Exodus 34:13 Meaning: What Were Asherah Poles?
but you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and you shall cut down their Asherah poles;
But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
but ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and ye shall cut down their Asherim;
for their altars ye break down, and their standing pillars ye shiver, and its shrines ye cut down;
but ye shall demolish their altars, shatter their statues, and hew down their Asherahs.
Meaning in one sentence
What were the 'Asherah poles' in Exodus 34:13? Why did God command Israel to destroy them? A look at the meaning and covenant context.
Context
This verse comes in the middle of a covenant renewal. God had just forgiven Israel for the golden calf. Now He is giving them instructions for living as His people in the land they will enter. The surrounding verses warn against making agreements with the Canaanites. Those nations worshiped other gods at altars, stone pillars, and wooden poles. God tells Israel to tear down every sign of that worship. The reason comes in the next verse: because Yahweh is a jealous God who wants His people for Himself alone.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words describe what Israel must destroy. Mizbeach is an altar, the place where sacrifices were offered. Matstsevah is a standing stone or pillar, often set up as a memorial or a marker of sacred space. Asherah is the most specific term. It refers to a wooden pole or post that represented the Canaanite goddess Asherah. These poles stood beside altars and were objects of worship in themselves. The verbs are forceful: natats means to tear down, shavar means to break in pieces, and karat means to cut down. This is not gentle removal. It is a clear break with everything that competes for the devotion that belongs to God alone.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this verse as a call to exclusive loyalty to God. The Cambridge Bible notes that the Asherah was likely an emblem of a Semitic goddess. Matthew Henry sees it as part of the covenant relationship: God will not share His people. Most commentators agree the command was specific to ancient Israel entering a land filled with idolatry. Some traditions read it as a model for removing anything in our lives that takes the place of God. Others caution against applying it literally to other people or their property. Both readings seek to honor the core truth: God requires our whole hearts.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to think the Asherah poles were just trees or groves of trees. In fact, the word refers to carved wooden pillars or poles. They were set up as religious symbols of the goddess Asherah, often beside altars. These were not innocent landscaping. They were objects of worship. That is why God called for their total destruction.
Living This Out
This week, you might ask yourself what competes for the loyalty that belongs to God alone. It could be a relationship, a habit, a worry, or an ambition. The command here is not to rearrange those things but to remove them from the place of worship. God is not asking for a compromise or a reduction. He is asking for exclusive devotion. That may mean ending something, letting go, or choosing a hard path. It is the kind of honesty God honors in a covenant relationship.
Main takeaway: God’s covenant with His people demands exclusive loyalty, and anything that draws that loyalty away must be removed.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God told His people not to worship other gods. He said to take down the things people used to worship them. We worship only God.
For ages 9, 12
This verse is about a time when God was renewing His promise with Israel. He told them to completely destroy the altars and poles that the Canaanites used to worship false gods. God wanted His people to have nothing that would pull their hearts away from Him. It’s a strong picture of how seriously God takes our loyalty.
Questions People Ask
What were the 'Asherah poles' in Exodus 34:13?
Asherah poles were wooden pillars or poles set up as religious objects. They represented the Canaanite goddess Asherah and were often placed beside altars. The word is sometimes translated as 'groves' in older English Bibles, but it refers to man-made poles, not trees.
Why did God command the destruction of these poles and altars?
God commanded this because He wanted Israel to have no contact with the worship of other gods. The altars, pillars, and poles were tools of idolatry. If they remained, they could tempt Israel to join in that worship. God was protecting His covenant relationship with His people.
Does Exodus 34:13 mean Christians should destroy other people's religious objects today?
Most Christians understand this command as specific to ancient Israel entering a land where God was judging the Canaanites. It is not a command for Christians to destroy the property of others. The principle of exclusive loyalty to God still applies, but the method of physical destruction is not carried over into the New Covenant.
What is the 'covenant' context of this verse?
This verse is part of the covenant renewal after the golden calf incident. God had forgiven Israel and was re-establishing His agreement with them. He repeated key commands, including the warning against idolatry and the need to remove all traces of false worship.
Does the word 'jealous' in the next verse mean God is envious?
No. When God calls Himself 'jealous,' it means He is zealous for His people's exclusive love and loyalty. It is the jealousy of a husband who wants his wife's faithfulness, not envy of what someone else has. It shows how deeply God cares for His covenant relationship with us.
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