The most common Hebrew verb for seeing, over 1,300 times. Like yada, raah goes beyond physical sight to encompass perception, understanding, and divine regard. When God "sees," He doesn't merely observe — He takes action.
When Hagar names God "El Roi" — the God who sees (Genesis 16:13) — she recognizes that God's vision means care and action. When Exodus says God "saw" Israel's affliction, the next act is deliverance. The prophetic title "seer" (roeh) comes from this word.
"The LORD Will Provide" (YHWH Yireh) literally means "The LORD Will See" — and because God sees, He provides. This wordplay encapsulates divine sight: God's seeing IS providing, caring, acting. The prophetic tradition depends on raah — prophets are given supernatural sight into God's purposes.