Exodus 34:13

13 Rather, you are to demolish their altars, smash their standing-stones and cut down their sacred poles;

Exodus 34:13 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 34:13

But ye shall destroy their altars
On which they had sacrificed to their idols; since, if they were allowed to continue, they might be temptations to offer sacrifice thereon, contrary to the command of God:

break their images:
of gold or silver, wood or stone, which they made for themselves, and worshipped as deities; seeing if these continued, the sight of them might lead to the worship of them, and so bring under the divine displeasure, as a breach of the command of God given them:

and cut down their groves;
which were clusters of trees, where they had their temples and their idols, and did service to them, and where, besides idolatry, many impurities were committed. Such places were originally used by good men for devotion, being shady and solitary, but when abused to superstitious and idolatrous uses, were forbidden. It is said ^F14, the word for "grove" is general, and includes every tree they serve, or plant, for an idol.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F14 R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 72. 1.

Exodus 34:13 In-Context

11 Observe what I am ordering you to do today. Here! I am driving out ahead of you the Emori, Kena'ani, Hitti, P'rizi, Hivi and Y'vusi.

12 Be careful not to make a covenant with the people living in the land where you are going, so that they won't become a snare within your own borders.

13 Rather, you are to demolish their altars, smash their standing-stones and cut down their sacred poles;

14 because you are not to bow down to any other god; since ADONAI -whose very name is Jealous -is a jealous God.

15 Do not make a covenant with the people living in the land. It will cause you to go astray after their gods and sacrifice to their gods. Then they will invite you to join them in eating their sacrifices,