Deuteronomy 16:21 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 16:21 Commentary: The Asherah Pole and Pure Worship
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does God forbid planting an Asherah pole beside His altar?
Research Summary
- Meaning: The prohibition of planting an Asherah pole beside God's altar to prevent idolatry and syncretism.
- Key words: Asherah (carved wooden pole), plant (establish), altar (place of sacrifice to Yahweh).
- Main debate: Whether Asherah refers to a grove of trees (KJV) or a carved wooden pole (modern scholarship).
- Theological theme: Purity of worship, separation from pagan practices, exclusive covenant loyalty.
- Best use: A charge to examine our worship for syncretistic elements and a call to undivided devotion to God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God,
WEB World English Bible 2000
You shall not plant for yourselves an Asherah of any kind of tree beside Yahweh your God’s altar, which you shall make for yourselves.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Thou dost not plant for thee a shrine of any trees near the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou makest for thyself,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou shalt not plant thyself an Asherah of any wood near unto the altar of Jehovah thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou shalt plant no grove, nor any tree near the altar of the Lord thy God:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No te plantarás bosque de ningún árbol cerca del altar de Jehová tu Dios, que tú te habrás hecho.
Não plantarás árvore que sirva de mastro de idolatria junto ao altar do SENHOR, teu Deus, que fizeres para ti.
Tu ne fixeras aucune idole de bois à côté de l’ autel que tu élèveras à l’ Éternel, ton Dieu.
Du sollst keinen Hain von Bäumen pflanzen bei dem Altar des HERRN, deines Gottes, den du dir machst.
Gij zult u geen bos planten van enig geboomte, bij het altaar des HEEREN, uws Gods, dat gij u maken zult.
Non pianterai alcun idolo d’Astarte, di qualsivoglia specie di legno, allato all’altare che edificherai all’Eterno, ch’è il tuo Dio;
Nie sadź sobie gaju z żadnego drzewa przy ołtarzu Pana, Boga twego, który sobie zbudujesz.
Не сади себе рощи из каких—либо дерев при жертвеннике Господа, Бога твоего, который ты сделаешь себе,
「你為耶和華─你的 神 築壇， 不可 在壇 旁 栽 甚麼 樹木 作為木偶。
Let no holy tree of any sort be planted by the altar of the Lord your God which you will make.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 16:21
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse prohibits the erection of an Asherah, a wooden symbol of the Canaanite goddess Astarte, beside Yahweh’s altar. Barnes and Keil & Delitzsch argue that the word 'Asherah' cannot mean a grove (as in KJV) because verbs like 'make,' 'set up,' and 'build' are used of it elsewhere (1 Kings 14:15; 2 Kings 17:16). The verb 'plant' (נָטַע) is figurative for placing the pole. Calvin sees the command as part of the Second Commandment, guarding against the common pagan practice of sacred groves. Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that the prohibition prevents even the appearance of idolatry and any syncretistic mixing of worship. The underlying purpose is to keep Israel’s worship of Yahweh pure, separate from the fertility cults of Canaan.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God absolutely forbids placing any symbol of pagan worship near His altar; worship of Yahweh must be exclusive and untainted by syncretism.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of Asherah | Most scholars agree it refers to a cult object made of wood. | Older translations (KJV, Douay-Rheims) render it as 'grove', while modern versions understand it as a carved pole or trunk. |
| Altar referred to | Commentators agree it refers to an altar of Yahweh. | Some (Cambridge Bible) take it as the central sanctuary altar; others see it as any legitimate altar where Yahweh is worshipped. |
| Purpose of prohibition | All traditions see it as guarding the purity of worship. | Calvin emphasizes avoiding the appearance of idolatry; Keil & Delitzsch focus on the symbolic incompatibility of Asherah with Yahweh's presence. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, Canaanite religion centered on fertility gods like Baal and Asherah. Worshippers set up carved wooden poles, called asherim, beside altars as symbols of the goddess. These poles were often trunks of trees stripped of branches, planted in the ground, and placed near stone altars or pillars. The practice was widespread, and the poles themselves were considered embodiments of the deity’s presence.
Deuteronomy 16:21 appears in a section that begins with instructions for judges and officers (v. 18) and continues with warnings against idolatry. The context links pure worship with just governance: a society’s devotion to God shapes its legal system. Moses gave these commands as Israel prepared to enter a land thick with Canaanite shrines. The prohibition against planting an Asherah near Yahweh’s altar was a direct counter to the surrounding culture. As Calvin notes, the command guards against 'a sinful medley' of practices.
The verse also carries a literary tie to earlier commands in Exodus 34:13 and Deuteronomy 7:5, where Israel is told to cut down the Asherim of the nations. Here the focus is internal: Israel must not plant what they were told to cut down. The command underscores that Yahweh’s altar alone is the place of sacrifice and prayer; nothing man-made or syncretistic can stand beside it.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 16:21. The verse is well-preserved across manuscripts, and the meaning is straightforward.
