broad verb for seeing, perceiving, noticing, experiencing, or appearing. Its forms cover ordinary sight, recognition, visionary seeing, and passive expressions in which someone appears.
Reader summary
Full entry for ὁράω (G3708) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render G3708?
The BSB source-word alignment has 448 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include saw (58), I saw (36), to see (28), see (20), He saw (19).
Where does ὁράω (horáō) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Matthew 2:2. Its strongest book concentrations include Luke (81), Matthew (71), Acts (66), John (63).
Are there verse guides for ὁράω (horáō)?
This entry includes 23 verse guides that explain exact original-language forms in context.
What This Word Actually Means
Horao is a broad verb for seeing, perceiving, noticing, experiencing, or appearing. Its forms cover ordinary sight, recognition, visionary seeing, and passive expressions in which someone appears. Because the range is broad, the verb alone cannot decide whether a passage describes physical eyesight, spiritual perception, revelation, or a visible appearance. Matthew promises that the pure in heart will see God and records the risen Jesus’ promised meeting with His disciples.
John states that no one has ever seen God and then points to the Son who has made Him known; later, Jesus blesses those who believe without having seen Him. Hebrews speaks of Christ appearing a second time for salvation, and Revelation declares that every eye will see the coming One. Faithful interpretation follows subject, object, tense, voice, and narrative setting.
The canonical hope of seeing God and Christ rests on divine self-revelation and resurrection, not on turning every occurrence into a mystical experience.
How the Bible Uses It
Horao covers sight, perception, experience, and appearance. Its grammar and setting distinguish ordinary observation, resurrection encounter, revelation of God, faith without sight, and future appearing.
- Matt.5.8
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Jesus promises the vision of God to the pure in heart. The beatitude belongs to the kingdom promise and should not be reduced to ordinary eyesight.
- Matt.28.7
Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’ See, I have told you.”
The angel’s promise concerns a real encounter with the risen Jesus. Seeing belongs to the resurrection announcement and the disciples’ appointed meeting.
- John.1.18
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
John contrasts humanity’s unseen God with the Son’s unique revelatory role. The verse grounds knowledge of God in the One who makes Him known.
- John.20.29
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thomas’s sight and belief are set beside the blessing for later believers who receive the apostolic witness without the same visual encounter.
- Heb.9.28
So also Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him.
The passive form describes Christ’s future appearing. His once-for-all offering and promised return govern the saving hope.
- Rev.1.7
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
The coming of Jesus is portrayed as public and universally witnessed. The verse joins sight to mourning and prophetic fulfillment.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It saw 58× Matthew 2:16, Matthew 8:18, Matthew 9:2, Matthew 9:22
I saw 36× John 1:48, John 1:50, Acts 11:5, Acts 26:13
to see 28× Matthew 11:8, Matthew 11:9, Matthew 12:38, Matthew 13:17
see 20× Matthew 28:6, Mark 1:44, Luke 2:15, Luke 2:26
He saw 19× Matthew 3:16, Matthew 4:18, Matthew 4:21, Matthew 8:14
appeared 12× Matthew 17:3, Mark 9:4, Luke 1:11, Luke 9:31
they saw 12× Matthew 2:10, Matthew 2:11, Matthew 17:8, Matthew 28:17
[and] saw 9× Matthew 14:14, Matthew 20:3, Mark 6:34, Luke 16:23
I looked 9× Revelation 4:1, Revelation 5:11, Revelation 6:2, Revelation 6:5
you see 9× Matthew 24:15, Matthew 24:33, Mark 13:14, Mark 13:29
saw [this] 8× Matthew 12:2, Matthew 21:20, Luke 5:8, Luke 7:39
Seeing 8× Matthew 21:19, Mark 5:22, Mark 9:20, Mark 11:13
you saw 8× John 6:26, Philippians 1:30, Revelation 1:20, Revelation 17:8
you will see 8× Matthew 26:64, Matthew 28:7, Mark 14:62, Mark 16:7
