But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
But this is what you must do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred stone pillars, cut down their wooden idols, and burn their carved statues in the fire.
God is commanding the Israelites to completely destroy all the religious objects and worship sites of the pagan nations they would encounter.
📚 Historical Context
Moses was giving these instructions to the Israelites before they entered the Promised Land, where they would encounter Canaanite nations who worshiped multiple gods through idols, sacred groves, and altars. God wanted to prevent the Israelites from being tempted to adopt these pagan worship practices, which had led other nations away from the true God. This was part of establishing Israel as a nation set apart for God alone.
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