Groves

How Nave’s arranged it

• Translated in R. V. as "Asherod," "Ashera," and "Asherim."
• They were symbols of the Phoenician goddess, Asherah)
• See Ashtoreth
• Forbidden to be establishedDeuteronomy 16:21Isaiah 1:29Isaiah 17:8Isaiah 27:9Micah 5:14
• Worshiped by IsraelitesJudges 3:71 Kings 14:151 Kings 14:231 Kings 15:131 Kings 18:192 Kings 13:62 Kings 17:102 Kings 17:162 Kings 21:3–72 Chronicles 24:18Jeremiah 17:2
• Destroyed by
• GideonJudges 6:28
• Hezekiah2 Kings 18:4
• Josiah2 Kings 23:142 Chronicles 34:32 Chronicles 34:4
• Asa2 Chronicles 14:3
• Jehoshaphat2 Chronicles 17:62 Chronicles 19:3
• See Idolatry

The passages, in Bible order (24)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Deuteronomy 16:21

   Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God,

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 16:211 voice

   “Thou shalt not plant thee a grove, etc. - We have already seen that groves were planted about idol temples for the purpose of the obscene worship performed in them. (See on Deu 12:3 (note)). On this account God would have no groves or thickets about his altar, that there might be no room for suspicion that any thing contrary to the strictest purity was transacted there. Every part of the Divine worship was publicly performed, for the purpose of general edification.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 16:21→

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2. Judges 3:7

   So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.

   ›Commentary on Judges 3:71 voice

   “Served Baalim and the groves - No groves were ever worshipped, but the deities who were supposed to be resident in them; and in many cases temples and altars were built in groves, and the superstition of consecrating groves and woods to the honor of the deities was a practice very usual with the ancients. Pliny assures us that trees, in old times, served for the temples of the gods. Tacitus reports this custom of the old Germans; Quintus Curtius, of the Indians; and Caesar, and our old writers, mention the same of the Druids in Britain.

   Everything gathered on Judges 3:7→

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3. Judges 6:28

   When the men of the city got up in the morning, there was Baal’s altar torn down, with the Asherah pole cut down beside it and the second bull offered up on the newly built altar.

   ›Commentary on Judges 6:281 voice

   “The second bullock was offered - It appears that the second bullock was offered because it was just seven years old, Jdg 6:25, being calved about the time that the Midianitish oppression began; and it was now to be slain to indicate that their slavery should end with its life. The young bullock, Jdg 6:25, is supposed to have been offered for a peace-offering; the bullock of seven years old, for a burnt-offering.

   Everything gathered on Judges 6:28→

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4. 1 Kings 14:15

   For the LORD will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that He gave their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking the LORD to anger.

   ›Commentary on 1 Kings 14:151 voice

   “The general prophecy of Moses Deu 29:28, that the disobedient Israelites would be rooted up out of their land, and cast into another land, is here for the first time repeated, and is definitively applied to the ten tribes, which are to be removed “beyond the river” (the Euphrates, 1Ki 4:21, 1Ki 4:24), and “scattered.” On the fulfillment of this prophecy, and especially on the “scattering” of the ten tribes, see 2Ki 17:6 note. Groves - See Exo 34:13 note.

   Everything gathered on 1 Kings 14:15→

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5. 1 Kings 14:23

   They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

   ›Commentary on 1 Kings 14:231 voice

   “The words “they also” are emphatic. Not only did the Israelites make themselves high places 1Ki 12:31; 1Ki 13:32, but the people of Judah also. The “high places,” which are said to have been “built,” were probably small shrines or tabernacles hung with bright-colored tapestry Eze 16:16, like the “sacred tent” of the Carthaginians. The “images” were rather “pillars” (Gen 28:18 note). Groves - See 1Ki 14:15, note.

   Everything gathered on 1 Kings 14:23→

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6. 1 Kings 15:13

   He also removed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother because she had made a detestable Asherah pole. Asa chopped down the pole and burned it in the Kidron Valley.

   ›Commentary on 1 Kings 15:131 voice

   “Furthermore, the adversary tempted Job through his children and his possessions, and when he could not prevail over him, he went and brought against him his armor, and he came, bringing with him a daughter of Eve, who had caused Adam to sink, and through her mouth he said to Job, her righteous husband, "Curse God." But Job rejected her counsel. King Asa also conquered the Accursed-of-life, when he wished to come in against him, through his mother.

   Everything gathered on 1 Kings 15:13→

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7. 1 Kings 18:19

   Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

   ›Commentary on 1 Kings 18:192 voices

   "Have all Israel assemble for me at Mount Carmel." Now, it is amazing how the king obeyed Elijah, who asked him for a general gathering of the people; and how also the people obeyed him humbly, even though he bitterly reproached them for their evil …

   “Carmel (Jos 12:22 note) was chosen by the prophet as the scene of the gathering to which he invited, or rather summoned, Ahab. Its thick jungles of copse and numerous dwarf-oaks and olives, would furnish abundant wood for his intended sacrifice. Here was a perennial fountain; and here again an ancient “altar of the Lord” 1Ki 18:30, belonging probably to the old times of non-idolatrous high-place worship - perhaps an erection of one of the patriarchs.

