H0842 H0842
Asherah — a Canaanite goddess, or the wooden cult pole/sacred tree erected in her honor at high places.
One of the most theologically charged nouns in the Hebrew Bible, referring either to the Canaanite goddess Asherah (consort of El, later associated with Baal worship) or to the wooden cult object — a pole or stylized tree — set up at shrines in her name. The reforming kings of Judah repeatedly cut down, burned, or ground these objects to powder (2 Kgs 23:4-6). Spanish distinguishes 'la Asera' (the object) from 'Asera' (the deity), and French similarly differentiates 'les Asheras' (plural cult objects) from 'Aschera' (the goddess name). The recurring prophetic command to destroy these poles (Deut 7:5; 12:3) shows how central this struggle was to Israel's identity.
2. Asherah (goddess) — The Canaanite goddess herself, consort of El and rival to YHWH worship — referenced where the name denotes the deity rather than her artifact. Deut 16:21 prohibits planting an Asherah 'beside the altar of the LORD,' where the personal name governs the prohibition. In 1 Kgs 15:13, Maacah is removed as queen mother for making a 'horrible image for Asherah' — here the goddess is the object of devotion. The Assyrian cognate Aširatu (with determinative for deity) supports reading these as genuine theophoric references. 8×
AR["أَشِيرَةً","الأَشِيرَةَ","لِ-أَشِيرَةَ","لِلأَشِيرَةِ","لِلْأَشِيرَةِ","وَلِلأَشِيرَةِ"]·ben["-আশেরার-জন্য","আশেরা","আশেরা-মূর্তি","আশেরাকে","আশেরার-জন্য","এবং-আশেরার-জন্য"]·DE["Aschera","Asherah","ein-Asherah","fuer-der-Asherah","und-fuer-der-Asherah"]·EN["Asherah","an-Asherah","and-for-the-Asherah","for-the-Asherah","to-Asherah"]·FR["Aschéra","Asherah","Ashéra","et-pour-le-Aschéra","pour-le-Aschéra","un-Aschéra"]·heb["אשרה","ו-ל-אשרה","ל-אשרה"]·HI["अशेरा","अशेरा-के-लिए","अशेराह","के-अशेरा","ल-ह-अशेराह","वे-ल-ह-अशेराह"]·ID["Asyera","dan-untuk-Asyera","tiang-Asyera","untuk-Asyera"]·IT["Asera","Asherah","e-per-il-Asherah","per-il-Asherah","un-Asherah"]·jav["Asyèra","asyerah","kadosdene","kangge-Asyèra","kangge-Asyérah","kanggé-Asyéra","lan-kangge-Asyèra","tiang-Asyera"]·KO["그리고-그-아세라를-위하여","아세라-에게","아세라를","아세라를-위하여","에게-그-아세라"]·PT["Ashera","Asherah","e-para-a-Asherah","para-'Asherah","para-Asherah","para-a-Asherah","poste-sagrado"]·RU["Ашеру","ашеру","для-Ашеры","для-ашеры","и-для-Ашеры"]·ES["Asera","para-Asherah","para-la-Asera","y-para-la-Asera"]·SW["Ashera","kwa-Ashera","na-kwa-Ashera"]·TR["-Aşera-için","Aşera","Aşera'yı","Aşera-için","Aşerah'a","ve-Aşera'nın"]·urd["اشیرہ","اور-کے-لیے-اشیرہ","کے-لیے-اشیرہ","یسیرت","یسیرت-کے-لیے","یسیرہ"]
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
1. Asherah pole / sacred tree — The physical cult object — a wooden pole, carved image, or stylized sacred tree erected beside Canaanite altars and Israelite high places. Almost always appears in the plural 'Asherim' alongside 'pillars' (masseboth) in destruction commands (Exod 34:13; Deut 7:5; Judg 6:25-26). The consistent pairing with 'high places' and 'altars of Baal' across translations (Spanish 'las Asherot,' French 'les Asheras,' German 'Aschera') confirms this as a recognized category of cultic furniture rather than a personal name in these contexts. 32×
