Who was Asherah in the Bible?

What does the Bible say about Asherah?

Asherah was a Canaanite goddess whose worship was often associated with wooden poles or images. The Israelites were repeatedly warned against setting up Asherah poles or planting trees as idolatrous symbols near the altar of the Lord (Deu.16.21; Judges 6:25-30; 1Ki.14.15, 16:33; 2Ki.17.16). However, many Israelite kings and people disobeyed these commands and engaged in Asherah worship (1Ki.15.13, 18:19; 2Ki.13.6, 21:3, 7; 2Ch.15.16, 24:18, 33:3). Several kings, such as Asa, Hezekiah, and Josiah, sought to remove Asherah poles and images from the land as part of their religious reforms (2Ki.18.4, 23:4-7, 14-15; 2Ch.14.3, 17:6, 31:1, 34:3-4, 7). The prophets also condemned the worship of Asherah, associating it with idolatry and unfaithfulness to God (Isaiah 17:8, 27:9; Jeremiah 17:2; Micah 5:14). The persistent presence of Asherah worship throughout Israel's history demonstrates the Israelites' struggle to remain faithful to the Lord and resist the influence of surrounding pagan cultures. The biblical accounts emphasize the importance of removing idolatrous symbols and practices and the need for ongoing spiritual reformation.

Where does Asherah appear in the Bible?

Asherah is referenced in 37 verses across 9 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

• 1 Kings 14:15
• 1 Kings 14:23
• 1 Kings 15:13
• 1 Kings 16:33
• 1 Kings 18:19
• 2 Chronicles 14:3
• 2 Chronicles 15:16
• 2 Chronicles 17:6
• 2 Chronicles 19:3
• 2 Chronicles 24:18
• 2 Chronicles 31:1
• 2 Chronicles 33:3
• 2 Chronicles 33:19
• 2 Chronicles 34:3
• 2 Chronicles 34:4
• 2 Chronicles 34:7
• 2 Kings 13:6
• 2 Kings 17:10
• 2 Kings 17:16
• 2 Kings 18:4
• 2 Kings 21:3
• 2 Kings 21:7
• 2 Kings 23:4
• 2 Kings 23:6

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Asherah.