1 Chronicles 5:25
And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.
Original Language Analysis
וַיִּֽמְעֲל֔וּ
And they transgressed
H4603
וַיִּֽמְעֲל֔וּ
And they transgressed
Strong's:
H4603
Word #:
1 of 12
properly, to cover up; used only figuratively, to act covertly, i.e., treacherously
אֱלֹהִ֖ים
against the God
H430
אֱלֹהִ֖ים
against the God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
2 of 12
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
אֲבֹתֵיהֶ֑ם
of their fathers
H1
אֲבֹתֵיהֶ֑ם
of their fathers
Strong's:
H1
Word #:
3 of 12
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
וַיִּזְנ֗וּ
and went a whoring
H2181
וַיִּזְנ֗וּ
and went a whoring
Strong's:
H2181
Word #:
4 of 12
to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple fornication, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively, to commit idolatry (
אַֽחֲרֵי֙
after
H310
אַֽחֲרֵי֙
after
Strong's:
H310
Word #:
5 of 12
properly, the hind part; generally used as an adverb or conjunction, after (in various senses)
אֱלֹהִ֖ים
against the God
H430
אֱלֹהִ֖ים
against the God
Strong's:
H430
Word #:
6 of 12
gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of
עַמֵּי
of the people
H5971
עַמֵּי
of the people
Strong's:
H5971
Word #:
7 of 12
a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flock
אֲשֶׁר
H834
אֲשֶׁר
Strong's:
H834
Word #:
9 of 12
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
Cross References
Revelation 17:5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.Exodus 34:15Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;Hosea 1:2The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.
Historical Context
Written after Babylonian exile (c. 450-400 BC) to returned Israelites rebuilding Jerusalem, this warning about the trans-Jordanian tribes had prophetic fulfillment. These tribes fell first to Assyrian conquest (732 BC under Tiglath-Pileser III), a century before Judah's exile. The Chronicler uses their apostasy to explain why they were the first to lose their inheritance—a cautionary tale for post-exilic Judah facing similar temptations to syncretism with Persian and Samaritan religious practices.
Questions for Reflection
- How does prosperity sometimes lead you to 'forget' God's past faithfulness, and what spiritual disciplines guard against this pattern?
- In what ways might modern Christians pursue the 'gods of the people' whose emptiness God has already demonstrated?
Analysis & Commentary
They transgressed (מָעֲלוּ ma'alu) uses the same Hebrew root as the trespass offering, signifying covenant violation at the deepest level—not mere sin but betrayal of relationship. Went a whoring after (וַיִּזְנוּ אַחֲרֵי vayyiznu acharei) employs the graphic metaphor of prostitution, portraying idolatry as spiritual adultery against Yahweh the covenant Husband (cf. Hosea's marriage).
The irony is devastating: they pursued the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them—worshiping the deities of conquered nations whose impotence had been demonstrated through Israel's conquest. The trans-Jordanian tribes (Reuben, Gad, half-Manasseh) who had received their inheritance first now forfeit it first through apostasy, foreshadowing their exile by Assyria (v. 26).
The Chronicler emphasizes the God of their fathers (אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם)—covenant continuity from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—highlighting that their sin wasn't ignorance but willful rejection of known grace. This pattern of prosperity leading to apostasy (Deuteronomy 8:11-20) haunts Israel's history and warns against the prosperity gospel's dangers.