SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:3
y derribaréis sus altares, y quebraréis sus imágenes, y sus bosques consumiréis con fuego; y destruiréis las esculturas de sus dioses, y raeréis el nombre de ellas de aquel lugar.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 12:3
Verse 3. Ye shall overthrow their altars] Where unholy sacrifices have been offered; and break their pillars, probably meaning statues and representations of their gods cut out of stone; and burn their groves, such as those about the temple of Ashtaroth, the Canaanitish Venus, whose impure rites were practiced in different parts of the inclosures or groves round her temples; and ye shall hew down the graven images, probably implying all images carved out of wood; and destroy the names of them, which were no doubt at first graven on the stones, and carved on the trees, and then applied to the surrounding districts. In various instances the names of whole mountains, valleys, and districts were borrowed from the gods worshipped there.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. And you shall overthrow their altars , etc.] Which were of stone, as Jarchi observes; whereas the altar ordered to be made by the Lord, before the altar of burnt offering in the tabernacle was made, was of earth, ( Exodus 20:24) these were to be demolished, lest the Israelites should be tempted to make use of them; and besides, the Lord would not have any remains of idolatry in the land where his tabernacle and worship were, as being abominable to him: and break down their pillars ; or statues erected to the honour of their idols; according to Jarchi it was a single stone hewed out at first for the basis of a statue f114 ; perhaps such as were called Baetulia, in imitation of the stone Jacob set up for a pillar at Bethel, ( Genesis 28:18,19) and burn their groves with fire ; which were planted about their temples, and under which also their idols were placed, and where they privately committed the most abominable lewdness under the notion of religion. The Targum of Jonathan renders the word “abominations”, meaning idols; and so Jarchi interprets it by a tree that is worshipped; (See Gill on “ Deuteronomy 7:5”) and you shall hew down the graven images of their gods ; which were made of wood: and destroy the names of them out of the place ; by never making any mention of them in common discourse, and by changing the names of places called from them; and especially by destroying all the relics of them, and whatever appertained to them, which might lead to the mention of them; (see Hosea 2:17).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - Moses comes to the statutes he had to give in charge to Israel; an begins with such as relate to the worship of God. The Israelites ar charged not to bring the rites and usages of idolaters into the worshi of God; not under colour of making it better. We cannot serve God an mammon; nor worship the true God and idols; nor depend upon Chris Jesus and upon superstitious or self-righteous confidences.
Original Hebrew
ונתצתם 5422 את 853 מזבחתם 4196 ושׁברתם 7665 את 853 מצבתם 4676 ואשׁריהם 842 תשׂרפון 8313 באשׁ 784 ופסילי 6456 אלהיהם 430 תגדעון 1438 ואבדתם 6 את 853 שׁמם 8034 מן 4480 המקום 4725 ההוא׃ 1931
