Jeremiah 17:2,3

The text is difficult, and pretty certainly contains some error. Du. and Co. omit from "whilst their" to "Asherim," as a gloss, introduced to shew how indelible was Judah's guilt, to be remembered by future generations. If this change be adopted, the passage will stand thus:

"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron,

With the point of a diamond is it graven upon the table of their heart,

Upon the horns of their altars, upon [every] spreading tree,

Upon the high hills, the mountains in the field." (Dr. in notes.) Gi. suggests, with the change of one letter in MT., "so that their children will remember," but prefers "for a remembrance before me," omitting the rest of the v. as a gloss. He thus obtains Ḳinah measure for the passage.

Asherim The Asherah was a rough hewn post, probably representing a sacred tree, and placed alongside of an altar. As having associations with heathenism, it was forbidden to worshippers of Jehovah. See Exodus 34:13 (and mg.); Deuteronomy 12:3, etc. It mayhave been connected with devotions paid to a goddess Asherah or Ashrat.