"Astarte" (Asherah) was the leading female Canaanite deity, a moon-goddess, whose symbol was originally an evergreen tree or grove. "Asherah" also denotes a cult object in the Hebrew Bible, specifically a wooden pole associated with Asherah worship. [1][source]
She was "worshipped as the feminine principle of nature embodied in the pure moon-light, and its influence upon terrestrial life." [2][source]
"Essentially, the religion of Canaan was based on the assumption that the forces of nature are expressions of divine presence and activity and that the only way one could survive and prosper was to identify the gods responsible for each phenomenon and by proper ritual encourage them to bring to bear their respective powers. This is the mythological approach to reality. Ritual involves human enactments; particularly by cultic personnel such as priests, of the activity of the gods as described in the myths. [source][source][source]
"Since Baal was not omnipresent in the strict sense, each cult center would have its own local Baal. Thus there could be Baal-Peor, Baal-Berith, Baal-Zebub, and so on. This explains why the gods of Canaan are sometimes called Baalim ("the Baals") in the Old Testament. There was only one Baal theoretically, but he was lord of many places." [3][source]
The worship of these idols did not involve or necessitate the abandonment of Yahweh. The Israelites worshipped both the idols and the true God. This practice constituted forsaking Yahweh because He demanded exclusive allegiance. The Israelites became syncretistic rather than exclusive in their worship. It is easier to understand why the Israelites apostatized so quickly and so frequently when we appreciate the syncretistic nature of Baal worship. [source][source][source]
Context Summary
Judges 2:6-15 - A Generation That Knew Not Jehovah
What a thrilling experience it must have been to hear Joshua and Caleb talk of Egypt, the Red Sea, and Sinai! The younger men would stand awestruck as the veterans narrated their experiences of God. Open your diaries of the past, ye older saints, and tell what the Lord hath done for you. It will hearten us for the fight, Malachi 3:16.
Joshua was carried to his last resting-place in his inheritance-"the portion of the sun"-amid the respect and affection of the entire people. Like Moses, he had deserved to be known as "the servant of the Lord." The elders, who had witnessed the conquest of Canaan, took up his testimony and told of Jericho and the valley of Ajalon. But these also were "gathered unto their fathers," which implies more than burial. They joined the great throng of holy ones who are gathering around our Lord, awaiting the hour when, as a radiant throng, they shall issue forth with Him to take up the kingdom of the world. What a gathering that will be! Whatever else we miss, let us see to it that we stand in our lot, "at the end of the days," Genesis 49:33; Genesis 50:14; Daniel 12:13. [source]
Chapter Summary: Judges 2
1An angel rebukes the people at Bochim 6The wickedness of the new generation after Joshua 14God's anger and pity toward them 20The Canaanites left to prove Israel
What do the individual words in Judges 2:13 mean?
And they forsook-Yahwehand servedBaaland the Ashtoreths
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, feminine plural
Root: עַשְׁתָּרֹת
Sense: false goddesses in the Canaanite religion, usually related to fertility cult.
What are the major concepts related to Judges 2:13?