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S. Michael Houdmann
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An Asherah pole was a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the pagan goddess Asherah, also known as Astarte. While the exact appearance of an Asherah pole is s...
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Jack Croach
An Asherah pole is a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the Ugaritic mother goddess Asherah, consort of El. The relation of the literary references to an asherah and archaeological finds of Judaean pillar-figurines has engendered a literature of debate. Wikipedia › wiki › Asherah_pole When studying different versions of Gods word, we will notice various Interpretations of the words that we want to study.
Jack Gutknecht
Asherah poles refer to sacred wooden poles. The Hebrew term used here, asherim, derives from the name of the Canaanite goddess Asherah, who was associated with sexual fertility (Deut 7:5; 16:21; 2 Kgs 23:7). Micah 5:14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. In Micah 5:14 Asherahs refers to a wooden pole planted in honor of the Canaanite goddess Asherah. See note on Exod 34:13. 14 And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. Micah 5:14. groves … cities—The “groves” are the idolatrous symbol of Astarte (De 16:21; 2 Ki 21:7). “Cities” being parallel to “groves,” must mean cities in or near which such idolatrous groves existed. Compare “city of the house of Baal” (2 Ki 10:25), that is, a portion of the city sacred to Baal. Ryrie further comments on “groves” in Exodus 34:13 that they were “wooden symbols of Asherah, the foremost deity of the Canaanites and mother of Baal. Asherah was a leading deity of the Canaanite pantheon, wife/sister of El and goddess of fertility. She was commonly worshiped at shrines in or near groves of evergreen trees, or, failing that, at places marked by wooden poles. These were to be burned or cut down (Deut 12:3; 16:21; Judg 6:25, 28, 30; 2 Kgs 18:4). The Lord states that he will destroy these images, something the Israelites themselves should have done but failed to do. Ex 34:13 you will tear down their altars This command is reiterated in connection with the conquest of the promised land (see Ex 23:23-33; Deut 7:5; 12:3; Judg 2:2). stone pillars Compare Ex 23:24; Deut 7:5. Pagan deities in the Old Testament included Asherah, worshipped in Canaan (Deut 7:5; 16:21; Judg 6:25-30; 1 Kgs 15:13; 16:33; 18:19; 2 Kgs 13:6; 17:16; 18:4; 21:3, 7; 23:4-15; 2 Chr 15:16, etc.)
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