Ki Tisa

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34:11

34:12

34:13

34:11	Be very careful with regard to what I am instructing you today. I will drive the Amorites, Canaanites, Hivites, Perizzites, Hittites and Yebusites out before you. Shemor-lecha et asher anochi metsavecha hayom hineni goresh mipaneycha et-ha'Emori vehaKna'ani vehaChiti vehaPrizi vehaChivi vehaYevusi.
34:12	Be most careful not to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are coming, since they can be a fatal trap to you. Hishamer lecha pen-tichrot berit leyoshev ha'arets asher ata ba aleyha pen-yihyeh lemokesh bekirbecha.
34:13	You must shatter their altars, break down their sacred pillars, and cut down their Asherah trees. Ki et-mizbechotam titotsun ve'et-matsevotam teshaberun ve'et-asherav tichrotun.

Commentary:

Be most careful...
See Exodus 23:32,33. This is virtually a repetition of that chapter, see note on Exodus 34:27.

Asherah trees
These were sacred trees or poles (Rashi). See Deuteronomy 16:21. Asherah was a popular fertility goddess in the near east, worshipped by Sidon (1 Kings 11:5,33), Tyre (Josephus, Contra Apion 1:18), and the Philistines (1 Samuel 31:10). She is often identified with Astarte and Aphrodite (Septuagint; Herodianus 5:6:10). While stone pillars were erected in honor of Baal, wooden poles or pillars were erected in honor of Asherah.

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