In biblical contexts, the term "grove" often refers to a place associated with idolatrous worship, particularly in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word commonly translated as "grove" is "Asherah" (אֲשֵׁרָה), which can denote both a Canaanite goddess and the wooden cultic object or pole associated with her worship. These groves were typically located near altars or high places and were sites where the Israelites were repeatedly warned against participating in pagan rituals.

Biblical References:

1. Deuteronomy 16:21 : "Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build for the LORD your God." This commandment underscores the prohibition against incorporating pagan symbols or practices into the worship of Yahweh. The Asherah pole, often translated as "grove," was a symbol of fertility and was associated with the worship of the goddess Asherah.

2. Judges 6:25-26 : "That night the LORD said to Gideon, 'Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this height. Using the wood of the Asherah pole that you cut down, offer the second bull as a burnt offering.'" Here, God instructs Gideon to destroy the symbols of idolatry, including the Asherah pole, and to establish proper worship of the LORD.

3. 1 Kings 14:15 : "And the LORD will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that He gave to their fathers and will scatter them beyond the Euphrates, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking the LORD to anger." This passage highlights the consequences of Israel's idolatry, specifically the worship associated with Asherah poles, which provoked divine judgment.

4. 2 Kings 23:6 : "He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people." This verse describes King Josiah's reforms, where he purged the land of idolatrous practices, including the removal and destruction of the Asherah pole from the temple.

Cultural and Religious Significance:

The presence of groves or Asherah poles in Israelite society was a significant point of contention between the worship of Yahweh and the surrounding Canaanite religious practices. The Israelites were repeatedly admonished to avoid syncretism, the blending of different religious beliefs, which was often symbolized by the presence of these groves. The poles were typically made of wood and were sometimes placed near altars dedicated to Baal, another prominent Canaanite deity.

Theological Implications:

From a theological perspective, the repeated warnings and actions against groves in the Old Testament underscore the importance of exclusive devotion to Yahweh. The presence of these symbols of idolatry was seen as a direct violation of the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). The destruction of groves was not merely a physical act but a spiritual cleansing, intended to restore the purity of worship and reaffirm the covenant relationship between God and His people.

Historical Context:

The worship of Asherah and the use of groves were prevalent in the ancient Near East, particularly among the Canaanites. Asherah was considered a mother goddess, often associated with fertility, and her worship was integrated into the religious practices of many cultures surrounding Israel. The Israelites' struggle with idolatry, including the worship of Asherah, reflects the broader cultural and religious influences they encountered in the Promised Land.

In summary, the biblical references to groves highlight the ongoing battle against idolatry and the call to maintain the sanctity of worship dedicated solely to the LORD. The eradication of these symbols was a crucial aspect of Israel's religious reforms and a testament to the enduring call for faithfulness to God's commandments.Grove

1. A word used in the Authorized Version, with two exceptions, to translate the mysterious Hebrew term Asherah , which is not a grove, but probably an idol or image of some kind. [ASHERAH] It is also probable that there was a connection between this symbol or image, whatever it was, and the sacred symbolic tree, the representation of which occurs so frequently on Assyrian sculptures.
2. The two exceptions noticed above are (Genesis 21:33) and 1Sam 22:6 (margin). In the religions of the ancient heathen world groves play a prominent part. In the old times altars only were erected to the gods. It was thought wrong to shut up the gods within walls, and hence trees were the first temples; and from the earliest times groves are mentioned in connection with religious worship. (Genesis 12:6,7; 11:30) Authorized Version "plain." the groves were generally found connected with temples, and often had the right of affording an asylum.

(1.) Hebrews `asherah, properly a wooden image, or a pillar representing Ashtoreth, a sensual Canaanitish goddess, probably usually set up in a grove (2 Kings 21:7; 23:4). In the Revised Version the word "Asherah" (q.v.) is introduced as a proper noun, the name of the wooden symbol of a goddess, with the plurals Asherim (Exodus 34:13) and Asheroth (Judges 3:13).

