The shorter version follows:
Comments, corrections, questions and your suggestions are warmly encouraged. They are appreciated.
Thank you!
As described in Genesis 1:11, the “tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof,” is a Oneness. Asherah is not Oneness. Asherah is the other as described by Hazzan Hyman. Asherah was a step in the development of B’nai Yisroel.
My comment: The tree bearing fruit can only be described by so indicating the time that it is presented to us. Is it the fruit or is it the seed?
The longer (much longer) version follows:
after, × alike, as (soon as), because,
My comment: As a likeness thereof. This is the root of the problem with אֲשֵׁרָה.
https://www.sefaria.org/search?q=אשר&tab=text&tvar=1&tsort=relevance&svar=1&ssort=relevance
Some usage:
Genesis 12:1 . . . . . . . . . … א וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ. 1 Now the LORD said unto Abram: 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee.
אֲשֶׁר ʼăsher, ash-er’; a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:—× after, × alike, as (soon as), because, × every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), × if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), × though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(-soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.
Some comments: 1 seems preferable, the primitive root having acquired different significations in the different Semitic languages, and having been weakened in Hebrew to a mere particle of relation). A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. As a rule אֲשֶׁר is a mere connecting link, and requires to be supplemented (see the grammars) by a pronominal affix, or other word, such as שָׁם, defining the nature of the relation more precisely: e.g. Genesis 1:11 אֲשֶׁר זַרֵעוֺבֿוֺ literally as to which, its seed is in it = in which is its seed,
Also, several random selections . . . . . . found at . . . . . . אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ-בוֹ
Genesis 1:11 . . . . . . . . יב וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע, לְמִינֵהוּ, וְעֵץ עֹשֶׂה-פְּרִי אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ-בוֹ, לְמִינֵהוּ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
My comments about: wherein is the seed thereof, describes a Oneness that is contained within itself.
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https://post.healthline.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/388x210_Are_Apple_Seeds_Poisonous.jpg
Therefore,
Deuteronomy 16:21 . . . . . . . … כא לֹא-תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה, כָּל-עֵץ: אֵצֶל, מִזְבַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ–אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה-לָּךְ. 21 Thou shalt not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee.
Deuteronomy 16:22 . . . . . . . … כב וְלֹא-תָקִים לְךָ, מַצֵּבָה, אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵא, יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ. {ס} 22 Neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar, which the LORD thy God hateth. {S}
Asherah, ancient West Semitic goddess, consort of the supreme god. … As mother goddess she was widely worshiped throughout Syria and Palestine, although she was frequently paired with Baal, who often took the place of El; as Baal’s consort, Asherah was usually given the name Baalat.
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https://i.ibb.co/1812hHg/Asher2.gif
Outline
Ashera(h) = “groves (for idol worship)”
a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images
the goddess, goddesses
her images
sacred trees or poles set up near an altar
אֲשֵׁרָה ʼăshêrâh, ash-ay-raw’; or אֲשֵׁירָה ʼăshêyrâh; from H833; happy; Asherah (or Astarte) a Phoenician goddess; also an image of the same:—grove. Compare H6253.
H833 . . . . . אָשַׁר
To make progress
Some usage:
to go straight, walk, go on, advance, make progress
(Qal) to go straight on, make progress
(Piel)
to go straight on, advance
to lead on (causative)
to set right, righten
to pronounce happy, call blessed
(Pual)
to be advanced, be led on
to be made happy, be blessed
אָשַׁר ʼâshar, aw-shar’; or אָשֵׁר ʼâshêr; a primitive root; to be straight (used in the widest sense, especially to be level, right, happy); figuratively, to go forward, be honest, prosper:—(call, be) bless(-ed, happy), go, guide, lead, relieve.
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https://i.ibb.co/NyRxzJf/Ashar2.gif
אֲשֵׁרָה ʼăshêrâh, ash-ay-raw’; or אֲשֵׁירָה ʼăshêyrâh; from H833; happy; Asherah (or Astarte) a Phoenician goddess; also an image of the same:—grove. Compare H6253.