AR["ال-أشيرَةِ","الأَشِيرَاتِ","الأَشِيرَةَ","الأَشِيرِيمَ","السَواري","الْأَشيرَةَ","الْأَشيرَةِ","الْأَشِيرَاتِ","الْأَشِيرَةَ","الْأَشِيرَةِ","وَ-أَشِيرَاتٍ","وَ-الْأَشِيرَاتِ","وَأَشِيرَاتٍ","وَأَشْجَارَهُمْ","ٱلْأَشِيرَةُ"]·ben["-আশেরা-খুঁটি","-আশেরাদের","আশেরা-মূর্তি","আশেরা-মূর্তিগুলি","আশেরাকে","আশেরাগুলো","আশেরার","আশেরার-মূর্তিগুলি","আশেরীমগুলি","এবং-আশেরা-মূর্তি","এবং-আশেরা-মূর্তিগুলি","এবং-তাদের-আশেরা-মূর্তিগুলি","ও-আশেরা-খুঁটি","সেই-আশেরা-মূর্তি","সেই-আশেরা-মূর্তির"]·DE["Aschera","der-Aschera","der-Asherah","und-Aschera","und-Asherim","und-ihr-Asherim"]·EN["and-Asherim","and-the-Asherim","and-their-Asherim","the-Asherah","the-Asherim"]·FR["et-Asherim","et-les-Ashéras","et-leur-Asherim","le-Aschéra","le-Asherah","les-Ashéras"]·heb["ה-אשרה","ה-אשרים","ו-אשיריהם","ו-אשרים","ו-ה-אשרים"]·HI["अशेरा-की","अशेरा-को","अशेराह","अशेराह-ה","अशेराहों","अशेरीमों","अशेरों","और-अशेराएँ","और-अशेराहों","और-अशेरिम","और-उनके-अशेरों","की-अशेरों","के-अशेरों","ह-अशेरा-का","ह-अशेराह-को","हाअशेराह"]·ID["Asyera","dan-tiang-tiang-Asyera","dan-tiang-tiang-Asyera-mereka","tiang-Asyera","tiang-tiang-Asyera"]·IT["e-Asherim","e-le-Asere","e-loro-Asherim","il-Ascera","il-Asherah","le-Asere"]·jav["Asyèra","Asyéra","Asyéra-réca","Asyérah","asyèra","asyéra","ingkang","lan-Asyéra-réca","lan-Asyérah","lan-tiang-Asyera","lan-tiang-asyérah-ipun","para-Asyera","tiang-Asyera"]·KO["그-아세라","그-아세라들을","그-아세라를","그-아세라의","그리고-그-아세라들","그리고-그-아세라들을","그리고-그들의-아세라들을","그리고-아세라를","아세라가","아세라들을","아세라를","아세라의"]·PT["a-'Asherah","a-'asherah","a-Asherah","e-'Asherot","e-os-Asherim","e-postes-sagrados","e-seus-postes-sagrados","o-poste-sagrado","os-Asherim","os-postes-de-Asserá"]·RU["Ашеру","Ашеры","а-ашеры","ашера","ашерам","ашерим","ашеру","ашеры","и-ашер","и-ашерим","и-ашеры","и-ашеры-их"]·ES["la-Asera","la-Asherah","las-Asherot","las-aseras","las-asherot","y-Aseras","y-las-asherot","y-sus-aseras"]·SW["Ashera","haasheriym","na-Ashera","na-maashera-yao","na-nguzo-za-Ashera","nguzo-za-Ashera","whaasheriym","ya-Ashera"]·TR["-","Aşera'lara","Aşera'nın","Aşera'yı","Aşera-direklerini","Aşera-o","Aşera-putunu","Aşeralar","Aşeraları","Aşerim'leri","ve-Aşera-direkleri","ve-Aşera-direklerinden","ve-Aşera-direklerini","ve-Aşera-putları","ve-yık"]·urd["اشیرہ","اشیرہ-کا","اور-ان-کے-یسیرہ","اور-یسیرت","اور-یسیرت-ستون","اور-یسیرتیں","ہ-اشیرہ","ہ-اشیرہ-کے","یسیرت","یسیرت-کی","یسیرت-کے-ٹنڈوں-کو","یسیرت-کے-ٹنڈے","یسیرتوں"]
Exod 34:13, Deut 7:5, Deut 12:3, Judg 3:7, Judg 6:25, Judg 6:26, Judg 6:28, Judg 6:30, 1 Kgs 14:15, 1 Kgs 14:23, 1 Kgs 16:33, 1 Kgs 18:19 (+20 more)
Related Senses
H0430 1. God (of Israel) (2502×)G2316 1. God, the true God (1315×)H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H6635b 1. hosts, armies (of YHWH) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)H0410 1. God, the true God (223×)G0032 1. heavenly angel (170×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)H2076 1. Qal: offer sacrifice (cultic) (116×)H4397 2. messenger, envoy, ambassador (102×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G0040 1. the Holy One, Holy Spirit (98×)H3742 1. cherub, angelic guardian being (91×)H2931 1. ritually or morally unclean (88×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֲשֵׁרָה, אֲשֵׁירָה 2 K 17:16 n.pr.f. Ashera (Assyrian n.pr.f. Aš-ra-tu, c. sign for deity, in Canaanitish n.pr. Abad-Ašratum, servant of A. SchrZA 1888, 363, cf. Wkl & AbelThontafelfund v. El Amarna ii. No. 77, 1. 9, & SayceRP2. ii. 67, iii. 71; on deriv. cf. Assyrian aširat, adj. fem. gracious, COTGloss) see now also GFMEB Asherah Dr Dt 16:21 AllenDB Asherah, all doubtful as to Can. goddess…