Juízes 3:7

Did evil in the sight of the Lord. — Rather, did the evil, as in Juízes 2:11.

And the groves. — Rather, and the Asheroth, i.e., the wooden images of the nature-goddess, Asherah (which are called also Asherim). The LXX. render the word Asherah by alsos, “a grove,” and other versions follow them. (Sec Êxodo 34:13; Deuteronômio 8:5; Deuteronômio 16:21; 2 Reis 23:14, &c.) Thus Luther renders it die Hainen, and it used to be erroneously supposed that the word pointed to tree-worship. The Vulgate rundere it “Astaroth.” It seems, however, to be clear from the researches of Mövers and others that Asherah and Astarte were different though allied deities. For the latter, see Juízes 2:13. Asherah is from a root which means upright (like Orthia or Orthosia, a designation of Artemis, Herod. iv. 87), and her images are generally mentioned in connection with altars and images of Baal (Êxodo 34:13; Deuteronômio 7:5; Deuteronômio 12:3; 1 Reis 14:23, &c.; Miquéias 6:12).