Commentary for Avodah Zarah 90:9

אילו לא נאמר קאמר אילו לא נאמר תשרפון באש הייתי אומר אשריהם תגדעון באילן שנטעו מתחילה לכך השתא דכתיב ואשריהם תשרפון באש אייתר ליה ואשריהם תגדעון לאילן שנטעו ולבסוף עבדו

He employs the argument “if it had not been stated:” If it had not been stated, “and burn their asherim with fire,” I would have said that, “and hew down their asherim,” refers to a tree which had been originally planted for idolatry; now that it is written, “and burn their asherim with fire,” the phrase, “and hew down their asherim,” is left over to refer to a tree which had been planted and was subsequently worshipped.

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