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The LORD Renews the Covenant
…12Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst.13Rather,you must tear downtheir altars,smashtheir sacred stones,and chop downtheir Asherah poles.14For you must not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.…

Treasury of Scripture

But you shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:

ye shall

Exodus 23:24
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

Deuteronomy 7:5,25,26
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire…

Deuteronomy 12:2,3
Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: …

images.

AltarsAsherahAsherahsAsherimAshe'rimBreakBrokenCutDashDemolishDestroyGrovesHewImagesOverturnedPiecesPillarsPolesRatherSacredShatterShiverShrinesSmashStandingStatuesStonesTearAltarsAsherahAsherahsAsherimAshe'rimBreakBrokenCutDashDemolishDestroyGrovesHewImagesOverturnedPiecesPillarsPolesRatherSacredShatterShiverShrinesSmashStandingStatuesStonesTear1.The tablets are replaced
5.The name of the Lord proclaimed
8.Moses entreats God to go with them
10.God makes a covenant with them, repeating certain duties
28.Moses after forty days on the mount, comes down with the tablets
29.His face is radiant, and he covers it with a veil

Rather, you must tear down their altars
This command is given to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. The altars refer to the places of worship used by the Canaanites for their pagan rituals. The directive to tear them down underscores the importance of removing any temptation to idolatry and ensuring the purity of worship dedicated solely to Yahweh. This act symbolizes a complete rejection of Canaanite religious practices and a commitment to the covenant relationship with God. The destruction of altars is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, emphasizing the need for exclusive devotion to God (Deuteronomy 7:5,Judges 6:25-26).

smash their sacred stones
Sacred stones, or "standing stones," were often used in Canaanite religious practices as symbols of deities or as memorials for significant events. The command to smash these stones highlights the need to eliminate any physical representation of false gods, which could lead the Israelites astray. This action is a physical demonstration of the spiritual warfare against idolatry and the need to uphold the holiness of God. The destruction of these stones is a reminder of the first and second commandments, which prohibit the worship of other gods and the making of idols (Exodus 20:3-4).

and chop down their Asherah poles
Asherah poles were wooden symbols associated with the worship of the goddess Asherah, a prominent deity in the Canaanite pantheon. These poles were often placed near altars and were integral to fertility rites and other pagan ceremonies. The command to chop them down signifies the eradication of any influence that could corrupt the Israelites' worship of Yahweh. This act is not only about physical destruction but also about purifying the land from spiritual defilement. The removal of Asherah poles is echoed in the reforms of faithful kings like Hezekiah and Josiah, who sought to restore true worship in Israel (2 Kings 18:4,2 Kings 23:14).

1.Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the commandments from God on Mount Sinai. He is the central human figure in this account, acting as the mediator between God and the people.

2.The Israelites
The chosen people of God, who are being instructed on how to live in the Promised Land without falling into idolatry.

3.Canaan
The land that God promised to the Israelites, which was inhabited by various pagan nations whose religious practices were contrary to the worship of Yahweh.

4.Asherah Poles
Wooden symbols associated with the worship of the Canaanite goddess Asherah, representing idolatrous practices that God commanded the Israelites to destroy.

5.Altars and Sacred Stones
Structures used in pagan worship that were prevalent in Canaanite religious practices, which God instructed the Israelites to demolish to maintain purity in worship.Purity in Worship
God demands exclusive worship and the removal of anything that competes with or corrupts devotion to Him. Believers today must examine their lives for modern "idols" that may detract from their relationship with God.

Obedience to God's Commands
The Israelites were called to act decisively against idolatry. Christians are similarly called to obey God's Word, even when it requires difficult or counter-cultural actions.

Spiritual Warfare
The physical destruction of pagan symbols in the Old Testament reflects the spiritual battle believers face today. Christians must be vigilant in identifying and dismantling spiritual strongholds in their lives.

Holiness and Separation
God’s command to destroy pagan altars underscores the importance of holiness and being set apart for God. Believers are called to live distinctively, reflecting God's character in a world that often opposes His ways.Top 10 Lessons from Exodus 34

What are the Sacred Pillars?

What are the Sacred Pillars?

In Deuteronomy 12:2-4, how does the command to destroy all pagan worship sites fit with archaeological findings that some Canaanite altars appear to have remained in use?

Deuteronomy 21:18-21: Does the mandate to stone a rebellious son conflict with the commandment against murder (Exodus 20:13)?(13)Ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves.--In the "Book of the Covenant" the command had been simply to "quite break down their images" (Exodus 23:24). Now, after the Israelites had displayed their idolatrous leanings, it is added that they are likewise to destroy the "altars" and the "groves." Altars were common among all the idolatrous nations, sometimes attached to temples (1Kings 16:32;2Kings 21:4-5), sometimes separate from them (Numbers 23:1;Numbers 23:29;2Kings 16:10-11), and were used for much the same purposes as the Hebrew altars:i.e.,for sacrifices, bloody and unbloody, and for burning incense. "Groves"--here mentioned for the first time--were peculiar to a limited number of nations, as the Assyrians, Babylonians, Ph?nicians, Syrians, and a few others. They appear to have been artificial constructions, either of wood or stone, or both, imitative of vegetable forms, and probably emblematic of the productive powers of nature. The worship connected with the "groves" was of a peculiarly gross and licentious character. The very name,asherah,was a modification of Ashtoreth, or Astarte. It is remarkable that nothing is said of destroying Canaannite temples--an indication that as yet they did not exist, and a mark of the high antiquity of the book. . . .Verse 13. -Yeshall destroy their altars, etc. This command is more sweeping than the corresponding one in the "Book of the Covenant" (Exodus 23:24), which expressly mentions only the "images." Here the destruction of idol-altars and idol-groves is further commanded. On idol-altars, seeNumbers 23:1, 29;Judges 2:2;1 Kings 16:32;1 Kings 18:26, etc.Groves are here for the first time mentioned. They appear to have been artificial constructions, either of wood or metal, or both, more or less imitative of trees, and regarded as emblems of the Oriental nature-deities, especially Baal and Astarte or Ashtoreth. The word translated "grove" (asherah) is a modification of the name Ashtoreth. The well-known "sacred tree" of the Assyrians is probably anasherah.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Rather,
כִּ֤י(kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588:A relative conjunction

you must tear down
תִּתֹּצ֔וּן(tit·tō·ṣūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 5422:To pull down, break down

their altars,
מִזְבְּחֹתָם֙(miz·bə·ḥō·ṯām)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4196:An altar

smash
תְּשַׁבֵּר֑וּן(tə·šab·bê·rūn)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 7665:To break, break in pieces

their sacred stones,
מַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם(maṣ·ṣê·ḇō·ṯām)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4676:Something stationed, a column, an idol

and chop down
תִּכְרֹתֽוּן׃(tiḵ·rō·ṯūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 3772:To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

their Asherah poles.
אֲשֵׁרָ֖יו(’ă·šê·rāw)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 842:A Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same


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OT Law: Exodus 34:13 But you shall break down their altars (Exo. Ex)