Exodus 34:13
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
13 Tear down their altars; smash their sacred stones, and cut down their asherahs.[a]
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- 34:13 Asherah was the name of a Canaanite goddess. In her honor wooden poles (asherot) were erected, just as stone pillars (massebot) were erected in honor of the god Baal. Both were placed near the altar in a Canaanite shrine.
2 Kings 18:4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 It was he who removed the high places, shattered the pillars, cut down the asherah,[a] and smashed the bronze serpent Moses had made, because up to that time the Israelites were burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)(A)
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- 18:4 Asherah: see note on Ex 34:13. Nehushtan: the name nehushtan contains several wordplays in Hebrew. It recalls the word “serpent” (nahash), the word “bronze” (nehoshet), and the word “to read omens” (nihesh). The sentence is also unclear about who named the bronze serpent “Nehushtan”—whether Moses when he made it, or the people when they venerated it, or Hezekiah when he destroyed it.
2 Kings 23:14-15
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
14 He broke to pieces the pillars, cut down the asherahs, and filled the places where they had been with human bones.(A)
15 Likewise the altar which was at Bethel, the high place built by Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin—this same altar and high place he tore down and burned, grinding the high place to powder and burning the asherah.(B)
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2 Chronicles 14:2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
2 He removed the illicit altars and the high places, smashed the sacred pillars, and cut down the asherahs.
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2 Chronicles 17:6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
6 Thus he was encouraged[a] to follow the Lord’s ways, and once again he removed the high places and the asherahs from Judah.(A)
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- 17:6 Thus he was encouraged: lit., “his heart was high,” a phrase that ordinarily describes arrogance and rebelliousness; in this case, however, it introduces a notice of Jehoshaphat’s fidelity to the Lord.
2 Chronicles 31:1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 31
Liturgical Reforms. 1 After all this was over, those Israelites who had been present went forth to the cities of Judah and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the asherahs, and tore down the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh, until they were all destroyed.(A) Then the Israelites returned to their cities, each to his own possession.
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2 Chronicles 34:4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 In his presence, the altars of the Baals were torn down; the incense stands erected above them he broke down; the asherahs and the carved and molten images he smashed and beat into dust, which he scattered over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them;
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