Observe

Observe - (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

OBSERVE, v.t. obzerv'. [L. observo; ob and servo, to keep or hold. The sense is to hold in view, or to keep the eyes on.]

1. To see or behold with some attention; to notice; as, to observe a halo round the moon; I observed a singular phenomenon; we observe strangers or their dress. I saw the figure, but observed nothing peculiar in it.

2. To take notice or cognizance of by the intellect. We observe nice distinctions in arguments, or a peculiar delicacy of thought.

3. To utter or express, as a remark, opinion or sentiment; to remark. He observed that no man appears great to his domestics.

4. To keep religiously; to celebrate.

A night to be much observed to the Lord. Exo 12.

Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. Exo 12.

Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. Gal 4.

5. To keep or adhere to in practice; to comply with; to obey; as, to observe the laws of the state; to observe the rules and regulations of a society.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Mat 28.

6. To practice.

In the days of Enoch, the people observed not circumcision or the sabbath.

OBSERVE, v.i. observ'.

1. To remark. I have heard the gentleman's arguments, and shall hereafter observe upon them.

2. To be attentive.

ob-zurv' (representing various words, but chiefly shamar, "to keep," "to watch" etc.): Properly means "to take heed to," as in Isa 42:20, "Thou seest many things, but thou observest not" and from this sense all the usages of the word in English Versions of the Bible can be understood. Most of them, indeed are quite good modern usage (as "observe a feast," Ex 12:17, etc.; "observe a law" Le 19:37, etc.), but a few are archaic. So Ge 37:11, the King James Version "His father observed the saying" (the Revised Version (British and American) "kept the saying in mind"); Ho 13:7, "As a leopard .... will I observe them" (the Revised Version (British and American) "watch"); Jon 2:8, "observe lying vanities" (the Revised Version (British and American) "regard," but "give heed to" would be clearer; compare Ps 107:43). Still farther from modern usage is Ho 14:8, "I have heard him, and observed him" (the Revised Version (British and American) "will regard"; the meaning is "care for"); and Mr 6:20, "For Herod feared John .... and observed him" (the Revised Version (British and American) "kept him safe"). In the last case, the King James Version editors seem to have used "to observe" as meaning "to give reverence to."

Observation is found in Lu 17:20, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation" (meta paratereseos). The meaning of the English is, "so that it can be observed," but the exact force of the underlying Greek ("visibly"? "so that it can be computed in advance"?) is a matter of extraordinary dispute at the present time.

See KINGDOM OF GOD.

Burton Scott Easton