1 Chronicles 5:26The God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath Pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river of Gozan, to this day.
The setting
722 BC, Northern Kingdom of Israel (modern-day northern Israel/southern Syria). The Chronicler records how God used Assyrian kings as instruments of judgment against unfaithful tribes...
The emotion here: sorrowful but acknowledging God's justice
The original word
ūr (עוּר) — to stir up, awaken, like rousing a sleeping lion to action
Why it matters
Pul and Tilgath-Pileser III were the same person - Pul was his Babylonian throne name
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Chronicles 5:26
God 'stirred up' the king's spirit - even pagan rulers are instruments in God's hands
Common misconceptionPeople think this shows God is cruel, but the Chronicler is explaining that even Israel's enemies serve God's purposes - this is actually about God's sovereignty, not cruelty.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Chronicles 5:26
Bible Genome reading
1 Chronicles 5:26 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Chronicles 5:26 comes from the book of 1 Chronicles, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, exile, sovereignty. Notable phrases: God of Israel stirred up; carried them away.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does 1 Chronicles 5:26 mean to you, today?
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