Deuteronomy 12:3

Translations

Modern

Tear 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.

Traditional

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.

Literal

And you shall break down their altars and smash their pillars, and their Asherah poles you shall burn with the fire, and the carved images of their gods you shall cut down, and you shall destroy their names from that place.

Latin

Dissipate aras eorum, et confringite statuas: lucos igne comburite, et idola comminuite: disperdite nomina eorum de locis illis.

Original

Hebrew

English

Tear 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.

Notes

Deuteronomy 12:3

sacred pillars: See study note on 7:5.
Asherah poles: They dedicated these wooden poles to the mother goddess, Asherah. They were the feminine counterpart to the sacred pillar.
wipe out their names: Destroying all idols and traces of pagan worship would lead to the names of these gods being forgotten. Future generations would not know about them (see also study note on 7:24).

Theme notes and profiles

Ancient Law Codes

Related verses

Zechariah 13:2
And on that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, I will erase the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered. I will also remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land.
Numbers 33:52
…you 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.
Judges 2:2
…and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
Psalm 16:4
Sorrows will multiply to those who chase other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood, or speak their names with my lips.
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.
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.
Micah 5:14
I will root out the Asherah poles from your midst and demolish your cities.
Revelation 13:1
Then I saw a beast with ten horns and seven heads rising out of the sea. There were ten royal crowns on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads.
2 Chronicles 31:1
When all this had ended, the Israelites in attendance went out to the cities of Judah and broke up the sacred pillars, chopped down the Asherah poles, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah and Benjamin, as well as in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own property.
Hosea 2:17
For I will remove from her lips the names of the Baals; no longer will their names be invoked.
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.”
Jeremiah 17:2
Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles by the green trees and on the high hills.

People

Asherah: Canaanite goddess; associated with wooden poles, idolatry

Glossary

Archaeology and the Bible Biblical Concept of Law Covenant Deuteronomy, Book of Elephantine Papyri Grove High Place Kings, Books of First and Second Tithe, Tithing

Topics

Groves of Canaanites, to be Destroyed Iconoclasm: Idols to be Destroyed Pillar: Monuments of Idolatry, to be Destroyed

Deuteronomy 12:3

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