theft. So Judah would one day be put to shame because of attachment to idolatry. How ridiculous to regard a tree or a stone as the creators of life! The “tree” was the Asherah or wooden pole which represented the female Canaanite deity; the “stone” was the standing pillar representing the male Canaanite deity. Veneration of these pagan symbols was tantamount to turning the back on Yahweh. In times of real national emergency they would discover these gods to be totally impotent (2:26–28).