שׁוּט

shûwṭ /shoot/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root · properly, to push forth
Meaning(but used only figuratively) to lash, i.e. (the sea with oars) to row; by implication, to travel
KJV usagego (about, through, to and fro), mariner, rower, run to and fro.
Copy as

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word shûwṭ, represented by H7751, is a primitive root used figuratively to describe travel and movement. Its base definition includes concepts like lashing with oars to row, traveling, and going or running to and fro. It appears 13 times across 13 unique verses, illustrating a range of actions from physical labor to divine observation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7751 is used in several distinct contexts. It describes the comprehensive gaze of God, whose eyes "run to and fro throughout the whole earth" to observe humanity (2 Chronicles 16:9, Zechariah 4:10). In contrast, it also depicts the restless wandering of Satan, who reports "going to and fro in the earth" (Job 1:7, Job 2:2). The term signifies urgent human activity, such as the command to "run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem" to find a righteous man Jeremiah 5:1, a frantic search for the word of the Lord Amos 8:12, and the gathering of manna by the Israelites Numbers 11:8. In its most literal sense, it refers to seafaring, translated as "mariners" and "rowers" (Ezekiel 27:8, Ezekiel 27:26).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the nature and purpose of the movement described by shûwṭ:

  • H1245 bâqash (to search out... seek): This word is often paired with H7751 to denote the purpose of the movement. In Amos 8:12, the people "run to and fro" specifically "to seek the word of the LORD." Similarly, in Jeremiah 5:1, the "running to and fro" is an action to "seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man."
  • H1980 hâlak (to walk... go): This term is used in parallel with H7751 to describe a continuous, thorough journey. Satan's activity in the earth is described as both "going to and fro" H7751 and "walking up and down" H1980 in it Job 1:7.
  • H5128 nûwaʻ (to waver... wander): Used alongside H7751, this word emphasizes a sense of desperate or aimless movement. During the prophesied famine of God's word, people "shall wander from sea to sea... they shall run to and fro" in their search Amos 8:12.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7751 is found in its contrasting applications of pervasive movement.

  • Divine Omniscience: The Lord's eyes "run to and fro" not as a search for something lost, but as an expression of his complete awareness and readiness to act on behalf of the faithful (2 Chronicles 16:9, Zechariah 4:10).
  • Adversarial Patrolling: Satan's "going to and fro" is portrayed as the movement of an adversary, surveying the earth as a domain for his activities (Job 1:7, Job 2:2).
  • Human Restlessness and Seeking: The word often illustrates humanity's urgent search, whether for righteousness Jeremiah 5:1, divine guidance Amos 8:12, or knowledge in the end times Daniel 12:4.
  • Directed Physical Action: The word is also used for specific, task-oriented travel, such as when Joab was commanded to "Go now through all the tribes of Israel" to conduct a census 2 Samuel 24:2.

Summary

In summary, H7751 is a dynamic verb that conveys more than simple travel. It captures a sense of thorough, energetic, and often purposeful movement that covers a specific area. From the literal "rowers" propelling a ship to the all-seeing eyes of God covering the earth, and from the frantic search of a desperate people to the restless wandering of Satan, shûwṭ illustrates that the nature of one's journey is defined by its ultimate purpose.

Grammatical Forms

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 13 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms.

  • Piel Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 2×
  • Qal Infinitive Construct 2×
  • Qal Participle Plural Masculine Absolute 2×
  • Hithpael Imperative 2nd Plural Feminine 1×
  • Piel Imperative 2nd Plural Masculine 1×
  • Piel Participle Plural Feminine Absolute 1×
  • Piel Participle Plural Masculine Absolute 1×
  • Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
  • Qal Imperative 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
  • Qal Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×
Singular
One.
Plural
More than one.
Masculine
Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine
Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender
Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
2nd
Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd
Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect
Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect
A completed act whose results continue.
Imperative
A command or entreaty.
Infinitive
The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle
A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal
The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Piel
The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Hithpael
Reflexive-intensive — the subject acts upon itself.
Consecutive Imperfect
Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Absolute
The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
Construct
Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

Theographic Context

Biblical Distribution

Appears in 13 verses across 9 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel (2 verses).

1
Numbers
2
2 Samuel
1
2 Chronicles
2
Job
2
Jeremiah
2
Ezekiel
1
Daniel
1
Amos
1
Zechariah

Verse Explorer

Select a verse to begin.