לָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה

   la-a-she-RA

   for Asherah
2. clause🔊 וְגַ֣ם אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה אִמּ֗וֹ וַיְסִרֶ֙הָ֙ מִגְּבִירָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָ֥ה מִפְלֶ֖צֶת לָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה

   ve-GAM et-MA-a-kha i-MO va-ye-si-RE-HA mi-ge-vi-RA a-sher-A-she-TA mif-LE-tset la-a-she-RA

   and also Maacah {direct object marker + name} his mother and he removed her from {being} queen mother or lady which she had made a horrid thing or abominable image for Asherah
3. sentence🔊 וְגַ֣ם אֶת־מַעֲכָ֣ה אִמּ֗וֹ וַיְסִרֶ֙הָ֙ מִגְּבִירָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־עָשְׂתָ֥ה מִפְלֶ֖צֶת לָאֲשֵׁרָ֑ה וַיִּכְרֹ֤ת אָסָא֙ אֶת־מִפְלַצְתָּ֔הּ וַיִּשְׂרֹ֖ף בְּנַ֥חַל קִדְרֽוֹן׃

   ve-GAM et-MA-a-kha i-MO va-ye-si-RE-HA mi-ge-vi-RA a-sher-A-she-TA mif-LE-tset la-a-she-RA va-yik-ROT a-SA et-mif-lats-TA va-yis-ROF be-na-KHAL kid-RON

   and also Maacah {direct object marker + name} his mother and he removed her from {being} queen mother or lady which she had made a horrid thing or abominable image for Asherah and he cut down Asa her abominable image {direct object marker + her object} and he burned in the wadi or brook Kidron

Exegesis

The relative asher {אֲשֶׁר | ʾa-šer} introduces the causal clause with asetah {עָשְׂתָה | ʿā-šāh} ‘she made’, which predicates the noun mifletset {מִפְלֶצֶת | mif-le-ṯe-ṣet} ‘abomination’ dedicated la-asherah {לָאֲשֵׁרָה | lā-ʾă-še-rāh} ‘to Asherah’.

Root and etymology

š-r🔊 א־ש־רaleph-shin-resh

“to go straight, to prosper”

• 🔊 אֲשֵׁרִיםasherimcultic polesJudges 3:7