   Everything gathered on 1 Kings 18:19→

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8. 2 Kings 13:6

   Nevertheless, they did not turn away from the sins that the house of Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit, but they continued to walk in them. The Asherah pole even remained standing in Samaria.

   ›Commentary on 2 Kings 13:62 voices

   “Nevertheless, they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin, but walked therein,.... Continued to worship the calves still, which was an instance of great ingratitude; the Syriac and Arabic versions read, "he departed not"; Jehoahaz the king: and there remained the grove in Samaria; which Ahab made there, 1Ki 16:33, neither Jehu nor his son had it cut down, though Baal was destroyed.

   “The grove also in Samaria - Asherah, or Astarte, remained in Samaria, and there was she worshipped, with all her abominable rites.

   Everything gathered on 2 Kings 13:6→

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9. 2 Kings 17:10

   They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

   Verse page →Original language →

10. 2 Kings 17:16

    They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 17:161 voice

    “In 2Ki 17:10 there is a reference to the old high-place worship, which was professedly a worship of Yahweh, but with unauthorized rites and emblems; here the reference is to Ahab’s setting up a grove to Baal in the city of Samaria (marginal reference). And worshipped all the host of heaven - Astral worship has not hitherto been mentioned as practiced by the Israelites. Moses had warned against it Deu 4:19; Deu 17:3, so that it no doubt existed in his day, either among the Canaanite nations or among the Arabians Job 31:26-

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 17:16→

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11. 2 Kings 18:4

    He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 18:41 voice

    “Brake in pieces the brazen serpent - The history of this may be seen in Num 21:8 (note), Num 21:9 (note). We find that this brazen serpent had become an object of idolatry, and no doubt was supposed to possess, as a telesm or amulet, extraordinary virtues, and that incense was burnt before it which should have been burnt before the true God. And he called it Nehushtan - נהשתן. Not one of the versions has attempted to translate this word.

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 18:4→

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12. 2 Kings 21:3–7

    For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 21:3–71 voice

    “The first step in the re-establishment of idolatry seems to have been the restoration of the high places where Yahweh was professedly worshipped 2Ki 18:22, but with idolatrous rites 1Ki 14:23. The next was to re-introduce the favorite idolatry of Israel, Baal-worship, which had formerly flourished in Judaea under Athaliah 2Ki 11:18, and Ahaz 2Ch 28:2. After this, Manasseh seems to have especially affected Sabaism, which had been previously unknown in Judaea (compare 2Ki 17:16 and note).

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 21:3–7→

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13. 2 Kings 23:14

    He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones.

    ›Commentary on 2 Kings 23:141 voice

    “And he brake in pieces the images,.... Of Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Milcom, in the above high places; which as these high places had been rebuilt by Manasseh or Amon, so new images of these deities were placed there: and cut down the groves; in which they were set: and filled their places with the bones of men; of idolatrous priests and worshippers, buried in parts adjacent; these he dug up and scattered in the high places and groves to defile them, bones of the dead being by law unclean, Num 19:15.

    Everything gathered on 2 Kings 23:14→

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14. 2 Chronicles 14:3

    He removed the foreign altars and high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and chopped down the Asherah poles.

    Verse page →Original language →

15. 2 Chronicles 17:6

    And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

    ›Commentary on 2 Chronicles 17:62 voices

    “Of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, it is written, "And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, who walked in the first ways of David, his father." From this it is clear that Jehoshaphat possessed the justice that David first possessed and that he did not commit the sins that David later committed. "He trusted not in Baalim," he says, "but in the God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not according to the sins of Israel. And the Lord established the kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought presents to Jehoshaphat.

    “His heart was lifted up - This expression generally occurs in a bad sense Deu 8:14; 2Ch 26:16; Psa 131:1; Pro 18:12; but here it must be taken differently. The margin “was encouraged” expresses fairly the true meaning. He first began by setting an example of faithfulness to Yahweh. He then proceeded to use his best endeavors to extirpate idolatry. He took away the high places - Compare 2Ch 20:33, and see the 2Ch 15:17 note.

    Everything gathered on 2 Chronicles 17:6→

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16. 2 Chronicles 19:3

    However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.”

    ›Commentary on 2 Chronicles 19:31 voice

    If you see your neighbor committing sin, take care not to dwell exclusively on his sin, but think of the many things he has done and continues to do rightly. Many times, by examining the whole and not taking the part only into account, you will find that he is better than you. God does not examine humans according to the part, for he says, "I come to gather together their works and thoughts."

    Everything gathered on 2 Chronicles 19:3→

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