Êxodo 34:13

13 Mas os seus altares derrubareis, e as suas colunas quebrareis, e os seus aserins cortareis

Êxodo 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.

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FOOTNOTES:

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

Êxodo 34:13 In-Context

11 Guarda o que eu te ordeno hoje: eis que eu lançarei fora de diante de ti os amorreus, os cananeus, os heteus, os perizeus, os heveus e os jebuseus.

12 Guarda-te de fazeres pacto com os habitantes da terra em que hás de entrar, para que isso não seja por laço no meio de ti.

13 Mas os seus altares derrubareis, e as suas colunas quebrareis, e os seus aserins cortareis

14 (porque não adorarãs a nenhum outro deus; pois o Senhor, cujo nome é Zeloso, é Deus zeloso),

15 para que não faças pacto com os habitantes da terra, a fim de que quando se prostituirem após os seus deuses, e sacrificarem aos seus deuses, tu não sejas convidado por eles, e não comas do seu sacrifício;