Trees were not to be planted near altars because such practices were associated with pagan worship. In Canaanite religion, groves and sacred trees often surrounded altars to false gods and were sites of idolatrous and immoral rituals. God’s command was meant to separate Israel’s worship from any resemblance to these corrupt customs.
“You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 16:21)
Even the appearance of similarity to pagan practices was forbidden. God’s worship was to be distinct, pure, and untainted by the traditions of the nations they were dispossessing. Planting a tree near an altar might seem harmless, but it could lead to syncretism and compromise.
God’s altar was a place of sacrifice, repentance, and covenant renewal. To associate it with pagan symbols would desecrate its holiness. This command reinforced that worship must conform to God’s instructions, not human creativity or cultural trends.
