2335. Chozay
Lexical Summary
Chozay: Chozai

Original Word: חוֹזַי
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: Chowzay
Pronunciation: kho-ZAH-ee
Phonetic Spelling: (kho-zah'-ee)
KJV: the seers
NASB: Hozai
Word Origin: [from H2374 (חוֹזֶה - seer)]

1. visionary
2. Chozai, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
the seers

From chozeh; visionary; Chozai, an Israelite -- the seers.

see HEBREW chozeh

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from 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.
2. Emphasis on Prophetic Testimony: The Chronicler often adds prophetic voices (for example, Shemaiah in 2 Chronicles 12 and Oded in 2 Chronicles 28). Hozai’s record extends that pattern, showing every era of the monarchy under prophetic scrutiny.
3. Encouragement for Post-Exilic Readers: The returned community needed reassurance that even the worst covenant breakers could be restored. Hozai’s testimony to Manasseh’s transformation offered hope that their own national restoration was consistent with God’s character.

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.
• The Permanence of Divine Record: The Chronicler’s mention of a written source underscores the biblical principle that God’s acts are not left to oral tradition alone but are preserved for every generation (Psalm 102:18).
• Prophetic Accountability: Whether “seer” or personal name, Hozai functions as a prophetic historian who holds the king accountable to covenant standards, reflecting Amos 3:7—“Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets.”

Applications

1. Personal: No sin is beyond God’s mercy when accompanied by humble prayer, as documented by Hozai.
2. Ecclesial: Church leadership, like Judah’s monarchy, thrives under prophetic correction drawn from Scripture.
3. Missional: The transformation of Manasseh recorded by Hozai equips believers to proclaim forgiveness to even the most hardened sinners.

Related Biblical Figures and Records

• Samuel’s “book” (1 Samuel 10:25) and Jeremiah’s scroll (Jeremiah 36) form earlier precedents for prophetic historiography.
• The anonymous “seer” speaking to Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33:18 may be identical to Hozai, suggesting a dual role of proclaiming and recording.
• Nehemiah and Ezra similarly depend on earlier records (Nehemiah 12:23) to affirm continuity between pre-exilic and post-exilic faith.

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 ḥōwzāy
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman'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

Strong's Hebrew 2335
1 Occurrence


ḥō·w·zāy — 1 Occ.

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