will see 7× Matthew 5:8, Luke 3:6, Acts 2:17, Acts 20:25
you have seen 7× Luke 7:22, John 6:36, John 8:57, John 20:29
has seen 6× John 6:46, John 14:9, 1 Corinthians 2:9, 1 John 3:6
have seen 6× Matthew 4:16, Luke 2:30, John 1:34, John 8:38
they had seen 6× Matthew 2:9, Mark 9:9, Luke 9:36, Luke 19:37
We have seen 6× Luke 5:26, John 3:11, John 20:25, Acts 4:20
They will see 5× Matthew 24:30, Matthew 28:10, Mark 13:26, Luke 21:27
did we see 4× Matthew 25:37, Matthew 25:38, Matthew 25:39, Matthew 25:44
He appeared 4× 1 Corinthians 15:5, 1 Corinthians 15:6, 1 Corinthians 15:7, 1 Corinthians 15:8
he had seen 4× Luke 1:22, Luke 2:26, Acts 7:44, Acts 11:13
He has seen 4× John 3:32, Acts 9:12, Colossians 2:18, 1 John 4:20
saw this 4× Matthew 9:8, Matthew 9:11, Matthew 26:8, Mark 10:14
when they saw 4× Matthew 8:34, Matthew 21:15, Mark 6:49, John 20:20
. . . 3× Acts 7:34, Acts 10:17, Acts 11:6
perceiving 3× Matthew 13:14, Mark 4:12, Acts 28:26
seen 3× Luke 2:20, John 5:37, Philippians 4:9
they see 3× Matthew 16:28, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:27
Watch out 3× Matthew 16:6, Mark 8:15, Luke 12:15
We saw 3× Matthew 2:2, Mark 9:38, Luke 9:49
When he saw 3× Luke 5:12, Luke 10:31, Acts 7:24
[the man] saw 2× Mark 5:6, Luke 8:28
bear the responsibility 2× Matthew 27:4, Matthew 27:24
did not see [it] 2× Matthew 13:17, Luke 10:24
Do not do that 2× Revelation 19:10, Revelation 22:9
has ever seen 2× John 1:18, 1 Timothy 6:16
Let us see 2× Matthew 27:49, Mark 15:36
Look at 2× Luke 21:29, Luke 24:39
saw [him] 2× Luke 1:12, Luke 10:32
saw [it] 2× John 19:35, Acts 7:31
See that 2× Matthew 8:4, Matthew 9:30
sees 2× 1 Corinthians 8:10, 1 John 5:16
they might see 2× Matthew 13:15, Acts 28:27
was seen 2× Acts 13:31, 1 Timothy 3:16
we may see 2× Mark 15:32, 1 Thessalonians 3:10
you will not see 2× Matthew 23:39, Luke 13:35
[and though] you do not see 1× 1 Peter 1:8
[and] He will appear 1× Hebrews 9:28
[and] saw that 1× John 19:33
[and] see 1× Mark 6:38
[and] they saw that 1× Acts 6:15
[His parents] saw 1× Luke 2:48
[Jesus] saw 1× Luke 5:20
[John] saw 1× Matthew 3:7
[Paul] had seen 1× Acts 16:10
[Peter] saw 1× John 21:21
[Saul] had seen 1× Acts 9:27
[Though] you have not seen 1× 1 Peter 1:8
[When the people] saw 1× Acts 21:32
[when] they saw [it] 1× Luke 18:43
as I observed 1× Revelation 8:13
As you can see 1× James 2:24
at the sight 1× Revelation 17:6
Behold 1× 1 John 3:1
but see to it 1× Matthew 24:6
did not see 1× Acts 13:37
had 1× Acts 16:9
had seen [it] 1× Luke 8:36
has appeared 1× Luke 24:34
has not seen 1× 3 John 1:11
Have I not seen 1× 1 Corinthians 9:1
have not met 1× Colossians 2:1
have not seen 1× John 20:29
he came upon 1× Acts 7:26
He could see that 1× Mark 6:48
he did not see 1× Hebrews 11:5
he had a clear vision 1× Acts 10:3
he has not seen 1× 1 John 4:20
he saw [him] 1× Luke 10:33
He saw [it] 1× John 8:56
he spotted 1× Matthew 22:11
he would see 1× John 8:56
I could see that 1× Revelation 17:6
I had seen 1× Revelation 10:5
I have appeared 1× Acts 26:16
I have indeed seen 1× Acts 7:34
I have seen 1× John 20:18
I see 1× John 20:25
I see that 1× Acts 8:23
I watched 1× Revelation 6:1
I watched as 1× Revelation 6:12
I will come 1× Hebrews 13:23
I will see 1× John 16:22
I will show 1× Acts 26:16
inspect 1× Mark 12:15
Jesus saw 1× Matthew 5:1
Look 1× Acts 13:41
looked like 1× Revelation 9:17
looking at 1× Mark 8:33
Make sure that 1× 1 Thessalonians 5:15
Noticing 1× Mark 12:28
realized 1× John 6:22
saw Him 1× Mark 6:50
see [Him] 1× 1 Timothy 6:16
See [that] 1× Matthew 18:10
See to it that 1× Hebrews 8:5
settle [it] 1× Acts 18:15
they cannot see 1× John 12:40
they did not see 1× Luke 24:24
they had seen [the Child] 1× Luke 2:17
they have seen 1× John 15:24
they look 1× Mark 8:24
they may see 1× Matthew 5:16
they saw [them] 1× Hebrews 11:13
They will look 1× John 19:37
to look into 1× Acts 15:6
watching 1× Luke 23:49
we do not see 1× Hebrews 2:8
We have never seen 1× Mark 2:12
we have seen [it] 1× 1 John 1:2
we may see [it] 1× John 6:30
we will see 1× 1 John 3:2
When [Jesus] saw [them] 1× Luke 17:14
when you see 1× Philippians 2:28
who had seen [it] 1× Mark 5:16
will not see 1× John 3:36
You have already seen 1× John 9:37
you people see 1× John 4:48
you saw this 1× Matthew 21:32
you will all see 1× John 1:51