אֲשֵׁרָה, אֲשֵׁירָה 2 Kings 17:16 proper name, feminine Ashera (Assyrian proper name, feminine Aš-ra-tu, with sign for deity, in Canaanitish proper name Abad-Ašratum, servant of A. SchrZA 1888, 363, compare Wkl & Abel Thontafelfund see El Amarna ii. No. 77, 1. 9, & SayceRP2. ii. 67, iii. 71; on derivatives compare Assyrian aširat, adjective feminine gracious, COTGloss): **see now also GFMEB ASHERAH Dr Deut 16:21 AllenDB ASHERAH, all doubtful as to Canaanite goddess Asherah; question left open by ZimKAT 3. 436 ff. (on Semitic goddess Aširtu-Ašratu Id.ib, 432 ff.); but see JeremAT im Licht d. Alten Orients 207 (name of goddess Aširat in letter found at Taanach by Sellin (1902-3) and Id.ib. 37. 237) (Oppenheim’s find at Ras el-`Ain in Mesopotamia,
Compare to,
עַשְׁתֹּרֶת ʻAshtôreth, ash-to’reth; probably for H6251; Ashtoreth, the Phoenician goddess of love (and increase):—Ashtoreth.
Astarte/Ashtoreth is the Queen of Heaven to whom the Canaanites burned offerings and poured libations (Jeremiah 44). Astarte, goddess of war and sexual love, shared so many qualities with her sister, Anath, that they may originally have been seen as a single deity.
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https://i.ibb.co/2tdv53m/Ashtoreth.gif
Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet
Jeremiah[a] (c. 650 – c. 570 BC),[2] also called the “weeping prophet”,[3] was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the Book of Jeremiah, the Books of Kings and the Book of Lamentations,[4] with the assistance and under the editorship of Baruch ben Neriah, his scribe and disciple.
In addition to proclaiming many prophecies of Yahweh, the God of Israel, the Book of Jeremiah goes into detail regarding the prophet’s private life, his experiences, and his imprisonment.[5]
Judaism considers the Book of Jeremiah part of its canon, and regards Jeremiah as the second of the major prophets. Christianity and Islam also regard Jeremiah as a prophet. His words are quoted in the New Testament[6] and his narrative is recounted in Islamic tradition.[7]
Jeremiah 44:2 . . . . . . . … ב כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַתֶּם רְאִיתֶם אֵת כָּל-הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר הֵבֵאתִי עַל-יְרוּשָׁלִַם, וְעַל כָּל-עָרֵי יְהוּדָה; וְהִנָּם חָרְבָּה הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, וְאֵין בָּהֶם יוֹשֵׁב. 2 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein;
Jeremiah 44:3 . . . . . . . … ג מִפְּנֵי רָעָתָם, אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לְהַכְעִסֵנִי, לָלֶכֶת לְקַטֵּר, לַעֲבֹד לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים–אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּם, הֵמָּה אַתֶּם וַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם. 3 because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me, in that they went to offer, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers.
Jeremiah 44:4 . . . . . . . … ד וָאֶשְׁלַח אֲלֵיכֶם אֶת-כָּל-עֲבָדַי הַנְּבִיאִים, הַשְׁכֵּים וְשָׁלֹחַ לֵאמֹר: אַל-נָא תַעֲשׂוּ, אֵת דְּבַר-הַתֹּעֵבָה הַזֹּאת–אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵאתִי. 4 Howbeit I sent unto you all My servants the prophets, sending them betimes and often, saying: Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
Jeremiah 44:5 . . . . . . . … ה וְלֹא שָׁמְעוּ וְלֹא-הִטּוּ אֶת-אָזְנָם, לָשׁוּב מֵרָעָתָם–לְבִלְתִּי קַטֵּר, לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים. 5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to forbear offering unto other gods.