New International Version But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. New Living Translation But these tribes were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They worshiped the gods of the nations that God had destroyed. English Standard Version But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. Berean Standard Bible But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. Berean Literal Bible And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and played the prostitute after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. King James Bible 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. New King James Version And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. New American Standard Bible But they were untrue to the God of their fathers and prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. NASB 1995 But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. NASB 1977 But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. Legacy Standard Bible But they acted unfaithfully against the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. Amplified Bible But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers and played the prostitute with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. Berean Annotated Bible But they were unfaithful to the God {Elohim} of their fathers, and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. Christian Standard Bible But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They prostituted themselves with the gods of the nations God had destroyed before them. Holman Christian Standard Bible But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They prostituted themselves with the gods of the nations God had destroyed before them. American Standard Version And they trespassed against the God of their fathers, and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them. Contemporary English Version The people of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh were unfaithful to the God their ancestors had worshiped, and they started worshiping the gods of the nations that God had forced out of Canaan. English Revised Version And they trespassed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them. GOD'S WORD® Translation But Gad, Reuben, and half of the tribe of Manasseh were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors. They chased after the gods of the people of the land as if they were prostitutes. God had destroyed these people as the Israelites arrived. Good News Translation But the people were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and deserted him to worship the gods of the nations whom God had driven out of the land. International Standard Version But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors by prostituting themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had exterminated right in front of them. NET Bible But they were unfaithful to the God of their ancestors and worshiped instead the gods of the native peoples whom God had destroyed before them. New Heart English Bible They trespassed against the God of their fathers, and prostituted themselves after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them. Webster's Bible Translation And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went astray after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleBut they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. World English Bible They trespassed against the God of their fathers, and played the prostitute after the gods of the peoples of the land whom God destroyed before them. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd they trespass against the God of their fathers, and go whoring after the gods of the peoples of the land whom God destroyed from their presence; Berean Literal Bible And they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers and played the prostitute after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. Young's Literal Translation And they trespass against the God of their fathers, and go a-whoring after the gods of the peoples of the land whom God destroyed from their presence; Smith's Literal Translation And they will transgress against the God of their fathers, and they will commit fornication after the gods of the peoples of the land, which God destroyed from before them. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBut they forsook the God of their fathers, and went astray after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. Catholic Public Domain Version But they abandoned the God of their fathers, and they fornicated after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God took away before them. New American Bible However, they acted treacherously toward the God of their ancestors by prostituting themselves to follow the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. New Revised Standard Version But they transgressed against the God of their ancestors, and prostituted themselves to the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went astray after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And they denied the God of their fathers, and they went astray after gods of the nations of the Earth whom LORD JEHOVAH had destroyed from before them. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and went astray after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God destroyed before them. Brenton Septuagint Translation But they rebelled against the God of their fathers, and went a-whoring after the gods of the nations of the land, whom God cast out from before them. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible (Voice ▾ Musical ▾) Context The Half-tribe of Manasseh…24These were the heads of their families: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their families. 25But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them. 26So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria) to take the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. And he brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan, where they remain to this day.… Cross References But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, Judges 2:11-13 And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. / Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. Psalm 78:56-58 But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees. / They turned back and were faithless like their fathers, twisted like a faulty bow. / They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols. Deuteronomy 32:15-17 But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation. / They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods; they enraged Him with abominations. / They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they had not known, to newly arrived gods, which your fathers did not fear. and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, Exodus 34:15-16 Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you, and you will eat their sacrifices. / And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same. Judges 2:17 Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done. Psalm 106:35-39 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. / They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. / They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. … whom God had destroyed before them. 2 Kings 17:8 and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. Deuteronomy 12:29-31 When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land, / be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” / You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. Leviticus 18:24-25 Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves. / Even the land has become defiled, so I am punishing it for its sin, and the land will vomit out its inhabitants. 