The LXX. have rendered asherah in 2 Chronicles 15:16 by "Astarte." The Vulgate has done this also in Judges 3:7.

(2.) Hebrews `eshel (Genesis 21:33). In 1 Samuel 22:6 and 31:13 the Authorized Version renders this word by "tree." In all these passages the Revised Version renders by "tamarisk tree." It has been identified with the Tamariscus orientalis, five species of which are found in Palestine.

(3.) The Hebrews word `elon, uniformly rendered in the Authorized Version by "plain," properly signifies a grove or plantation. In the Revised Version it is rendered, pl., "oaks" (Genesis 13:18; 14:13; 18:1; 12:6; Deuteronomy 11:30; Joshua 19:33). In the earliest times groves are mentioned in connection with religious worship. The heathen consecrated groves to particular gods, and for this reason they were forbidden to the Jews (Jeremiah 17:3; Ezek. 20:28).

(n.) A smaller group of trees than a forest, and without underwood, planted, or growing naturally as if arranged by art; a wood of small extent.GROVE

grov:

(1) 'asherah.

See ASHERAH.

(2) 'eshel (Genesis 21:33 the King James Version, the Revised Version (British and American) "a tamarisk tree").

See TAMARISK.

1638. elaion -- an olive orchard, ie spec. the Mt. of Olives
... of Olives. Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine Transliteration: elaion Phonetic Spelling:
(el-ah-yone') Short Definition: Olive-grove, Olive-yard, the mount Olivet ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/1638.htm - 7k359. Eloth -- "grove of lofty trees"
... 358, 359. Eloth. 360 . "grove of lofty trees". Transliteration: Eloth
Phonetic Spelling: (ay-loth') Short Definition: Eloth. Word ...
/hebrew/359.htm - 6k

815. eshel -- a tamarisk tree
... grove, tree. From a root of uncertain signification; a tamarisk tree; by extension,
a grove of any kind -- grove, tree. 814, 815. eshel. 816 . ...
/hebrew/815.htm - 5k

842. Asherah -- a Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same
... grove. Or masheyrah {ash-ay-raw'}; from 'ashar; happy; Asherah (or Astarte) a
Phoenician goddess; also an image of the same -- grove. Compare Ashtoreth. ...
/hebrew/842.htm - 6k

2133. Zethan -- "olive tree," a Benjamite
... Zethan. From zayith; olive grove; Zethan, an Israelite -- Zethan. see HEBREW
zayith. 2132, 2133. Zethan. 2134 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/2133.htm - 6k

356. Elon -- "terebinth," an Israelite name, also a Hittite, also ...
... Or (shortened);Elown {ay-lone'}; or Eylon {ay- lone'}; from 'ayil; oak-grove; Elon,
the name of a place in Palestine, and also of one Hittite, two Israelites ...
/hebrew/356.htm - 6k

2132. zayith -- olive tree, olive
... Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition olive tree, olive NASB Word Usage
groves (1), olive (10), olive grove (1), olive groves (5), olive tree (9 ...
/hebrew/2132.htm - 6k

358. Elon Beth Chanan -- "terebinth of (the) house of favor," a ...
... Elon-beth-hanan. From 'Eylown, bayith, and chanan; oak-grove of (the) house of favor;
Elon of Beth-chanan, a place in Palestine -- Elon-beth-hanan. ...
/hebrew/358.htm - 6k

Begins Preaching at Beech Grove. Debates with Elder Hiner. Amusing ...
... CHAPTER XV. Begins Preaching at Beech Grove. Debates with Elder Hiner. ... Holds more
Meetings. Begins Preaching at Beech Grove. Debates with Elder Hiner. ...
/.../chapter xv begins preaching at.htm

Harmony Grove. LM Christ the Unsetting Sun.
... 148 Harmony Grove. LM Christ the Unsetting Sun. Christ the Unsetting Sun.
(320) Hail! morning known among the blest, Morning of ...
/.../lorenz/the otterbein hymnal/148 harmony grove l m christ.htm

