The Hebrew verb shaqaq means to rush about, to run through, to rove, or to long for earnestly. Appearing about 6 times in the Old Testament, it describes the restless, urgent movement of those seeking something — armies rushing through a breached city wall, or the desperate longing of a soul.
Shaqaq captures intense, directed movement driven by desire or urgency. In military contexts (Joel 2:9; Nahum 2:4), it describes the rapid movement of enemy forces rushing through streets and scaling walls. In Amos 8:11–12, God declares a coming famine — not of food, but of the word of the LORD — when people will 'rush to and fro' seeking God's word and not finding it. This eschatological use of shaqaq is perhaps the most theologically haunting: the people who ignored the prophets' words will desperately crave them when judgment falls, but the prophetic voice will be silent. Psalm 107:9 (using related root) connects the satisfied longing of the soul to God's provision. The restlessness of shaqaq reflects Augustine's famous insight: 'Our heart is restless until it rests in you.'