Deuteronomy 16:21

Deuteronomy 16:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
• New International Version (NIV)Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the Lord your God,
• English Standard Version (ESV)"You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God.

Context of Deuteronomy 16:21

19You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. 20You shall pursue justice, and only justice [that which is uncompromisingly righteous], so that you may live and take possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving you. “You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree or wood beside the altar of the Lord your God, which you shall make. 22You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the Lord your God hates.

Deuteronomy 16:21 word by word

לֹֽא־תִטַּ֥ע לְךָ֛ אֲשֵׁרָ֖ה כָּל־עֵ֑ץ אֵ֗צֶל מִזְבַּ֛ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thou shalt not plantנָטַעnâţa‛ · to plantH5193
• thee a groveאֲשֵׁרָה'ăshêrâh 'ăshêyrâh · AsherahH842
• of any treesעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
• near untoאֵ֫צֶל'êtsel · besideH681
• the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• which thou shalt makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 16:21

• Exodus 34:13But you shall tear down and destroy their [pagan] altars, smash in pieces their [sacred] pillars (obelisks, images) and cut down their Asherim
• Judges 3:7And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
• 1 Kings 14:15“The Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and He will scatter them beyond the [Euphrates] River, because they have made their Asherim, provoking the Lord to anger.
• 1 Kings 16:33Ahab also made the Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
• 2 Kings 17:16They abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves cast images of two calves; and they made an Asherah [idol] and worshiped all the [starry] host of heaven and served Baal.
• 2 Kings 21:3For he rebuilt the high places [for the worship of pagan gods] which his father Hezekiah had destroyed; and he set up altars for Baal and made an [image of] Asherah, just as Ahab king of Israel had done, and he worshiped all the [starry] host of heaven and served them.
• 2 Chronicles 33:3For he rebuilt the [idolatrous] high places which his father Hezekiah had torn down; and he set up altars for the Baals and made the Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven [the sun, the moon, stars and planets] and served them.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 16:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Thou shalt not plant thee a grove, etc. - We have already seen that groves were planted about idol temples for the purpose of the obscene worship performed in them. (See on Deuteronomy 12:3; (note)). On this account God would have no groves or thickets about his altar, that there might be no room for suspicion that any thing contrary to the strictest purity was transacted there. Every part of the Divine worship was publicly performed, for the purpose of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 These verses are closely connected in subject with the following chapter, and introduce certain directions for the administration of justice and the carrying on of the civil government of the people in Canaan. During the lifetime of Moses, he himself, especially inspired and guided by God, was sufficient, with the aid of the subordinate judges (compare Exodus 18:13 ff), for the duties in question. But now that Moses was to be withdrawn, and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 Care is taken for the due administration of justice. All personal regards must be laid aside, so that right is done to all, and wrong to none. Care is taken to prevent following the idolatrous customs of the heathen. Nothing belies God more, or tends more to corrupt the minds of men, than representing and worshipping, by an image, that God, who is an almighty and eternal Spirit, present every where. Alas! even in gospel days, and under a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-22Asherah pole … sacred pillar: See study note on 7:5; also see 12:3; Isaiah 27:8–9; Micah 5:13–15.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Thou shalt not plant thee a grove--A grove has in Scripture a variety of significations--a group of overshadowing trees, or a grove adorned with altars dedicated to a particular deity, or a wooden image in a grove (Jud 6:25; 2Ki 23:4-6). They might be placed near the earthen and temporary altars erected in the wilderness, but they could not exist either at the tabernacle or temples. They were places, which, with their usual accompaniments, presented…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 16:21

• Groves
• Idolatry

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Gift
• High place
• Inherit
• Altar
• Asherah
• Atonement, Day of
• Calendar
• Criticism

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings