Micah 5:14

14 I will pull up the Asherah poles^[a] from among you and demolish your cities.^[b]

Micah 5:14 Meaning and Commentary

Micah 5:14

And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee
Planted for idolatrous worship, and which the Jews in the reigns of some of their kings raised, and made use of for such purposes; see ( 1 Kings 15:13 ) ( 16:33 ) ( 18:19 ) ; though contrary to the law of God, ( Deuteronomy 16:21 ) ; but now there should be nothing of this kind, all idolatry being rooted out of the world. The Targum is,

``I will root out the plantations of the people out of the midst of thee:''

so will I destroy thy cities;
which some understand of cities given to idolatry; or rather it is to be understood in the same sense as in ( Micah 5:11 ) ; though by reason of that, and as something distinct from it, it is better to render the words with the Targum,

``I will destroy thine enemies ^F14.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 So Jarchi, and Marinas in Aben Ezra, and R. Sol. Urbin. Ohel Moed, fol. 102. 1.

Micah 5:14 In-Context

12 I will remove sorceries from your hands, and you will not have any more fortune-tellers.

13 I will remove your carved images and sacred pillars from you, so that you will not bow down again to the work of your hands.

14 I will pull up the Asherah poles from among you and demolish your cities.

15 I will take vengeance in anger and wrath against the nations that have not obeyed [Me].

Footnotes

• [a]. Dt 16:21
• [b]. Or shrines