Reception History
From the early church, this verse was quoted to argue against mixing pagan symbols with Christian worship. During the Reformation, Calvin cited it to support his teaching on the Second Commandment and to oppose placing images in churches. Jewish tradition consistently understood the Asherah as an object of idolatry, and rabbinic interpretations applied the prohibition to any tree planted near an altar for religious purposes. In modern times, the verse has been used to challenge Christians to examine their worship for any imported practices that compromise exclusive allegiance to Christ. It remains a key text for discussions on contextualization and the boundaries of inculturating the gospel.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Danger of Syncretism: Israel was tempted to blend Yahweh worship with Canaanite practices. Planting an Asherah near the altar was an attempt to serve two masters.
- The Temptation of Familiar Forms: Asherah poles were familiar religious objects. The prohibition warns against adopting forms of worship that feel natural but actually undermine fidelity to God.
- The Call to Exclusive Devotion: The altar belongs to Yahweh alone. Pure worship requires removing anything that competes for the heart’s allegiance.
Five-point outline
- God commands exclusive worship (Exodus 20:3).
- He forbids imitating pagan practices (Deuteronomy 12:30, 31).
- The Asherah symbol of fertility worship was a direct challenge to dependence on Yahweh.
- The altar is the place of covenant meeting; nothing humanly devised can share that space.
- Purity of worship leads to blessing in the land (Deuteronomy 16:20).
Illustration hooks
- A gardener plants a vigorous weed next to a prized rose bush. At first it looks harmless, but soon the weed chokes the rose. Something that seems compatible can destroy pure growth.
- A couple wears wedding rings but also carries a “good luck” charm from a different tradition. The gesture divides loyalty. The Asherah pole was that kind of divided loyalty set in stone and wood.
- A church adds a meditation practice from another religion to attract visitors, without examining its roots. Over time the practice reshapes the congregation’s view of God.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean we cannot have trees on church property?
- What counts as an “Asherah” in modern life, how do I identify things that compete with worship?
- How do we guard against mixing cultural traditions with Christian worship without becoming hostile to culture?
Leading a Discussion
This verse challenges us to examine what we might be placing beside our worship of God, habits, traditions, or influences that dilute pure devotion. The Asherah pole was a specific object, but the principle extends to anything that competes for the place only God should hold.
Discussion questions
- What does the word “Asherah” mean, and what physical form did it take? (Observation)
- Why do you think God gave such a specific command about where a tree or pole could stand? (Interpretation)
- In what ways might Christians today unconsciously mix other loyalties with worship of God? (Application)
- How can the church protect against syncretism without becoming isolated from the surrounding culture?
- How does the prohibition here connect with the call for justice in the preceding verses (Deuteronomy 16:18, 20)?
- What “trees” do we need to uproot in our own hearts, anything that has taken a place near the altar of our devotion?
- How does maintaining pure worship affect the health of a community, both then and now?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 34:13 | but you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and you shall cut down their Asherah poles; |
| Deuteronomy 7:5 | But you shall deal with them like this: you shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their engraved images with fire. |
| Judges 3:7 | The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. |
| I Kings 14:15 | For Yahweh will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and he will root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking Yahweh to anger. |
| I Kings 16:33 | Ahab made the Asherah; and Ahab did more yet to provoke Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. |
| II Kings 17:16 | They abandoned all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal. |
| II Kings 21:3 | For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he raised up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel did, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them. |
| II Chronicles 33:3 | For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he raised up altars for the Baals, made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that groves were associated with idol temples and their obscene worship. God forbade planting any grove near His altar to prevent even the suspicion of such impurity. Every part of divine worship was to be
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes corrects the King James rendering of "grove," explaining Asherah was actually a carved wooden idol, not a living tree. This mistranslation obscures the text's clear prohibition against setting up such false religious symbols, distinct from any natural plant.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads this command as a safeguard against the widespread pagan practice of worshipping in sacred groves, linking it directly to the Second Commandment's ban on strange rites. His distinctive concern is that Israel's constant temptation to imitate the Gentiles would produce a corrupt mixture, a danger the prophets later denounced as spiritual harlotry under every green tree.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary highlights that standing stones (masseboth) were once used in legitimate worship of Yahweh by figures like Jacob and Moses, but Deuteronomy forbids them alongside the Asherah pole. The Asherah, representing a female deity, was never sanctioned for Israel's worship of Yahweh.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note explains that God forbids planting any grove of trees near His altar because such groves were used by pagans for idol worship. The command ensures that the worship of the Lord remains pure and is not mixed with anything associated with false religion.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill explains that the command forbids planting any grove near the Lord's altar, not because planting trees is wrong, but to prevent even the appearance of idolatry. Since pagan peoples planted groves beside their altars, Israel must avoid any practice that might be confused with superstitious worship.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the word "grove" in Scripture can refer to a group of trees, an altar site, or a wooden idol. Such groves were allowed near temporary wilderness altars but forbidden at the tabernacle or temple. Their strong association with idolatry is why Israel was prohibited from planting them.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the asherah was not a living tree or grove but a man-made wooden column. They point out that the Hebrew verbs used for setting it up fit an object, not a tree. The fact that it was placed under or beside green trees confirms it was a separate structure.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the command to appoint judges in every town as a gracious provision from God, bringing justice close to the people so it could be swift and inexpensive. He considers this arrangement a great mercy and a pattern for which Christians today should be thankful.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley sees the command against planting certain trees as a safeguard, not a mere agricultural rule. The practice was so linked to idol-worship that doing the same action could draw God's people back into that sin.