The Difference Between "See" and "Watch" - Part 2

In last week’s article, we listed the seven different Greek verbs that are translated as “see” in Jesus’s words in English translations of the Bible We also looked at the most common verb, eidon and how it works. This week, we look at the second most common Greek verb translated as “see,” blepo.

The fun that Jesus has with this word is often contrasting it with eidon, the sense of seeing to know. He often uses this word to indicate seeing without understanding. If both words are translated as “see,” we miss his point entirely.

The verb blepo (βλέπω) means "to see," "to look," "to look to," "to look like," "to rely on," "to look longingly," "to propose," "to beware," "to behold," and "to look for." These definitions are taken from the Liddel, Scott, Jones Lexicon (LSJ), which defines Greek words by how they are usually translated from ancient Greek. This verb is used by Jesus in a little over forty verses. Jesus specifically associated this type of seeing with the eyes in Mark 8:18.

To Watch with the Eyes

From the definitions in LSJ lexicon, we can see that translators of ancient Greek prefer the English word, "look," for this word. However, in the KJV of the Bible, it is translated as "see" ninety times and "look" only three times, confusing it with other words for “see” not only in Jesus’s words but everywhere in the Bible The other popular translations (KJV) are "take heed" (used twelve times) and "behold"(used nine times). More recent translations are very similar except that "watch out" often replaces "take heed."  This word takes a direct object, which some of our words for seeing, like "look," do not. To distinguish this verb from other “see” words, I have found “watch” to work well

As a command, the sense of this verb is, "Watch out!" And it is often translated in the KJV as "take heed" or “beware.” So this verb is used in the sense of a warning, often in the context of people waiting, that is, keeping watch in the hope or the fear of something that is coming. We can watch out for something good or something bad.

Though this verb sometimes gets translated as "behold," this confuses it with eidon, which is translated as “behold” in its command form. However, blepo is not translated as “behold” in commands but in indicative sentences and questions. Usually, since blepo is translated simply as "see" in sentences, this use of “behold” adds more confusion than clarification.

Seeing as Watching

Jesus also uses blepo occasionally in the sense of looking at something and not recognizing it, as in "seeing and not seeing" in Matthew 13:14. This verse is interesting because it contrasts a lot of "perception" words. The KJV version of this verse is:

"And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:"

In this verse, the "see" and "seeing" are both blepo, but the "perceive" at the end, is the more common eidon, that I discuss last week, a word usually translated as “see.” I applaud the translation for recognizing that two different words were used, but in not translating eidon as see, they create another form of confusion. In this verse, Jesus is quoting the Septuagint, which guides his word choice.

Jesus changes this idea in Matthew 13:17, where he is not quoting the Old Testament. The KJV version of this verse is:

"For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them;"

In this verse, the first "desired to see" is eidon, the following "which you see" is blepo, and the final"have not seen" is again eidon. This gives blepo a more immediate sense of witnessing things in real time. Notice how the sense of this changes if we replace blepo with "watch":

Many prophets and virtuous longed to see what you watch and they did not see it."

To me, it seems like Jesus is drawing a line between the seeing of understanding and the seeing of just watching. The enlightened longed to see the proof of their eyes, but the people of Jesus’s time were just watching without understanding,

A different formula, however, is used in John 9:39, (KJV).

"For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind." 

In this verse, all the "see" verbs are blepo. Translating all the verbs as “see” makes this verse seem to be about understanding, but the verb blepo doesn't have that sense. What happens when we translate blepo into "watch?" Here is my more literal translation.

"For a decision, I myself show up into this society, this one, so that the ones not watching might watch and the ones watching might become blind."

The "not watching" here is interesting because blepo takes on two meanings. Those who are not watching either don't think to watch or want to watch, the common people, but Jesus force them to watch so they pay attention. Those who are "on watch" however, the religious leaders of his day, are blind to what they should see. They are supposedly watching and waiting for the Messiah, but they cannot see him because their expectations blind them.

Watching Within the Hidden

This is also the verb that Jesus uses to describe the Father watching into what is hidden or secret. It is used in three verses with that specific message. It is also the verb used to describe the son watching the Father (John 5:19).

These three verses about the Father watching the hidden, Matthew 6:4, Matthew 6:6, and Matthew 6:18 ,all use the same Greek phrase, ὁ πατήρ σου ὁ βλέπων ἐν τῷ κρυφαίῳ, translated in the KJV as:

“thy Father which seeth in secret”

When the literal translation is:

“that Father of yours, the one watching within the hidden”

As Jesus so often does, here he uses the many meanings of the preposition translated as “in” to make a play on words. That “in” can mean "in," "within," "with" (an instrument), "during" (time), “in the power of,” or "among." Jesus does not use the preposition meaning “into” which would have clearly indicated that the Father was seeing the hidden from the outside. This phrase means both that the Father himself is hidden (John 6:46) so he can watch what is hidden.

Conclusions

Jesus has fun with this word, contrasting it with seeing to understand. However, this does not mean he always uses it as a negative. Simply watching Jesus, without understanding, is valuable. As Jesus says in John 6:40, where the “see” is the watching of blepo.

“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth (watches) the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”