Deuteronomy 13:16

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

Complete Jewish Bible:

Heap all its spoils in an open space, and burn the city with its spoils to the ground for ADONAI your God; it will remain a tel forever and not be built again -

Berean Standard Bible:

And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, and completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt.

American Standard Version:

And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, unto Jehovah thy God: and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

And thou shalt gather^{H6908} all the spoil^{H7998} of it into the midst^{H8432} of the street^{H7339} thereof, and shalt burn^{H8313} with fire^{H784} the city^{H5892}, and all the spoil^{H7998} thereof every whit^{H3632}, for the LORD^{H3068} thy God^{H430}: and it shall be an heap^{H8510} for ever^{H5769}; it shall not be built again^{H1129}.

Cross-References (KJV):

Explore This Verse Across Other Resources:

BibleHub.com BibleRef.com

Commentary for Deuteronomy 13:16

Deuteronomy 13:16 is part of a passage that deals with the strict prohibition against idolatry in ancient Israelite society. The historical context of this verse is the period when the Israelites, newly freed from Egyptian slavery, are receiving the Law from Moses, which includes guidelines for their religious, civil, and moral life in the Promised Land.

The themes of Deuteronomy 13:16 include:

1. **Idolatry and Apostasy**: The verse is part of a larger section (Deuteronomy 13:12-18) that instructs the Israelites on how to deal with an entire city that has been led astray into idolatry. Idolatry is considered a grievous sin in the Hebrew Bible, and the punishment reflects the gravity with which it was viewed.

2. **Divine Authority**: The command to destroy the city comes directly from Yahweh, the God of Israel, emphasizing the idea that the Israelites' laws and actions are to be in accordance with divine will.

3. **Community Purity**: The harsh measures are intended to purge evil from the community and to prevent the spread of idolatrous practices. The destruction is total, leaving no possibility for the resurgence of idolatry from that city.

4. **Deterrence**: The act of complete destruction serves as a warning to others, reinforcing the seriousness of abandoning the worship of Yahweh for other gods.

5. **Covenant Faithfulness**: The Israelites are to demonstrate their exclusive loyalty to Yahweh by eliminating any competing religious influences, thereby upholding their covenant relationship with God.

The historical and cultural context of this verse reflects the ancient Near Eastern concern for maintaining religious purity and the unique identity of Israel as a people set apart for Yahweh. The severe nature of the command must be understood within the broader ancient worldview, where religious infidelity was often thought to bring divine judgment upon the entire community.

In contemporary interpretation, this passage raises complex theological and ethical questions about religious violence, the nature of God, and the relationship between ancient scriptural commands and modern moral sensibilities.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H6908
   There are 121 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: קָבַץ
   Transliteration: qâbats
   Pronunciation: kaw-bats'
   Description: a primitive root; to grasp, i.e. collect; assemble (selves), gather (bring) (together, selves together, up), heap, resort, [idiom] surely, take up.
   
2. Strong's Number: H7998
   There are 64 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׁלָל
   Transliteration: shâlâl
   Pronunciation: shaw-lawl'
   Description: from שָׁלַל; booty; prey, spoil.
   
3. Strong's Number: H8432
   There are 390 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: תָּוֶךְ
   Transliteration: tâvek
   Pronunciation: taw'-vek
   Description: from an unused root meaning to sever; a bisection, i.e. (by implication) the centre; among(-st), [idiom] between, half, [idiom] (there-, where-), in(-to), middle, mid(-night), midst (among), [idiom] out (of), [idiom] through, [idiom] with(-in).
   
4. Strong's Number: H7339
   There are 41 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: רְחֹב
   Transliteration: rᵉchôb
   Pronunciation: rekh-obe'
   Description: or רְחוֹב; from רָחַב; a width, i.e. (concretely) avenue or area; broad place (way), street. See also בֵּית רְחוֹב.
   
5. Strong's Number: H8313
   There are 107 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: שָׂרַף
   Transliteration: sâraph
   Pronunciation: saw-raf'
   Description: a primitive root; to be (causatively, set) on fire; (cause to, make a) burn((-ing), up) kindle, [idiom] utterly.
   
6. Strong's Number: H784
   There are 549 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֵשׁ
   Transliteration: ʼêsh
   Pronunciation: aysh
   Description: a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively); burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.
   
7. Strong's Number: H5892
   There are 937 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עִיר
   Transliteration: ʻîyr
   Pronunciation: eer
   Description: or (in the plural) עָר; or עָיַר; (Judges 10:4), from עוּר; a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch) in the widest sense (even of a mere encampment or post); Ai (from margin), city, court (from margin), town.
   
8. Strong's Number: H3632
   There are 15 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: כָּלִיל
   Transliteration: kâlîyl
   Pronunciation: kaw-leel'
   Description: from כָּלַל; complete; as noun, the whole (specifically, a sacrifice entirely consumed); as adverb, fully; all, every whit, flame, perfect(-ion), utterly, whole burnt offering (sacrifice), wholly.
   
9. Strong's Number: H3068
   There are 5521 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יְהֹוָה
   Transliteration: Yᵉhôvâh
   Pronunciation: yeh-ho-vaw'
   Description: from הָיָה; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God; Jehovah, the Lord. Compare יָהּ, יְהֹוִה.
   
10. Strong's Number: H430
    There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
    Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
    Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
    Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
    
11. Strong's Number: H8510
    There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: תֵּל
    Transliteration: têl
    Pronunciation: tale
    Description: by contraction from תָּלַל; a mound; heap, [idiom] strength.
    
12. Strong's Number: H5769
    There are 414 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: עוֹלָם
    Transliteration: ʻôwlâm
    Pronunciation: o-lawm'
    Description: or עֹלָם; from עָלַם; properly, concealed, i.e. the vanishing point; generally, time out of mind (past or future), i.e. (practically) eternity; frequentatively, adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix) always; alway(-s), ancient (time), any more, continuance, eternal, (for, (n-)) ever(-lasting, -more, of old), lasting, long (time), (of) old (time), perpetual, at any time, (beginning of the) world ([phrase] without end). Compare נֶצַח, עַד.
    
13. Strong's Number: H1129
    There are 345 instances of this translation in the Bible
    Lemma: בָּנָה
    Transliteration: bânâh
    Pronunciation: baw-naw'
    Description: a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively); (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.