What Licinius, While Sacrificing in a Grove, Said Concerning Idols ...
... Book II. Chapter V."What Licinius, while sacrificing in a Grove, said
concerning Idols, and concerning Christ. And when he was ...
/.../the life of constantine/chapter v what licinius while sacrificing.htm

The Phoenix
... among us. Here is the grove of the sun; a wood stands planted with many
a tree, blooming with the honour of perpetual foliage. When ...
/.../lactantius/of the manner in which the persecutors died/the phoenix.htm

Shaping a Prayer on the Anvil of the Knees.
... There is the Kidron brook, the gentle rise of ground, the grove of gnarled knotty
old olive trees. ... The victory of the hill is won in the grove. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/shaping a prayer on the.htm

Autobiography of Frank G. Allen, Minister of the Gospel
... Protracted Meetings at Columbia, Burksville, Thompson's Church, Dover, Germantown,
Pleasant Hill, Burksville again, Beech Grove, Dover again. CHAPTER XV. ...
/.../allen/autobiography of frank g allen minister of the gospel/

On Easter
... forth. Its foliage [2116] having been torn off in the wintry season, the
verdant grove now renews its leafy shelter. Mingled together ...
//christianbookshelf.org/venantius/on easter/on easter.htm

God Neither Known nor Loved by the World
... God Neither Known nor Loved by the World. Ye linnets, let us try, beneath
this grove, ... 'Tis here alone, beneath this shady grove,. ...
/.../god neither known nor loved.htm

Friends Departed
... It glows and glitters in my cloudy breast Like stars upon some gloomy grove, Or
those faint beams in which this hill is drest After the Sun's remove. ...
/.../wells/bible stories and religious classics/friends departed.htm

Under the Olive Trees.
... room, and the simple wondrous prayer, He leads the little band out of the city gate
on the east across the swift, muddy Kidron into the inclosed grove of olive ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gordon/quiet talks on prayer/under the olive trees.htm

Grove (23 Occurrences)
... (1.) Hebrews `asherah, properly a wooden image, or a pillar representing Ashtoreth,
a sensual Canaanitish goddess, probably usually set up in a grove (2 Kings ...
/g/grove.htm - 16k

Tamarisk (5 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Hebrews `eshel (Genesis 21:33; 1 Samuel 22:6;
31:13, in the RV; but in AV, "grove, " "tree"); Arab. asal. ...
/t/tamarisk.htm - 10k

Mamre (10 Occurrences)
... 13:18) the "plain of Mamre," but in Revised Version more correctly "the oaks [marg.,
`terebinths'] of Mamre." The name probably denotes the "oak grove" or the ...
/m/mamre.htm - 16k

Stamped (27 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 23:6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem,
unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped ...
/s/stamped.htm - 16k

Asherah (40 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary And pl. Asherim in Revised Version, instead of "grove"
and "groves" of the Authorized Version. ... (see GROVE .). Int. ...
/a/asherah.htm - 24k

Lebanon (66 Occurrences)
... An amphitheater here opens to the West, in which is sheltered the most frequented
cedar grove, and from which emerges the Nahr Qadisha ("sacred stream") which ...
/l/lebanon.htm - 45k

Rephidim (5 Occurrences)
... It is the most fertile part of the peninsula, well watered, with a palm
grove stretching for miles along the valley. Palmer speaks ...
/r/rephidim.htm - 11k

Elath (6 Occurrences)
...Grove; trees, (Deuteronomy 2:8), also in plural form Eloth (1 Kings 9:26, etc.);
called by the Greeks and Romans Elana; a city of Idumea, on the east, ie, the ...
/e/elath.htm - 10k

Daphne
... the city. Here were the famous grove and sanctuary of Apollo. The grove
and shrine owed their origin to Seleucus Nicator. It was ...
/d/daphne.htm - 8k

Powder (14 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 23:6 And he brought out the grove from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem,
unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped ...
/p/powder.htm - 12k

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