Topical Bible: Wandered

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Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of "wandered" in the Bible often conveys a sense of aimlessness, disobedience, or divine testing. It is a theme that appears in various contexts, from the physical wandering of the Israelites in the wilderness to the spiritual wandering of individuals who stray from God's commandments.

Old Testament Context

1. Israelites in the Wilderness: One of the most significant instances of wandering is the 40-year journey of the Israelites in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt. This period of wandering was a direct result of their disobedience and lack of faith in God's promises. Numbers 14:33 states, "Your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years and bear the brunt of your unfaithfulness until your bodies lie scattered in the wilderness." This wandering served as both punishment and preparation, as God used this time to teach and refine His people.

2. Cain's Punishment: In Genesis 4:12 , after Cain murders Abel, God declares, "When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth." Cain's wandering is a direct consequence of his sin, illustrating the broader biblical principle that sin leads to a lack of stability and peace.

3. Abraham's Journey: While not aimless, Abraham's journey can also be seen as a form of wandering, as he obeyed God's call to leave his homeland and go to a land that God would show him (Genesis 12:1). This wandering was marked by faith and obedience, contrasting with the Israelites' later disobedience.

New Testament Context

1. Spiritual Wandering: The New Testament often uses the concept of wandering to describe spiritual deviation from the truth. In James 5:19-20 , it is written, "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, consider this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and cover over a multitude of sins." Here, wandering is associated with straying from the faith, and there is an emphasis on the community's role in restoring the wanderer.

2. Parable of the Lost Sheep: Jesus' parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12-14 illustrates God's concern for those who wander. "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?" This parable highlights God's relentless pursuit of those who have strayed, emphasizing His mercy and desire for reconciliation.

Theological Implications

Wandering in the Bible often symbolizes the human tendency to stray from God's path due to sin, lack of faith, or disobedience. It serves as a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God, but also of His grace and willingness to guide His people back to Him. The biblical narrative consistently points to God's faithfulness in seeking out and restoring those who have wandered, underscoring the hope of redemption and the importance of remaining steadfast in faith.

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary

(imp. & p. p.) of Wander.

Greek

635. apoplanao -- to cause to go astray
... Part of Speech: Verb Transliteration: apoplanao Phonetic Spelling: (ap-op-lan-ah'-
o) Short Definition: I cause to wander astray, have wandered away Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/635.htm - 7k

Strong's Hebrew

5113. Nod -- a region into which Cain wandered
... 5112, 5113. Nod. 5114 . a region into which Cain wandered. Transliteration:
Nod Phonetic Spelling: (node) Short Definition: Nod. ...
/hebrew/5113.htm - 6k

5128. nua -- to quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter
... stagger (3), staggered (1), swing to and fro (1), to and fro (1), tremble (1), trembled
(2), unstable (1), vagrant (2), wag (2), wander (5), wandered (2), wave ...
/hebrew/5128.htm - 6k

1980. halak -- to go, come, walk
... 1), walk (142), walked (84), walked around (1), walked back (1), walking (14), walking
around (2), walks (31), walks around (1), wandered (2), wanderings (1 ...
/hebrew/1980.htm - 8k

5110. nud -- to move to and fro, wander, flutter, show grief
... 2), flitting (1), grieve (1), grieving (1), mourn (4), shake (2), shaken (1),
sympathize (1), sympathy (1), totters (1), wander (2), wandered (1), wanderer (2 ...
/hebrew/5110.htm - 6k

8582. taah -- to err
... 2), led them astray (3), led...astray (2), misled (1), reels (1), seduced (1), stagger
(3), staggers (1), stray (3), wander (5), wandered (4), wandering (1 ...
/hebrew/8582.htm - 6k

7686. shagah -- to go astray, err
... astray (1), goes astray (1), intoxicated (1), leads the astray (1), misleader (1),
misleads (1), reel (3), stray (1), unwittingly (1), wander (3), wandered (1 ...
/hebrew/7686.htm - 6k

