Lexical Summary Chozay: Chozai Original Word: חוֹזַי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance the seers From chozeh; visionary; Chozai, an Israelite -- the seers. see HEBREW chozeh NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom chazah Definition "seer," a keeper of records NASB Translation Hozai (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs חוֺזָ֑י2Chronicles 33:19 see below חזה. חוח (√ of following, meaning dubious). חוֺזָ֑י2Chronicles 33:19, see following. Topical Lexicon Biblical Mention Hozai is cited once in the Old Testament, in 2 Chronicles 33:19. The Berean Standard Bible reads: “His prayer and how God was moved by his entreaty, as well as all his sin and unfaithfulness … are written in the records of the seers.” The term translated “seers” can also be vocalized as the proper name “Hozai,” yielding the rendering “the records of Hozai.” Either sense preserves the idea of a prophetic witness who documented King Manasseh’s prayer of repentance and the LORD’s gracious response. Historical Context Manasseh reigned over Judah for fifty-five years (2 Chronicles 33:1). His early reign was notoriously idolatrous, surpassing even the Canaanites in abominations (33:2–9). After being taken captive to Babylon, he humbled himself and prayed; God restored him to Jerusalem, and he proceeded to remove foreign gods and repair the altar of the LORD (33:12-16). The Chronicler affirms that the details of this dramatic conversion were preserved “in the records of the seers [Hozai].” Thus Hozai stands at the turning point of the most radical moral reversal recorded of any Davidic king, providing a primary source for the Chronicler’s inspired narrative. Literary Function in Chronicles 1. Verification of Repentance: By citing Hozai’s work, the Chronicler grounds Manasseh’s repentance in documented history, countering the purely negative portrayal found in 2 Kings 21. Theological Themes • Repentance and Forgiveness: Hozai’s record traces the path from deep apostasy to genuine penitence, illustrating the promise later articulated in 1 John 1:9. Applications 1. Personal: No sin is beyond God’s mercy when accompanied by humble prayer, as documented by Hozai. Related Biblical Figures and Records • Samuel’s “book” (1 Samuel 10:25) and Jeremiah’s scroll (Jeremiah 36) form earlier precedents for prophetic historiography. Legacy Though Hozai’s writings have not been preserved outside the canonical summary, their inclusion within Scripture signals divine endorsement of his record. Hozai thus stands as a reminder that God appoints faithful witnesses in every generation to document His works, ensuring that testimony to grace and judgment endures “so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD” (Psalm 102:18). Forms and Transliterations חוֹזָֽי׃ חוזי׃ choZai ḥō·w·zāy ḥōwzāyLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Chronicles 33:19 HEB: עַ֖ל דִּבְרֵ֥י חוֹזָֽי׃ NAS: in the records of the Hozai. INT: in the records of the Hozai 1 Occurrence |
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