(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)
Seer, х ro'eh (H7200); Septuagint, ho blepoon]
... Prophet, х naabiy' (H935); Septuagint, ho profeetees]. The recognized distinction in latter times was, that a seer was one who was favoured with visions of God-a view of things invisible to mortal sight; and a prophet foretold future events. There has been much discussion as to the distinction between these words; and it is not easy to decide the question, because in some passages, as here, they appear to be used synonymously, or as applied to the same individuals, whereas in others they are contrasted (1 Chronicles 29:29; Isaiah 29:10; Isaiah 30:10). The first, from the verb to see, sufficiently shows that the power of the person arose from mental vision. The second, from a verb to bubble up, as a spring or fountain, signifies that the message which the Nabi delivered was derived from God; and hence, it is always rendered a "prophet." Accordingly Havernick ('Introduction to the Old Testament, p. 51, and to the 'Pentateuch,' p. 170) considers the first term as marking the receptive act of revelation, and the second as describing the office of the prophets-that of communicating the Word of God.
Hence, after the institution of the schools by Samuel, it became the official title of the prophets; and the two functions were united in, or performed by, the same person (see Professor Lee's 'Lectures on Job,' p. 369; Dr. Lee's (Archdeacon of Dublin) 'Inspiration of Holy Scriptures,' Appendix K., p. 543; Professor Payne Smith's 'Messianic Interpretation of the Prophecies of Isaiah,' Introduction, p. 29; Pusey's 'Lectures on Daniel,' p. 243; Dr. McCaul, 'Aids to Faith,' pp. 84, 85; Henderson's 'Isaiah,' 1:, note 1). LeClerc explains the meaning of this verse to be this, that the word prophet, which was used in the age of Moses, fell into desuetude in the times of the judges, being supplanted by the more restricted term seer (1 Samuel 3:1), and then was revived at a later period, when the spirit of prophecy was more frequently conferred and more extensively diffused (see Introduction to Samuel).