And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place.
You must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stone pillars, and burn their sacred wooden poles. Cut down the carved idols of their gods and completely wipe out their names from those places.
God is commanding the Israelites to completely destroy all traces of pagan worship in the Promised Land.
📚 Historical Context
This command was given to the Israelites as they prepared to enter Canaan, a land filled with various pagan religions and idol worship. The Canaanites worshiped multiple gods through elaborate rituals at high places, groves, and temples. God knew that if these worship sites remained, the Israelites would be tempted to adopt these foreign religious practices and turn away from Him.
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