Library

I Wandered Sore Distressed,
... ASPIRATIONS I wandered sore distressed,. 6,6,6,6,6,6 tr., John Brownlie. I. I wandered
sore distressed,. All weary and forlorn; I had no place to rest,. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns from the east/i wandered sore distressed.htm

I Wandered Sore Distressed,
... HYMNS OF THE EARLY CHURCH I wandered sore distressed,. 6,6,6,6,6,6. I wandered sore
distressed,. All weary and forlorn; I had no place to rest,. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the early church/i wandered sore distressed.htm

March 12. "They Wandered in the Wilderness in a Solitary Way" (Ps. ...
... MARCH 12. "They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way" (Ps. cvii. 4). "They
wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way" (Psalm 107:4). ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /march 12 they wandered in.htm

O, I have Wandered Far,
... FAITH AND PENITENCE IV O, I have wandered far,. 6,6,8,6,8,8. O, I have wandered
far,. Good Lord Thou knowest well. The heights of pride my feet have trod,. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the russian church/iv o i have wandered.htm

Valeria, Too, who for Fifteen Months had Wandered under a Mean ...
... Chap. LI. Valeria, too, who for fifteen months had wandered under a mean
garb from province to? Valeria, too, who for fifteen ...
/.../of the manner in which the persecutors died/chap li valeria too who.htm

Hebrews xi. 37, 38
... "They wandered about ... "Tormented" [or "ill-treated"], he says; that is, suffering
distress, in journeyings, in dangers. But "They wandered about," what is this? ...
/.../homilies on the gospel of st john and hebrews/homily xxviii hebrews xi 37.htm

False Civilization
... They joined the Israelites, and wandered with them into the land of Canaan. But
they never settled down, as the Israelites did, into farmers and townsfolk. ...
/.../kingsley/discipline and other sermons/sermon vi false civilization.htm

Psalm CXX.
... wings... 7. "My soul hath wandered much" (ver.6). Lest thou shouldest understand
bodily wandering, he hath said that the soul wandered. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm cxx.htm

The Family Bible.
... My mother's eyes upon thy page divine, Each day were bent; her accents, gravely
mild, Breathed out thy love; whilst I, a dreamy child, Wandered on breeze-like ...
/.../philips/the christian home/chapter viii the family bible.htm

The Adventures of Saint Denis of France.
... On parting from his comrades, the gallant Champion of France, the famed Saint Denis,
attended by his squire, Le Crapeau, wandered away through many lands ...
/.../kingston/the seven champions of christendom/chapter five the adventures of.htm

Thesaurus

Wandered (29 Occurrences)
... Multi-Version Concordance Wandered (29 Occurrences). ... (See NIV). 1 Timothy 1:6 From
these some have drifted away, and have wandered into empty words. ...
/w/wandered.htm - 15k

Strayed (9 Occurrences)
... And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba. (See JPS). ... Hosea
7:13 Woe unto them! for they have wandered from me; destruction unto them! ...
/s/strayed.htm - 9k

Judicially (1 Occurrence)
... Isaiah 28:7 And even these through wine have erred, And through strong drink have
wandered, Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, They have been ...
/j/judicially.htm - 6k

Beer (15 Occurrences)
... Isaiah 28:7 And even these through wine have erred, And through strong drink have
wandered, Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, They have been ...
/b/beer.htm - 12k

Wander (43 Occurrences)
... they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and
wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here. ...
/w/wander.htm - 19k

Wanderer (10 Occurrences)

/w/wanderer.htm - 9k

Wilderness (304 Occurrences)
... The wilderness region in the Sinaitic peninsula through which for forty years the
Hebrews wandered is generally styled "the wilderness of the wanderings." This ...
/w/wilderness.htm - 43k

Hagar (15 Occurrences)
... 14). They wandered out into the wilderness, where Ishmael, exhausted with
his journey and faint from thirst, seemed about to die. ...
/h/hagar.htm - 22k

No (18543 Occurrences)
... They have formed a great storehouse of interesting historic remains for more than
two thousand years. "As I wandered day after day with ever-growing amazement ...
/n/no.htm - 9k

