1 Chronicles 16:20 (LSB)

Passage

And they wandered about from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people,

Nearby Context

1 Chronicles 16:18 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan, As the portion of your inheritance,”

1 Chronicles 16:19 When you were only a few men in number, Of little account, and sojourners in it,

1 Chronicles 16:20 And they wandered about from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people,

1 Chronicles 16:21 He permitted no man to oppress them, And He reproved kings for their sakes,

1 Chronicles 16:22 “Do not touch My anointed ones, And against My prophets do no evil.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wandered", "nation", "kingdom", "another", and "people". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wandered" and "nation", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "When you were only a few men..." into verse 21's "He permitted no man to oppress them...", so "wandered" and "nation" belong inside that flow. In 1 Chronicles context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "wandered" and "nation" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.