you will not see [it] 1× Luke 17:22
you would see 1× John 11:40
Show sample aligned rows
Matthew 2:2 εἴδομεν to We saw Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural Matthew 2:9 εἶδον to they had seen Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Matthew 2:10 ἰδόντες to they saw Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural Matthew 2:11 εἶδον to they saw Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural Matthew 2:16 ἰδὼν to saw Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 3:7 Ἰδὼν to [John] saw Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular Matthew 3:16 εἶδεν to He saw Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 4:16 εἶδεν to have seen Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 4:18 εἶδεν to He saw Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Matthew 4:21 εἶδεν to He saw Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Matthew 2:2
Aligned rows 448
Books represented 19
Matthew 71 Mark 50 Luke 81 John 63 Acts 66 Romans 2 1 Corinthians 8 Galatians 4 Philippians 4 Colossians 2 1 Thessalonians 4 1 Timothy 3 2 Timothy 1 Hebrews 10 James 2 1 Peter 3 1 John 9 3 John 2 Revelation 63
Source forms
εἶδον 72x eidon Matthew 2:9, Matthew 2:11, Matthew 17:8, Mark 6:33
ἰδὼν 43x idōn Matthew 2:16, Matthew 9:2, Matthew 9:22, Matthew 9:23
εἶδεν 41x eiden Matthew 3:16, Matthew 4:16, Matthew 4:18, Matthew 4:21
ἰδεῖν 38x idein Matthew 11:8, Matthew 11:9, Matthew 12:38, Matthew 13:17
ἰδόντες 33x idontes Matthew 2:10, Matthew 8:34, Matthew 9:11, Matthew 12:2
ὤφθη 16x ōphthē Matthew 17:3, Mark 9:4, Luke 24:34, Acts 7:2
Ἰδὼν 14x Idōn Matthew 3:7, Matthew 5:1, Matthew 8:18, Matthew 9:36
ἴδητε 11x idēte Matthew 13:14, Matthew 23:39, Matthew 24:15, Matthew 24:33
Parsing patterns
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular 60x Matthew 2:16, Matthew 3:7, Matthew 5:1, Matthew 8:18
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular 54x John 1:48, John 1:50, John 18:26, Acts 7:34
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular 42x Matthew 3:16, Matthew 4:16, Matthew 4:18, Matthew 4:21
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural 41x Matthew 2:10, Matthew 8:34, Matthew 9:8, Matthew 9:11
Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active 38x Matthew 11:8, Matthew 11:9, Matthew 12:38, Matthew 13:17
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural 27x Matthew 2:9, Matthew 2:11, Matthew 13:17, Matthew 17:8
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular 18x Matthew 17:3, Mark 9:4, Luke 1:11, Luke 22:43
Verb - Future Indicative Middle - 2nd Person Plural 13x Matthew 26:64, Matthew 27:24, Matthew 28:7, Mark 14:62
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Let the subject, object, verb form, and narrative tell you whether the passage concerns sight, perception, revelation, or appearance.
- Receive the Son’s revelation and apostolic witness without demanding an experience the text does not promise.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that every occurrence means spiritual perception or a supernatural vision.
- Do not claim that faith without sight is faith without testimony, evidence, or the risen Christ’s historical work.
Key Verse and Form Guides
Verse-level guides showing how this original-language form works in its specific context, including grammar, verse function, and guarded interpretation.
John 1:18 Verb Third Person Singular Perfect Active Indicative
ἑώρακε eoraken by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form strengthens the verse's settled, universal denial of prior direct seeing and helps the reader feel the weight of the coming explanation about revelation. Read verse guide John 1:29 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Active Imperative
Ἴδε Ide by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form adds urgency and focus, helping the reader hear John's words as a pointed invitation to recognize Jesus. Read verse guide John 1:33 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Active Subjunctive
ἴδῃς ides by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form helps the verse read as a witnessed sign formula, not as a general statement about seeing in the abstract. Read verse guide John 1:34 Verb First Person Singular Perfect Active Indicative