Resources

Why would God leave the 99 to find 1? | GotQuestions.org

What does it mean to be spiritually lost? | GotQuestions.org

What was manna? | GotQuestions.org

Wandered: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Wandered (29 Occurrences)

Matthew 18:12
What would you say now? if a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone wandering away, will he not let the ninety-nine be, and go to the mountains in search of the wandering one?
(See NIV)

1 Timothy 1:6
From these some have drifted away, and have wandered into empty words.
(WEY RSV NIV)

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of every evil; which some having aspired after, have wandered from the faith, and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
(DBY NAS RSV NIV)

1 Timothy 6:21
which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
(See NIV)

Hebrews 11:37
They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
(KJV WBS)

Hebrews 11:38
(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
(KJV WEY WBS NIV)

2 Peter 2:15
Turning out of the true way, they have gone wandering in error, after the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who was pleased to take payment for wrongdoing;
(See NIV)

Genesis 21:14
Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder; and gave her the child, and sent her away. She departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba. Exodus
(WEB KJV ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Joshua 14:10
And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
(KJV DBY WBS)

1 Chronicles 16:20
They went about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people.
(See NAS NIV)

Job 28:4
A stream hath broken out from a sojourner, Those forgotten of the foot, They were low, from man they wandered.
(YLT)

Psalms 105:13
They went about from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people.
(See NAS NIV)

Psalms 107:4
They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way. They found no city to live in.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV NIV)

Psalms 119:110
The wicked have laid a snare for me; but I have not wandered from thy precepts.
(DBY YLT)

Psalms 119:176
I wandered as a lost sheep, seek Thy servant, For Thy precepts I have not forgotten!
(YLT)

Isaiah 16:8
For the fields of Heshbon languish with the vine of Sibmah. The lords of the nations have broken down its choice branches, which reached even to Jazer, which wandered into the wilderness. Its shoots were spread abroad. They passed over the sea.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

Isaiah 21:4
Wandered hath my heart, trembling hath terrified me, The twilight of my desire He hath made a fear to me,
(YLT)

Isaiah 28:7
And even these through wine have erred, And through strong drink have wandered, Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, They have been swallowed up of the wine, They wandered because of the strong drink, They have erred in seeing, They have stumbled judicially.
(YLT)

Isaiah 47:15
So have they been to thee with whom thou hast laboured, Thy merchants from thy youth, Each to his passage they have wandered, Thy saviour is not!
(YLT NAS)

Isaiah 53:6
All of us like sheep have wandered, Each to his own way we have turned, And Jehovah hath caused to meet on him, The punishment of us all.
(YLT)

Jeremiah 50:3
For out of the north there comes up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they are fled, they are gone, both man and animal.
(See NAS)

Jeremiah 50:6
My people have been wandering sheep: their keepers have made them go out of the right way, turning them loose on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, having no memory of their resting-place.
(See NIV)

Lamentations 4:14
They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
(KJV DBY WBS YLT NAS RSV)

Lamentations 4:15
Depart! they cried to them, Unclean! depart, depart, don't touch! When they fled away and wandered, men said among the nations, They shall no more sojourn here.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT NAS)

Ezekiel 34:6
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill: yes, my sheep were scattered on all the surface of the earth; and there was none who searched or sought.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS NAS RSV NIV)

Ezekiel 44:10
but -- the Levites who have gone far off from me, in the wandering of Israel when they went astray from Me after their idols, and they have borne their iniquity.
(See NIV)

Hosea 7:13
Woe to them! For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them! For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.
(WEB ASV DBY YLT)

Amos 4:8
So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD.
(KJV JPS ASV DBY WBS YLT RSV)

Amos 8:12
And they have wandered from sea unto sea, And from north even unto east, They go to and fro to seek the word of Jehovah, And they do not find.
(YLT)

Subtopics

Wandered

Related Terms

Vagabond (4 Occurrences)

Fugitive (12 Occurrences)

Cain (18 Occurrences)

Trembling (72 Occurrences)

Restless (6 Occurrences)

Flight (325 Occurrences)

Wanderers (13 Occurrences)

Wandered (29 Occurrences)

Vagrant (2 Occurrences)