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.
Parallel translations
- KJV 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.
- 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The frantic search 'from sea to sea' pictures a desperate but fruitless quest for divine guidance after it is withdrawn.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? That which Israel seeks for, that he didn’t obtain, but the chosen ones obtained it, and the rest were hardened.
- Dan 12:4But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run back and forth, and knowledge shall be increased.”
- Prov 14:6A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.
- 2 Tim 3:6–7For some of these are people who creep into houses, and take captive gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts,
- Matt 24:23–26“Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it.
- Matt 12:30“He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters.
- Rom 9:31–33but Israel, following after a law of righteousness, didn’t arrive at the law of righteousness.
- Matt 11:25–27At that time, Jesus answered, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to infants.
- Ezek 20:31When you offer your gifts, when you make your sons to pass through the fire, do you pollute yourselves with all your idols to this day? Shall I be inquired of by you, house of Israel? As I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will not be inquired of by you!
- Ezek 20:3“Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel, and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh: “Is it to inquire of me that you have come? As I live,” says the Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired 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.