ἑώρακα, eoraka by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form gives the statement a completed, reliable tone, making the testimony sound grounded in prior perception rather than in speculation. Read verse guide John 1:36 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Active Imperative
Ἴδε Ide by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The grammar sharpens the verse into a brief summons that focuses attention on Jesus and prepares the listener for the identification that follows. Read verse guide John 1:39 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
εἶδον eidon by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form helps the verse read as a completed, concrete response to Jesus' invitation, with the emphasis on what they did after coming. Read verse guide John 1:39 Verb Second Person Plural Second Aorist Active Imperative
ἴδετε. idete by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form sharpens the verse into a direct summons, so the reader hears not mere information but an appeal to come and see. Read verse guide John 1:46 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Active Imperative
ἴδε. ide by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The grammar makes Philip's reply sound urgent and personal, so the verse reads as an invitation to verify by direct encounter rather than by argument alone. Read verse guide John 1:47 Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
εἶδεν eiden by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form helps the reader hear the verse as a concrete narrated moment: Jesus saw Nathanael, then immediately spoke about what he saw. Read verse guide John 1:47 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Active Imperative
Ἴδε Ide by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form makes the statement feel immediate and pointed, sharpening the reader's attention to the description that follows. Read verse guide John 1:48 Verb First Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
εἶδόν eidon by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The grammar makes the statement immediate and personal, so the verse reads as Jesus' direct claim of having seen Nathanael before the summons. Read verse guide John 1:50 Verb First Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
εἶδόν eidon by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear The form helps the verse sound like a direct, personal claim by Jesus, strengthening the conversational force of the statement without forcing a meaning beyond the immediate context. Read verse guide Show 11 more verse guides
John 1:50 Verb Second Person Singular Future Middle Deponent Indicative
ὄψει. opsei by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide John 1:51 Verb Second Person Plural Future Middle Deponent Indicative
ὄψεσθε opsesthe by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Matthew 1:20 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Matthew 1:23 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
Ἰδού, Idou by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Matthew 5:8 Verb Third Person Plural Future Middle Deponent Indicative
ὄψονται. opsontai by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Matthew 5:16 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Subjunctive
ἴδωσιν idosin by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Matthew 28:6 Verb Second Person Plural Second Aorist Active Imperative
ἴδετε idete by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Revelation 22:4 Verb Third Person Plural Future Middle Deponent Indicative
ὄψονται opsontai by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Revelation 22:7 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Revelation 22:9 Verb Second Person Singular Present Active Imperative
Ὅρα Ora by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Revelation 22:12 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear Read verse guide Evidence Summary
Greek word. by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear
Source Gloss
by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear
Extended definition
:--behold, perceive, see, take heed.
