English · KJV
H7751

שׁוּט

shûwṭ /shoot/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningproperly, to push forth; (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.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of shûwṭ — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

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.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 13 occurrences, inflected in 10 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • יְשֹׁטְטוּ
  • שּׁוּט
  • שָׁטִים
  • הִתְשׁוֹטַטְנָה
  • שׁוֹטְטוּ
  • מְשֹׁטְטוֹת
  • מְשׁוֹטְטִים
  • יָּשֻׁטוּ
  • שׁוּט
  • שָׁטוּ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1245 בָּקַשׁ a primitive root; to search out (by any method, specifically in worship or prayer); by implication, to strive after; ask H1980 הָלַךְ akin to יָלַךְ; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively); (all) along, H5128 נוּעַ a primitive root; to waver, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (as subjoined); continually,

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 13 verses across 9 of the 39 books. 4 books tie for most frequent (2 verses each); never once in the other 30.

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

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.