2 Reis 17:16

Molten images. — 1 Reis 12:28. Literally, a casting.

A grove. — An Asherah (1 Reis 14:23; 1 Reis 16:33). Schlottmann writes: “That Ashera was only another name for the same supreme goddess (i.e., Ashtoreth) is at once shown by the parallelism of ‘Baal and Ashtaroth’ (Juízes 2:13) with ‘Baal and Asherim’ (the plural of Ashera) in Juízes 3:7. In quite the same way Baal and Ashera stand side by side in Juízes 6:28; 2 Reis 23:4; and in 1 Reis 18:19 the 450 prophets of the Baal and the 400 of the Ashera. further, in 2 Crônicas 15:16; 2 Crônicas 24:18, the LXX. render Ashera by Astarte; and in other passages Aquila, Symmachus, and the Peshito do the same thing.” He then refers to 1 Reis 14:23 and Isaías 17:8; Isaías 27:9, and continues: “according to these and many other passages, Ashera was used as the designation of the commonest material representation of the goddess. It consisted of a block of wood, of considerable size (Juízes 6:26), and resembling a tree, as is shown by the expressions used in connection with it, such as ‘setting up,’ ‘planting,’ and ‘cutting down’ (2 Reis 17:10; Deuteronômio 16:21; Juízes 6:28; 2 Reis 18:4, &c). In Isaías 27:9 the LXX. actually renders tree; ‘and so the Peshito in Deut. vi 21, Miquéias 5:13. Hence, we must not think of pillars like the Greek Hermae, but of a real trunk planted in the ground, rootless, but not branchless; for which purpose pines and evergreens were preferred. The tree signifies, according to an ancient and widespread conception, nature, or the world, which in this case stands as goddess at the side of the Baal — — the lord of the world. (Comp. the Norse tree, Yggdrasil, and the Assyrian sacred tree.) Hence, the Ashera was set up by the altar of Baal (Juízes 6:28). (Comp. Deuteronômio 16:21.)” Schlottmann adds that Movers is wrong in making Astarte and Ashera two different goddesses, the former being “the stern, cruel virgin,” the latter, “the goddess who excites to pleasure;” and he justly observes that, as in the case of Baal, the same deity may be conceived under contrary aspects (Riehm’s Handworterbuch Bibl. Alterthums, pp. Ill — 114). For the Hebrew conception of Astarte see Jeremias 7:18; Jeremias 44:17 seq. Kuenen, Rel. of Isr. i. 88 seq., agrees with Movers, but hardly proves his case.

Worshipped all the host of heaven. — 2 Reis 21:3; comp. 2 Reis 23:4.