Greek Text Appearances
Textus Receptus witness, full corpus Greek token appearances from Scrivener 1894 Textus Receptus in the full New Testament corpus.
16 of 701 Greek text appearances shown. Linked morphology labels have verse guides.
idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:1 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:2 Verb First Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
εἴδομεν eidomen
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:9 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:9 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
εἶδον eidon
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:10 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Plural Masculine
ἰδόντες idontev
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:11 Verb Third Person Plural Second Aorist Active Indicative
εἶδον eidon
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:13 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:16 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἰδὼν idwn
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 2:19 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 3:7 Verb Second Aorist Active Participle Nominative Singular Masculine
ἰδὼν idwn
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 3:16 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 3:16 Verb Third Person Singular Second Aorist Active Indicative
εἶδε eiden
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 3:17 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verse Matthew 4:11 Verb Second Person Singular Second Aorist Middle Imperative
ἰδού, idou
I see, look upon, experience
Read verseFull New Testament corpus: 260 chapters, 7,957 verses, 140,628 tokens. Data source: honza/textus-receptus (data only), with authority check against byztxt/greektext-textus-receptus.
Grammatical Forms
How mood, tense, and voice shift the force of this verb in context.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 5 Aligned forms 476 Tenses Aorist, Perfect, Future, Present, Pluperfect Voices Active, Passive, Middle
Tenses
Voices
Participle verbal adjective — the action as a modifying quality 140×
Aorist Active Matt 2:16 · Matt 3:7 · Matt 5:1 · Matt 8:18 · Matt 9:2 · Matt 9:22 · Matt 9:23 · Matt 9:36 · Matt 21:19 · Matt 27:3 · Matt 27:24 · Mark 2:5 · Mark 5:6 · Mark 5:22 · Mark 6:48 · Mark 8:33 107×
