All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

Scattered

You, however, I will scatter among the nations and will draw out a sword after you, as your land becomes desolate and your cities become waste.

The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you.

Moreover, the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth; and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone, which you or your fathers have not known.

‘I would have said, “I will cut them to pieces,

I will remove the memory of them from men,”

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain.

You give us as sheep to be eaten
And have scattered us among the nations.

“However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries.

The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find Him? He is not intending to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, is He?

and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

Therefore, those who had been scattered went about

preaching the word.

James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes who are

dispersed abroad: Greetings.

Pontus

Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.

And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them,

Galatia

They passed through the

Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in

Asia;

And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

and all the brethren who are with me,To the churches of Galatia:

Cappadocia

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and

Asia,

Asia

But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and

Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen.

They passed through the

Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in

Asia;

This took place for two years, so that all who lived in

Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in

Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in

Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;

You are aware of the fact that all who are in

Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”

Bithynia

and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them;

General references

“From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
My worshipers, My dispersed ones,
Will bring My offerings.