Isaiah 17:8

“And he shall not took to the altars, the work of his hands, &c.] That is, to altars erected to the worship of idols, which are both the works of men’s hands, so as to serve at them, and sacrifice upon them. Kimchi observes, that the latter clause is not to be understood as belonging to the former, but as distinct from it, and signifies idols which men have made; otherwise all altars, even the altars of God, were the works of men, which yet it was right to look unto, and offer sacrifice upon; but idol altars, and idols themselves, are here meant: and a good man will not look unto his good works as altars to atone for sin; he knows that nothing that a creature can do can expiate sin; that his…”

“groves--A symbolical tree is often found in Assyrian inscriptions, representing the hosts of heaven ("Saba"), answering to Ashteroth or Astarte, the queen of heaven, as Baal or Bel is the king. Hence the expression, "image of the grove," is explained (Kg2 21:7). images--literally, "images to the sun," that is, to Baal, who answers to the sun, as Astarte to the hosts of heaven (Kg2 23:5; Job 31:26).”

“And he shall not look to the altars - That is, the altars of the gods which the Syrians worshipped, and the altars of the false gods which had been erected in the land of Israel or Samaria by its wicked kings, and particularly by Ahaz. Ahaz fancied an altar which he saw at Damascus when on a visit to Tiglath-pileser, and ordered Urijah the priest to construct one like it in Samaria, on which he subsequently offered sacrifice 2 Kings 16:10-13. It is well known, also, that the kings of Israel and Judah often reared altars to false gods in the high places and the groves of the land (see 2 Kings 21:3-5). The Ephraimites were particularly guilty in this respect Hosea 8:11 : ‘Because Ephraim hath…”

“Not look - Not trust to them, or to worship offered to idols upon them. The work - Their own inventions. Groves - Which were devised by men, as fit places for the worship of their gods. Images - Worshipped in their groves. Isaiah 17:9”

“17:8 Canaanites and then Israelites worshiped the fertility goddess Asherah in wooded areas or, in the absence of wooded areas, using Asherah poles (see 27:9; 65:3; Mic 5:14).”

“he shall: Isa 1:29, Isa 2:18-21, Isa 27:9, Isa 30:22; Ch2 34:6, Ch2 34:7; Eze 36:25; Hos 14:8; Zep 1:3; Zac 13:2 the work: Isa 2:8, Isa 31:6, Isa 31:7, Isa 44:15, Isa 44:19, Isa 44:20; Hos 8:4-6, Hos 10:1, Hos 10:2, Hos 13:1, Hos 13:2; Mic 5:13, Mic 5:14 images: or, sun-images, Ch2 14:5, Ch2 34:4 \*marg. Isaiah 17:9”