לֹֽא־תִטַּ֥ע לְךָ֛ אֲשֵׁרָ֖ה כָּל־עֵ֑ץ אֵ֗צֶל מִזְבַּ֛ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃ (ס)
The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox
The destruction of pagan shrines is once again demanded. Both the Ashera and the “standing-stone” were connected to the theme of fertility, which in Canaanite worship was related to the gods’ generative power. Israelite thought, on the other hand, attributed fertility to a non- or meta-sexual God.