Who said "Lefanim b'Yisrael..."?
Rashi: The 'narrator' said this, and not the youth.
Why does it say "l'Navi ha'Yom Yikarei Lefanim Ro'eh"?
Rashi: What nowadays we call a Navi, they used to call him 'Ro'eh'.
Radak: Refer to 9:9:4:1.
Malbim: If not for the custom, it would be astounding that people would pay a wage to a Navi and give a gift, and he would tell them about the animal they lost. We do not find so after this! A Navi is sent for the entire nation, to rebuke people; it is from the root "Niv Sefasayim" (Yeshayah 57:19). He does not have Ru'ach ha'Kodesh for individual's matters. Formerly, he had even for this, and he was called a Ro'eh (refer to 9:9:3:2).
Divrei Yakov Bi'urei Agados: Early Nevi'im were called Ro'eh, for they saw b'Ispaklaryah ha'Me'irah. Later Nevi'im are not called Ro'eh, for they saw Ispaklaryah she'Einah Me'irah. This change occurred in Shmuel's life; he had many Talmidim who were at the level of later Nevi'im.
Why was a Navi called Ro'eh?
Radak: He sees future events in a prophetic vision, or what he is commanded at the time to tell [people].
Malbim: He sees all things with Ru'ach ha'Kodesh, present and future, and also details of individuals. People fled from the Navi, who rebuked for sin, and pursued the Ro'eh to attain his desire - [to get back] a theft, Aveidah, a sick person, wife or children. They would give to him a gift for meditating in isolation to investigate their matters.
Shmuel wrote his Sefer (Bava Basra 14b). He died before Sha'ul, two years after he became king. Is the difference between "Lefanim" and "ha'Yom" only two years?!
Radak: Just like they used to call a Navi "Ro'eh", also nowadays. 1 However, now that prophecy became more widespread, some are called 'Navi.'
