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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“You must never set up a wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build for the Lord your God.

Context of Deuteronomy 16:21

19Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent. 20Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you. Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to the Lord your God, 22and do not erect a sacred stone, for these 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 34:13Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.
• Judges 3:7The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
• 1 Kings 14:15And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles.
• 1 Kings 16:33Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to arouse the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than did all the kings of Israel before him.
• 2 Kings 17:16They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal.
• 2 Kings 21:3He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.
• 2 Chronicles 33:3He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped 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