2 Kings 17:7-18 All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods / and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. / The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. … 2 Kings 18:11-12 The king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes. / This happened because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD their God, but violated His covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded—and would neither listen nor obey. Hosea 4:12-13 My people consult their wooden idols, and their divining rods inform them. For a spirit of prostitution leads them astray and they have played the harlot against their God. / They sacrifice on the mountaintops and burn offerings on the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is pleasant. And so your daughters turn to prostitution and your daughters-in-law to adultery. Hosea 5:3-4 I know all about Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me. For now, O Ephraim, you have turned to prostitution; Israel is defiled. / Their deeds do not permit them to return to their God, for a spirit of prostitution is within them, and they do not know the LORD. Hosea 9:1 Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor. Jeremiah 3:6-10 Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there. / I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. / She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well. … Jeremiah 11:10 They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers. Treasury of Scripture 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. and went. Judges 2:17 And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so. Judges 8:33 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. 2 Kings 17:7-18 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, … a whoring. Exodus 34:15 Lest 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; Judges 8:27 And Gideon made an ephod thereof, and put it in his city, even in Ophrah: and all Israel went thither a whoring after it: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house. 2 Kings 17:7 For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods, after the gods. Judges 2:12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 2 Chronicles 25:14,15 Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them… Psalm 106:34-39 They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: … Jump to Previous Acted Astray A-Whoring Broke Destroyed Evil Faith Fathers Gods Harlot Peoples Played Presence Prostitute Prostituted Transgressed Treacherously Trespass Trespassed Unfaithful Whoring WorshippingJump to Next Acted Astray A-Whoring Broke Destroyed Evil Faith Fathers Gods Harlot Peoples Played Presence Prostitute Prostituted Transgressed Treacherously Trespass Trespassed Unfaithful Whoring Worshipping1 Chronicles 5 1. Judah and Joseph preferred before Reuben, who forfeited his birthright.3. Ruben's descendants; some of whom vanquish the Hagarites. 11. The chief men of Gad, and their habitations. 18. Ruben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, obtain a victory over the Hagarites. 23. The habitations and chief men of that half of Manasseh. 25. The captivity of the two tribes and half, for their sins. But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers, The tribes east of the Jordan abandoned the covenant God who had bound Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and had given Israel the land by His power. Their inheritance carried the responsibility of exclusive worship and obedience. Though Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had received a fruitful territory and had known God’s help in battle, they did not remain faithful to Him. Jdg 2:11-13 And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD… and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land, Israel’s pursuit of pagan gods was spiritual adultery against the Lord. The nations formerly living in Canaan and its surrounding regions worshiped idols such as Baal and Asherah through corrupt rites that opposed God’s holiness. Rather than serving as a people set apart, these tribes adopted the religion of those God had judged. Their outward prosperity and military strength could not preserve them when their hearts turned from the Lord. Exo 34:15-16 Do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land,… whom God had destroyed before them. The conquest of the land had displayed God’s judgment against peoples whose idolatry and wickedness had reached its full measure. He had warned Israel not to imitate them, since their practices would draw His people into sin and bring covenant discipline. The tribes’ later exile by Assyria showed the seriousness of rejecting that warning: the God who had defeated Israel’s enemies also held His own people accountable for unfaithfulness. 2Ki 17:8 and walked in the customs of the nations… Persons / Places / Events 1. The Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of ManassehThese were the tribes of Israel mentioned earlier in 1 Chronicles 5, who settled on the east side of the Jordan River. They are the primary subjects of this verse, having turned away from God. 2. God of their fathers Refers to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who had established a covenant with the Israelites. 3. The gods of the peoples of the land These were the pagan deities worshiped by the surrounding nations, which the Israelites were explicitly commanded to avoid. 4. The peoples of the land Refers to the Canaanite nations and other groups that inhabited the land before the Israelites, whom God had driven out due to their idolatry and wickedness. 5. The act of unfaithfulness This event highlights the spiritual adultery of the Israelites, as they turned away from God to worship other deities. Teaching Points The Danger of IdolatryIdolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can also be anything that takes the place of God in our lives. We must be vigilant in identifying and removing these idols. Faithfulness to God The Israelites' unfaithfulness serves as a warning to us. We are called to remain faithful to God, remembering His past faithfulness and the covenant we have through Christ. Consequences of Disobedience Just as the Israelites faced consequences for their unfaithfulness, we too must understand that our actions have spiritual consequences. Obedience to God brings blessings, while disobedience leads to spiritual decline. Cultural Influence The Israelites were influenced by the surrounding cultures, leading them away from God. We must be cautious of cultural influences that contradict our faith and values. Repentance and Restoration Despite their unfaithfulness, God always provided a way for repentance and restoration. We should seek God's forgiveness and return to Him when we stray. