Deuteronomy 16:21
in Deuteronomy 16Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
KJV
Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 16
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThou 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.
This site's exposition
Thou shalt not plant thee a grove
on Deuteronomy 16:21-22
These two verses turn from the courts back to the altar, and 17:1 carries the same subject on with the rule about a blemished sacrifice. Grove translates asherah, which names a Canaanite goddess and the wooden pole that stood for her, and the King James follows the Septuagint in rendering it by the plantation around the shrine. Image in verse 22 is the standing pillar, which Jamieson, Fausset and Brown give as the sense, and it is the same word used of the stone Jacob set up and anointed at Genesis 28:18 and 35:14. What one patriarch raised as a memorial is here a thing which the LORD thy God hateth, and Clarke reads the ban on both as keeping the worship of God in open sight.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the L ORD thy God giveth thee: 6 But at the place which the L ORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:93%@v5-6
Thou shall not plant thee a grove of any trees,....
They made groves the places of their worship either to make it secret (but that which is true and good desires the light rather), or to make it solemn, but the worship of the true God has enough in itself to make it so and needs not the advantage of such a circumstance.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִטַּ֥ע | tita' | you will plant | H5193 → | 58 times |
| לְךָ֛ | lekha | for yourself | ||
| אֲשֵׁרָ֖ה | ʾasherah | an Asherah pole | H842 → | 40 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עֵ֑ץ | ʾetz | tree | H6086 → | 328 times |
| אֵ֗צֶל | ʾetzel | beside | H681 → | |
| מִזְבַּ֛ח | mizbach | [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| יְהוָ֥ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תַּעֲשֶׂה־ | taaseh- | you will make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| לָּֽךְ׃ ס | lakh | for yourself |
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִטַּ֥עyou will plant
tita'H5193 →58 times
לְךָ֛for yourself
lekha
אֲשֵׁרָ֖הan Asherah pole
ʾasherahH842 →40 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
עֵ֑ץtree
ʾetzH6086 →328 times
אֵ֗צֶלbeside
ʾetzelH681 →
מִזְבַּ֛ח[the] altar of
mizbachH4196 →401 times
יְהוָ֥הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תַּעֲשֶׂה־you will make
taaseh-H6213 →2628 times
לָּֽךְ׃ סfor yourself
lakh
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
Exodus 34:13Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.
it leads to
- 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…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 7:5
Instead, 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.
- Deuteronomy 7:25–26
You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it…
- 2 Kings 18:4
Through
2 Chronicles 33:3For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 17:3
and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 17:3
Through
2 Kings 17:16They 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…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:19
When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 12:28
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out…
- Deuteronomy 4:19
Through
1 Kings 16:33Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.
it leads to
- 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.
- 2 Kings 13:6
Through
2 Kings 21:3For 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…
it leads to
- 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…
- 2 Kings 17:16
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.