Perfect Active Matt 9:4 · Matt 12:25 · Mark 6:20 · Mark 12:15 · Luke 9:33 · Luke 9:47 · Luke 11:17 · John 6:61 · John 13:1 · John 13:3 · John 14:9 · John 18:4 · John 19:28 · John 19:35 · Acts 2:30 · Acts 20:22 27×
Aorist Passive Luke 9:31 · Acts 7:35 · Acts 9:17 3×
Present Active Luke 23:49 · Heb 11:27 · 1 Pet 1:8 3×
Indicative states a fact or reality 236×
Aorist Active John 1:48 · John 1:50 · John 18:26 · Acts 7:34 · Acts 11:5 · Acts 11:6 · Acts 26:13 · Gal 1:19 · Gal 2:14 · Rev 1:12 · Rev 1:17 · Rev 4:1 · Rev 5:1 · Rev 5:2 · Rev 5:6 · Rev 5:11 146×
Future Middle Matt 26:64 · Matt 27:24 · Matt 28:7 · Mark 14:62 · Mark 16:7 · Luke 17:22 · John 1:39 · John 1:51 · John 16:16 · John 16:17 · John 16:19 · Acts 18:15 · Acts 20:25 · Matt 5:8 · Matt 24:30 · Matt 28:10 32×
Perfect Active Luke 1:22 · John 1:18 · John 3:32 · John 6:46 · John 14:9 · Col 2:18 · 1 John 3:6 · 1 John 4:20 · 3 John 1:11 · John 3:11 · John 20:25 · 1 John 1:1 · 1 John 1:2 · 1 John 1:3 · John 1:34 · John 8:38 30×
Aorist Passive Matt 17:3 · Mark 9:4 · Luke 1:11 · Luke 22:43 · Luke 24:34 · Acts 7:2 · Acts 7:26 · Acts 7:30 · Acts 13:31 · Acts 16:9 · 1 Cor 15:5 · 1 Cor 15:6 · 1 Cor 15:7 · 1 Cor 15:8 · 1 Tim 3:16 · Rev 11:19 20×
Present Active Mark 8:24 · Acts 8:23 · Luke 16:23 · Heb 2:8 · Jas 2:24 5×
Future Passive Acts 26:16 · Heb 9:28 2×
Pluperfect Active Acts 7:44 1×
Infinitive verbal noun — the action in abstract 39×
Aorist Active Matt 11:8 · Matt 11:9 · Matt 12:38 · Matt 13:17 · Matt 26:58 · Mark 5:14 · Mark 5:32 · Luke 2:26 · Luke 7:25 · Luke 7:26 · Luke 8:20 · Luke 8:35 · Luke 9:9 · Luke 10:24 · Luke 14:18 · Luke 17:22 38×
Perfect Active Luke 24:23 1×
Subjunctive possibility, probability, or purpose 36×
Aorist Active Matt 13:14 · Matt 23:39 · Matt 24:15 · Matt 24:33 · Mark 13:14 · Mark 13:29 · Luke 12:54 · Luke 13:35 · Luke 21:20 · Luke 21:31 · John 4:48 · Acts 28:26 · Matt 5:16 · Matt 13:15 · Matt 16:28 · Mark 4:12 35×
Aorist Middle Luke 13:28 1×
Imperative command or strong request 25×
Aorist Active Matt 28:6 · Mark 6:38 · Luke 21:29 · Luke 24:39 · John 4:29 · Acts 13:41 · Gal 6:11 · 1 John 3:1 · John 1:46 · John 7:52 · John 11:34 · John 20:27 13×
Present Active Matt 9:30 · Matt 16:6 · Matt 18:10 · Matt 24:6 · Mark 8:15 · Luke 12:15 · 1 Thess 5:15 · Matt 8:4 · Mark 1:44 · Heb 8:5 · Rev 19:10 · Rev 22:9 12×
Discourse Aspect
How this verb appears across 464 occurrences in the NT discourse index (MACULA Greek SBLGNT).
