Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ASHTAROTH

(Heb. ʿaštārôṯ)

(DEITY)

Plural form of the name of the Canaanite goddess Ashtart (NRSV “Astarte”). It appears in the OT in the phrase “the Baalim and the Ashtaroth” (Judg. 10:6; 1 Sam. 7:4; 12:10), where it denotes either various local manifestations of Ashtart or, more likely, goddesses in general. The latter sense is implied in 1 Sam. 7:3, where “the Ashtaroth” is added as the feminine equivalent of “foreign (male) gods” (Heb. ʾĕlōhê hannēḵār). Ashtaroth can be understood as a singular divine name in two instances: Judg. 2:13, where it parallels sing. Baal, and 1 Sam. 31:10, which refers to “the temple of Ashtart,” “a temple of goddesses,” or “a temple of a goddess.”

See Ashtoreth.

Joel Burnett