לֹֽא־תִטַּ֥ע לְךָ֛ אֲשֵׁרָ֖ה כָּל־עֵ֑ץ אֵ֗צֶל מִזְבַּ֛ח יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶׂה־לָּֽךְ׃ (ס)
Huwag kang magtatanim para sa iyong sarili ng Ashera, anumang punongkahoy, sa tabi ng altar ng Walang-Hanggan na iyong Diyos na iyong gagawin para sa iyong sarili.
Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis
God planting does not justify man in planting a grove by the altar, which is forbidden in Deut. 16:21, for (a) man cannot, like God, plant virtues in the soul; (b) a grove contains some wild trees; (c) what is prohibited is planting “to ourselves” (cf. 2nd Commandment).
Allegorical Interpretation of Genesis
[48] Now the question might be asked, “Why, seeing that to imitate God’s works is a pious act, am I forbidden to plant a grove by the altar, while God plants the pleasaunce?” For it says, “Thou shalt not plant thyself a grove: thou shalt not make to thyself any wood by the side of the altar of the Lord thy God” (Deut. 16:21). What then are we to say? That it becomes God to plant and to build virtues in the soul,