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of 1 Chronicles 5:25?2. How did the Israelites "act treacherously" in 1 Chronicles 5:25, and why? 3. What consequences did the Israelites face for their actions in 1 Chronicles 5:25? 4. How does 1 Chronicles 5:25 relate to the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3? 5. What modern idols might lead us to "prostitute themselves" like in 1 Chronicles 5:25? 6. How can we ensure faithfulness to God, avoiding the mistakes in 1 Chronicles 5:25? 7. Why did the Israelites betray the God of their fathers in 1 Chronicles 5:25? 8. What does 1 Chronicles 5:25 reveal about the consequences of idolatry? 9. How does 1 Chronicles 5:25 reflect on the faithfulness of God's people? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 Chronicles 5? What Does 1 Chronicles 5:25 Mean But they were unfaithful to the God of their fathers• The verse opens with a jarring contrast—“But”—showing a turn from expected loyalty to shocking rebellion. • “Unfaithful” speaks of covenant betrayal. The Reubenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Manasseh had received land east of the Jordan (Joshua 1:12-15), yet they still owed wholehearted allegiance to the LORD who gave it. • Scripture repeatedly pictures Israel’s history as a cycle of faithfulness followed by drift: Judges 2:10-13 notes, “They abandoned the LORD… and followed other gods.” • The phrase “God of their fathers” stresses continuity. The same LORD who walked with Abraham (Genesis 17:7) and brought Israel out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 6:20-23) expected subsequent generations to remain loyal. • Unfaithfulness invites consequences; 2 Kings 17:7-8 attributes the northern kingdom’s fall to the very same sin. and they prostituted themselves with the gods of the peoples of the land • Spiritual adultery is the chosen metaphor. Exodus 34:15-16 had warned, “They will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices… and your sons will prostitute themselves with their gods.” • “Prostituted” conveys deliberate, repeated participation in idolatry, not a momentary lapse. Hosea 1:2 uses identical imagery to portray Israel’s nationwide unfaithfulness. • What did this look like? – Burning incense on high places (2 Kings 17:11) – Consulting pagan diviners (Isaiah 2:6) – Even sacrificing children (Psalm 106:37-38) • Idolatry always carries a seductive pull because it offers visible, controllable deities and immediate gratification, whereas the true God calls for faith and obedience (Romans 1:25). whom God had destroyed before them • The tragedy deepens: the same nations whose gods they now worship were previously routed by God’s mighty hand. Deuteronomy 7:1-2 promised total victory; Joshua 24:12-13 recounts its fulfillment. • Forgetting history breeds folly. Psalm 44:2 says, “It was Your hand that drove out the nations.” To bow to the vanquished nations’ idols is to side with defeated powers against the victorious LORD. • This clause underscores divine justice. If God judged the Canaanites for idolatry, He will not spare His own people when they commit the same sin (Jeremiah 25:29). • The Reubenite coalition soon feels that justice: 1 Chronicles 5:26 records God stirring up the Assyrians to exile them—an exact reversal of the earlier conquest. summary 1 Chronicles 5:25 exposes a three-step downward spiral: covenant betrayal, willful immersion in idolatry, and the bitter irony of honoring gods already proven powerless. The verse warns believers that forgetting the Lord’s past faithfulness leads to flirting with the world’s idols, which inevitably invites disciplined judgment. Staying anchored in the historical acts of God and nurturing exclusive devotion to Him is the only safeguard against repeating Israel’s tragic story. (25, 26) The captivity of the three eastern tribes. A fuller account may be read in 2Kings 17:6-18.(25) They transgressed against the God of their fathers.—Rather, were faithless or untrue to Him (Joshua 7:1, “committed a trespass”). Went a whoring after the gods of the people (peoples).—Jehovah was the true Lord (Ba’al) and Husband (Ish) of Israel. Apostasy from Him is, in the prophetic language, whoredom. (See Hos. 1 Chronicles 1, 2, especially 2:16, and 1 Chronicles 3) According to Kings 50100 the fatal sin of Israel evinced itself: (1) in the worship of the high places; (2) in adoration of the heavenly bodies, and the productive powers of nature; (3) in the practice of magic and divination. The people of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.—Comp. Numbers 21:21-35, and Joshua 12:6; ... Verses 25, 26. - The "transgressors" here described include manifestly not this half-tribe Manasseh alone, but the other tribes of Israel of whom this chapter has treated. Verse 25. - And they went a-whoring (וַיַּזְנוּ); so 2 Chronicles 21:11, 13. This verb, in one form of its root or another, occurs as many as ninety-seven times in the Pentateuch, Judges, Joshua, Psalms, Proverbs; and prophets, for only twice in Kings and four times in Chronicles, in all the rest of the Old Testament writings.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew But they were unfaithfulוַיִּֽמְעֲל֔וּ (way·yim·‘ă·lū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 4603: To cover up, to act covertly, treacherously to the God בֵּאלֹהֵ֖י (bê·lō·hê) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative of their fathers, אֲבוֹתֵיהֶ֑ם (’ă·ḇō·w·ṯê·hem) Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 1: Father and they prostituted וַיִּזְנ֗וּ (way·yiz·nū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 2181: To commit adultery, to commit idolatry themselves with אַחֲרֵי֙ (’a·ḥă·rê) Preposition Strong's 310: The hind or following part the gods אֱלֹהֵ֣י (’ĕ·lō·hê) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative of the peoples עַמֵּי־ (‘am·mê-) Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock of the land, הָאָ֔רֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land whom אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-) Pronoun - relative Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that God אֱלֹהִ֖ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative had destroyed הִשְׁמִ֥יד (hiš·mîḏ) Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 8045: To be exterminated or destroyed before them. מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃ (mip·pə·nê·hem) Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 6440: The face Additonal Resources 1 Chronicles 5:25 Blue Letter Bible1 Chronicles 5:25 Bible Gateway 1 Chronicles 5:25 Bible.com 1 Chronicles 5:25 NIV |
    |