Bible Encyclopedias
Astray
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
a -strā ´ (תּעה , tā‛āh , "to wander," "to err"; πλανάομαι , planáomai , "to go astray," each carrying the idea of being lost): With one exception (Exodus 23:4 "his ass going astray") used metaphorically of moral wandering, going astray in paths of error and sin, like "sheep going astray" ( 1 Peter 2:25 the King James Version; Isaiah 53:6; Psalm 119:176 ). This wandering may be due (1) to inherent evil (Psalm 58:3 ); (2) to false shepherds (Jeremiah 50:6 ); contrast the beautiful and classic passage, Matthew 18:12 , Matthew 18:13 , the Son of man (Matthew 18:12 ) seeketh that which is gone astray. No word more vividly portrays sin as a straying, a separation from God. To be morally "astray" is to be "lost."
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Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Astray'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/isb/a/astray.html. 1915.