Deuteronomy 12:3
in Deuteronomy 12Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and burn their Asherim with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods; and ye shall destroy their name out of that place.
KJV
And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 12
Commentary
8 notes on this verseYe shall overthrow their altars - Where unholy sacrifices have been offered; and break their pillars, probably meaning statues and representations of their gods cut out of stone; and burn their groves, such as those about the temple of Ashtaroth, the Canaanitish Venus, whose impure rites were practiced in different parts of the enclosures or groves round her temples; and ye shall hew down the graven images, probably implying all images carved out of wood; and destroy the names of them, which were no doubt at first graven on the stones, and carved on the trees, and then applied to the surrounding districts.
This site's exposition
These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe
on Deuteronomy 12:1-3
This verse opens the body of the covenant, and chapters 12 to 26 work through the particulars that chapters 5 to 11 charged in general. The first command is demolition, with altars overthrown, pillars broken, groves burnt, images hewn down and the names of the gods destroyed out of the place. Upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree becomes the standing description of Canaanite worship, and the books of Kings use that formula to report Israel building the same shrines anyway, at 1 Kings 14:23 and 2 Kings 17:10.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Augustine of HippoSERMONS ON NEW TESTAMENT LESSONS 12.17 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Give no credit to their words, neither be afraid of them. They say that we are enemies of their idols. So be it; may God give them all into our power, as he has already given us what we have broken down. For I say this, beloved, that you may not attempt to overcome those which it is not lawfully in your power to overcome. It is the way of ill-regulated men and the mad Circumcelliones to be violent when they have no power and to be ever eager to die without cause. You heard what we read to you, all of you who were present in the Mappalia: 2 "When the land shall have been given into your power"—he says first "into your power" and so enjoins what is to be done—"then you shall destroy their altars and break in pieces their groves, and hew down all their images." When the power has not been given us, do not do it; when it is given, do not neglect it.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The kingdom of God must be set up, both in persons and places, upon the ruins of the devil's kingdom; for they cannot stand together, nor can there be any communion between Christ and Belial. They are charged not to transfer the rites and usages of idolaters into he worship of God; no, not under colour of beautifying and improving it (
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And you shall overthrow their altars,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
And ye shall overthrow their altars--piles of turf or small stones. and break their pillars--Before the art of sculpture was known, the statues of idols were only rude blocks of colored stones.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
And ye shall overthrow their altars--piles of turf or small stones. and break their pillars--Before the art of sculpture was known, the statues of idols were only rude blocks of colored stones.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Their groves - Render their idols of wood: and see the Deu 7:5 note.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנִתַּצְתֶּ֣ם | venitatztem | and you will break down | H5422 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִזְבּחֹתָ֗ם | mizbchotam | altars their | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם֙ | veshibartem | and you will shatter | H7665 → | 147 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מַצֵּ֣בֹתָ֔ם | matzevotam | sacred pillars their | H4676 → | 32 times |
| וַאֲשֵֽׁרֵיהֶם֙ | vaashereihem | and Asherah poles their | H842 → | 40 times |
| תִּשְׂרְפ֣וּן | tisrefun | you will burn ! | H8313 → | 117 times |
| בָּאֵ֔שׁ | baesh | with <the> fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| וּפְסִילֵ֥י | ufesilei | and [the] images of | H6456 → | 23 times |
| אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם | ʾeloheihem | gods their | H430 → | 2601 times |
| תְּגַדֵּע֑וּן | tegadeun | you will cut down ! | H1438 → | |
| וְאִבַּדְתֶּ֣ם | veibadtem | and you will destroy | H6 → | 184 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שְׁמָ֔ם | shemam | name their | H8034 → | 864 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַמָּק֖וֹם | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| הַהֽוּא׃ | hahu' | <the> that | H1931 → | 1879 times |
וְנִתַּצְתֶּ֣םand you will break down
venitatztemH5422 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִזְבּחֹתָ֗םaltars their
mizbchotamH4196 →401 times
וְשִׁבַּרְתֶּם֙and you will shatter
veshibartemH7665 →147 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מַצֵּ֣בֹתָ֔םsacred pillars their
matzevotamH4676 →32 times
וַאֲשֵֽׁרֵיהֶם֙and Asherah poles their
vaashereihemH842 →40 times
תִּשְׂרְפ֣וּןyou will burn !
tisrefunH8313 →117 times
בָּאֵ֔שׁwith <the> fire
baeshH784 →378 times
וּפְסִילֵ֥יand [the] images of
ufesileiH6456 →23 times
אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖םgods their
ʾeloheihemH430 →2601 times
תְּגַדֵּע֑וּןyou will cut down !
tegadeunH1438 →
וְאִבַּדְתֶּ֣םand you will destroy
veibadtemH6 →184 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שְׁמָ֔םname their
shemamH8034 →864 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַמָּק֖וֹםthe place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
הַהֽוּא׃<the> that
hahu'H1931 →1879 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 16:4Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:13
Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Joshua 23:7
So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or…
- Psalms 32:10
Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but loving devotion surrounds him who trusts in the LORD.
- Psalms 97:7
All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
- Jonah 2:8
Those who cling to worthless idols forsake His loving devotion.
- Exodus 23:13
Through
Numbers 33:52you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 26:1
“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am…
- Exodus 23:24
Through
Deuteronomy 7:5Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:2–3
Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 12:2–3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, SERMONS ON NEW TESTAMENT LESSONS 12.17; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.