Deuteronomy 16:21

21 non plantabis lucum et omnem arborem iuxta altare Domini Dei tui

Deuteronomy 16:21 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 16:21

Thou shall not plant thee a grove of any trees
Of any sort of trees, as oaks or any other; not but that it was lawful to plant trees and groves of them, but not for a religious or idolatrous use: particularly

near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee;
as the Heathens did near their altars, lest it should be thought to be done for a like superstitious and idolatrous use; which evil the Jews sometimes fell into in the times of wicked reigns, and which their good and pious kings removed and destroyed; see ( 2 Kings 18:4 ) ( 21:3 ) ( 2 Kings 23:4 2 Kings 23:7 2 Kings 23:14 2 Kings 23:15 ) and Hecataeus ^F2, an Heathen historian, relates of the city of Jerusalem, that there were there no image, nor plantation, nor grove, nor any such thing.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 9. c. 4. p. 408.

Deuteronomy 16:21 In-Context

19 nec in alteram partem declinent non accipies personam nec munera quia munera excaecant oculos sapientium et mutant verba iustorum

20 iuste quod iustum est persequeris ut vivas et possideas terram quam Dominus Deus tuus dederit tibi

21 non plantabis lucum et omnem arborem iuxta altare Domini Dei tui

22 nec facies tibi atque constitues statuam quae odit Dominus Deus tuus