Psalm 106:39-40
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The verse reveals that their sin wasn't just external actions, but a deep spiritual corruption where their own "inventions" and "works" – their flawed creations and choices – became the very things they pursued adulterously, turning their backs on God. This highlights how our own flawed reasoning and actions can become objects of devotion, leading us away from the truth.
Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalm is recounting Israel's repeated failures to obey God, moving from their wilderness wanderings to their experiences in the Promised Land. After failing to destroy the Canaanites as commanded, they began to adopt the nations' corrupt practices and idolatry. This verse highlights the spiritual impurity and betrayal that resulted from their assimilation and imitation of pagan customs.
The Bible often uses strong imagery to describe Israel's unfaithfulness to God. This verse speaks of 'playing the whore' – but what does that really mean in a spiritual sense?
The phrase 'went a whoring' in Scripture is a powerful metaphor for spiritual unfaithfulness, specifically idolatry. It's not just about physical impurity, though that was often linked to pagan worship.
How can the very things we do to find freedom or satisfaction end up trapping and corrupting us?
This verse points to a disturbing reality: our own actions can become the source of our defilement. It's a cycle where sin doesn't just happen, but it actively pollutes.
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Understand the original words
tame’ · Hebrew Adjective/Verb
To be made ceremonially or morally impure. It denotes a state of corruption or contagion that separates a person or a nation from the presence, blessing, and holiness of God.
zanah · Hebrew Verb
A frequent prophetic metaphor used to describe apostasy, spiritual unfaithfulness, and the abandonment of the covenant relationship with God in favor of worldly or idolatrous pursuits. It highlights the betrayal of God's exclusive love and authority.
aph · Hebrew Noun
A description of God’s righteous, intense, and inevitable reaction against persistent sin, rebellion, and covenant-breaking. It is not an unbridled emotional outburst, but the holy indignation of a just Judge protecting His honor and justice.
nachalah · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the people whom God has chosen as His own possession, property, or covenantal responsibility. It emphasizes the intimacy and special relationship between God and Israel (or His people), making their rebellion a matter of profound betrayal.
ta‘ab · Hebrew Verb
A strong expression of God’s visceral rejection, intense dislike, or holy repulsion toward sin and those who embrace it. It signifies that the object of this feeling is fundamentally incompatible with His holiness and covenant standards.
This verse reflects the deep spiritual unfaithfulness of Israel and Judah, particularly during and after the Babylonian exile. Their adoption of foreign 'inventions'—idolatrous practices and rituals learned from other nations—led to a profound 'defilement' and spiritual 'whoredom' in the eyes of God, likening their betrayal of the covenant to marital infidelity.
c. 1406 BC
Israel enters Canaan
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, led by Joshua, enter the Promised Land, with a divine command to drive out the existing inhabitants.
c. 1406-1070 BC
Period of the Judges
Israel fails to fully drive out the Canaanites, leading to assimilation, intermarriage, and adoption of the surrounding peoples' idolatrous practices.
c. 1070-931 BC
United Monarchy and Divided Kingdom
Despite periods of stability under Saul, David, and Solomon, the allure of foreign gods and practices persists, exacerbated by foreign marriages and political alliances.
c. 931-722 BC
Division of the Kingdom
The unified kingdom splits into Israel (North) and Judah (South). Both kingdoms engage in widespread idolatry and syncretism, often adopting practices from surrounding nations.
c. 740 BC
Assyrian influence and vassalage
The Northern Kingdom of Israel begins to fall under Assyrian influence, leading to further political and religious compromise. This period intensifies the prophetic warnings against idolatry.
c. 609-586 BC— this verse
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Southern Kingdom of Judah succumbs to Babylon. The conquest and exile are seen as divine judgment for the people's persistent idolatry and disobedience, including horrific practices like child sacrifice.
c. 539 BC
Return from Exile
The Persian Empire conquers Babylon, allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the Temple and their community.
This passage uses the strong metaphor of spiritual adultery to describe the unfaithfulness of two sisters, Oholah and Oholibah (representing Samaria and Jerusalem), to God through idolatry and unholy alliances, mirroring the 'whoredom' of the people described in Psalms 106:39.
Jeremiah 13:27Jeremiah directly confronts Judah with their own 'filthiness' and 'whoredom' of idolatry, stating 'I have seen your abominations, your adulteries, and your neighings, the lewdness of your prostitution on the hills in the field.' This echoes the declaration in Psalms 106:39 that their acts defiled them and led them to spiritual infidelity.
Hosea 2:2Hosea's prophecy vividly portrays God's people as an unfaithful wife who 'played the whore' with idols and foreign gods. This aligns with the theme of spiritual defilement and betrayal of their covenant relationship with God, as seen in Psalms 106:39.
Romans 6:21Paul contrasts the 'fruit' of sin, which leads to defilement and ultimately death, with the 'fruit' of righteousness. This passage offers a New Testament perspective on how our 'works' and 'deeds' (our 'inventions') can lead to spiritual contamination, similar to the outcome described in Psalms 106:39.
Galatians 5:19-21This passage lists 'sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these' as works of the flesh that lead to spiritual decay. It illustrates the kind of 'works' and 'deeds' that defile a person and are often associated with the spiritual 'whoredom' mentioned in Psalms 106:39.
clarkePsalms 106:39: "Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions."
And went a whoring - By fornication, whoredom, and idolatry, the Scripture often expresses idolatry and idolatrous acts. I have given the reason of this in other places. Besides being false to the true God, to whom they are represented as betrothed and married, (and their acts of idolatry were breaches of this solemn engagement), the worship of idols was frequently accompanied with variou…
pulpitPsalms 106:39: "Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions."
Verse 39. - Thus were they defiled with their own works. The heathen "works," which they adopted from them (ver. 35), had become "their own works," and made them a "defiled" and "polluted" people. And went a-whoring with their own inventions; i.e. "became spiritually adulterous," deserted God, and were unfaithful to him (comp. Ezekiel 23:2-21; Hosea 2:2-5).
The verse reveals that their sin wasn't just external actions, but a deep spiritual corruption where their own "inventions" and "works" – their flawed creations and choices – became the very things they pursued adulterously, turning their backs on God. This highlights how our own flawed reasoning and actions can become objects of devotion, leading us away from the truth.
The psalm is recounting Israel's repeated failures to obey God, moving from their wilderness wanderings to their experiences in the Promised Land. After failing to destroy the Canaanites as commanded, they began to adopt the nations' corrupt practices and idolatry. This verse highlights the spiritual impurity and betrayal that resulted from their assimilation and imitation of pagan customs.
The psalm is recounting Israel's repeated failures to obey God, moving from their wilderness wanderings to their experiences in the Promised Land. After failing to destroy the Canaanites as commanded, they began to adopt the nations' corrupt practices and idolatry. This verse highlights the spiritual impurity and betrayal that resulted from their assimilation and imitation of pagan customs.
"Thus they became unclean by their acts, and played the whore in their deeds. Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his heritage;" — The verse reveals that their sin wasn't just external actions, but a deep spiritual corruption where their own "inventions" and "works" – their flawed creations and choices – became the very things t…
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Last reviewed October 2026
