Note 4 to "Deep History"

In the original Bible forty times is referenced to "Asherah". The name Asherah is sometimes a divine person, sometimes a sacred symbol of that divine person and in the Tanakh and the Old Testament is always mentioned in a negative context, as (symbol for) an idol. "But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their engraved images with fire." (World English Bible 2002). In the Contemporary English Version (1999) the word "Asherim" is explained with: "(...)tear down the altars where they worship their gods. Break up their sacred stones, cut down the poles that they use in worshipping the gates of Asherah, and throw their idols into the fire."
In the King James Version (1611), no reference to the goddess Asherah is made, "16:21 Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee. 16:22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth." In the modern English translations sometimes the word "Asherim" is used.

Grove (1.) Heb. 'asherah , properly a wooden image, or a pillar representing Ashtoreth, a sensual Canaanitish goddess, probably usually set up in a grove (Kg2 21:7; Kg2 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 (Exo 34:13) and Asheroth (Jdg 3:13). The LXX. have rendered asherah in Ch2 15:16 by "Astarte." The Vulgate has done this also in Jdg 3:7. (2.) Heb. 'eshel (Gen 21:33). In Sa1 22:6 and Sa1 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 Heb. 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" (Gen 13:18; Gen 14:13; Gen 18:1; Gen 12:6; Deu 11:30; Jos 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 (Jer 17:3; Eze 20:28). [Easton's Bible Dictionary]

Tanakh / Old Testament