Aspect
Tense
aorist 358 perfect 52 future 34 present 19 pluperfect 1
Voice
active 406 middle 33 passive 25
Mood
indicative 228 participle 137 infinitive 39 subjunctive 36 imperative 24
NT Occurrences
Matthew 2:10 ἰδόντες aorist active participle participle Matthew 2:11 εἶδον aorist active indicative completed Matthew 2:16 ἰδὼν aorist active participle participle Matthew 2:2 εἴδομεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 2:9 εἶδον aorist active indicative completed Matthew 3:16 εἶδεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 3:7 Ἰδὼν aorist active participle participle Matthew 4:16 εἶδεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 4:18 εἶδεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 4:21 εἶδεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 5:1 Ἰδὼν aorist active participle participle Matthew 5:16 ἴδωσιν aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 5:8 ὄψονται future middle indicative prospective Matthew 8:14 εἶδεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 8:18 Ἰδὼν aorist active participle participle Matthew 8:34 ἰδόντες aorist active participle participle Matthew 8:4 Ὅρα present active imperative imperative Matthew 9:11 ἰδόντες aorist active participle participle Matthew 9:2 ἰδὼν aorist active participle participle Matthew 9:22 ἰδὼν aorist active participle participle Matthew 9:23 ἰδὼν aorist active participle participle Matthew 9:30 Ὁρᾶτε present active imperative imperative Matthew 9:36 Ἰδὼν aorist active participle participle Matthew 9:8 ἰδόντες aorist active participle participle Matthew 9:9 εἶδεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 11:8 ἰδεῖν aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 11:9 ἰδεῖν aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 12:2 ἰδόντες aorist active participle participle Matthew 12:25 εἰδὼς perfect active participle participle Matthew 12:38 ἰδεῖν aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 13:14 ἴδητε aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 13:15 ἴδωσιν aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 13:17 ἰδεῖν aorist active infinitive infinitive Matthew 13:17 εἶδαν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 14:14 εἶδεν aorist active indicative completed Matthew 14:26 ἰδόντες aorist active participle participle Matthew 16:28 ἴδωσιν aorist active subjunctive subjunctive Matthew 17:3 ὤφθη aorist passive indicative completed Matthew 17:8 εἶδον aorist active indicative completed Matthew 18:10 Ὁρᾶτε present active imperative imperative
+424 more occurrences
Aspect reflects grammatical form — not authorial emphasis. Participles and infinitives are verbal adjectives and nouns respectively.
Clause data: MACULA Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0) · SBLGNT (Logos/SBL, CC BY 4.0)
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
to perceive or witness an appearance, especially of the risen Christ
to perceive or have direct visual encounter with someone, implying apostolic authority
to behold or perceive with understanding, gaining insight into a situation
to perceive danger or trouble and take heed by avoiding it
to perceive or experience the manifestation of God's kingdom
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 476 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Horao gathers several distinct acts under the language of sight without erasing their differences. Matthew 5 promises that the pure in heart will see God within the kingdom’s final blessing. Matthew 28 records a promised encounter with the bodily risen Jesus. John 1 insists that the unseen God is made known by the unique Son, so revelation is personal and Christ-centered rather than achieved by human observation.
John 20 values Thomas’s actual sight while blessing later believers who trust the apostolic witness without sharing his encounter. Hebrews 9 uses a passive form for Christ’s future appearing and joins that hope to His once-for-all sin-bearing offering. Revelation 1 portrays the coming One as publicly seen by every eye. Good teaching respects physical encounter, mediated testimony, divine self-disclosure, and eschatological appearance as related but not interchangeable.
Christian faith is not blind to evidence, yet it does not demand a private vision beyond the witness God has given.
Anchor passage
John.1.18
Doctrinal connections
- Matt.5.8 promises the pure in heart that they will see God within the blessing of His kingdom.
- Matt.28.7 joins seeing Jesus to the angelic announcement of His bodily resurrection and appointed meeting in Galilee.
- John.1.18 locates true knowledge of the unseen God in the unique Son who makes Him known.
- John.20.29 blesses believers who receive the apostolic witness without Thomas’s direct visual encounter.
- Heb.9.28 joins Christ’s future appearing for salvation to His once-for-all offering to bear sins.
- Rev.1.7 portrays the coming Jesus as publicly seen by every eye, bringing mourning and fulfillment.
Horao has a broad and partly suppletive verbal system, so several different-looking stems are grouped under one lexical identity. Active forms can denote seeing or perceiving, while passive forms can mean being seen or appearing. The local BSB word table contains 426 distinct New Testament verse witnesses.
From Old to New Testament
The Old Testament joins the desire to see God with His holiness, mediated revelation, prophetic vision, and promised appearing. The New Testament centers that hope in the Son who reveals the Father, rises bodily, and will appear again.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain