And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it.
Parallel translations
- WEB They will wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they will run back and forth to seek Yahweh’s word, and will not find it.
- BSB People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.
- NKJV They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, But shall not find it.
- NASB “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will roam about to seek the word of the Lord, But they will not find it.
- NLT People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from border to border searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
People will wander everywhere searching for the word of the Lord but will not find it. Having rejected God's word, they will be unable to find it when they want it.
Overview
The frantic search 'from sea to sea' pictures a desperate but fruitless quest for divine guidance after it is withdrawn. There is a point at which persistent rejection forfeits the opportunity to hear. This sober warning urges people to seek and heed God's word now, while in Christ it is freely and abundantly available.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rom 11:7–10What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
- Dan 12:4But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
- Prov 14:6A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.
- 2 Tim 3:6–7For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
- Matt 24:23–26Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
- Matt 12:30He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
- Rom 9:31–33But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
- Matt 11:25–27At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
- Ezek 20:31For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
- Ezek 20:3Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be enquired of by you.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Amid judgment on injustice, Amos promises the raising up of David's fallen tent — read by James in Acts 15 as the ingathering of the nations into the kingdom of the risen Christ.
How Amos 8:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.