Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 13:16
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 a heap forever; it shall not be built again.
Every whit, for the Lord thy God – Some prefer: as a whole offering to the Lord thy God.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
For the Lord thy God, i.e. for the satisfaction of Gods justice, the maintenance of his honour and authority and laws, and the pacification of his offended majesty.
It shall be an heap for ever; it shall be an eternal monument of Gods justice, and terror to after-ages, who may be tempted to like practices.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. it shall be an heap for ever; itshall not be built againIts ruins shall be a permanentmonument of the divine justice, and a beacon for the warning andterror of posterity.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And thou shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof,…. All the wealth and substance of the inhabitants, their household goods, shop goods, merchandise, utensils in trade and business, and everything that can be named. The Jews say p, if there is no street, they make one (or a marketplace); if that is without it, they bring them into the midst of it:
and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit; be it what it may, or let it be whose property it will; and all this shall be done for the Lord thy God; as by his appointment and command, and in obedience to him, so for his honour and glory, and the vindication of his righteous law;
and it shall be an heap for ever, it shall not be built again; but lie a waste as Jericho, though not an entire waste; for according to the Jewish writers, though it might not be built as it was before, it might be made into gardens and orchards q.
p Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 11. sect. 6. q lbid. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16. And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it. They are commanded to burn all the furniture, and whatever is found in the city; and the reason is subjoined, because it is accursed ( anathema) If any city was taken in war, all that God here commands to be burnt was to be counted as spoil, for the Jews would pollute themselves by its very touch. It might be indeed that God’s intention was to obviate covetousness, lest the Jews should mix up their zeal with rapine; but the principal reason was that which Moses expresses, that the people might be more accustomed to detest the crime, which they saw to be so cruelly punished by God. The word חרם, cherem, which the Greeks have translated anathema, (64) properly means destruction, or abolition; but that which God would have annihilated, because He cannot bear the sight of it, is called חרם, before Him. Therefore it is said, “Thou shalt burn it to the Lord thy God;” for the translation which some give, “for ( propter ) the Lord,” is not quite literal. The sum is to this effect, that if they fear God’s vengeance for themselves, and desire to propitiate His favor, they must hold in execration the houses and property of those who have rebelled against the Law. Moreover, it is implied by the words “mercy” and “compassion,” that if God should deal with absolute justice, the wickedness of one city would suffice to destroy a whole country. Whence we gather, that a kind of expiation is demanded to propitiate God, when they are commanded utterly to destroy the city, and to cast every remnant of it into the fire.
(64) “ Execration.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) And shalt burn with fire the city.So Gibeah was treated (Judges xx 40).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Every whit, for the Lord thy God , here in our version rendered every whit, is in other places translated a holocaust, or “whole burnt offering.” Better rendered, a whole burnt offering to Jehovah thy God; that is, the city and the spoil were to be as utterly consumed as a whole burnt offering.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
burn = burn up. Hebrew. saraph.
heap for ever. Compare Jos 8:28.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
burn with: Jos 6:24
an heap: Num 21:2, Num 21:3, Jos 6:26, Jos 8:28, Isa 17:1, Isa 25:2, Jer 49:2, Mic 1:6
Reciprocal: Lev 27:28 – no devoted Jos 7:15 – he that is 1Sa 15:3 – utterly destroy Eze 16:41 – burn Eze 23:47 – and burn Eze 26:14 – be built Dan 2:5 – made
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Deu 13:16-17. For the Lord For the satisfaction of Gods justice, the maintenance of his honour and authority, and the pacification of his offended majesty. It shall not be built It shall be an eternal monument of Gods justice and terror to after ages. Multiply thee So thou shalt have no loss of thy numbers by cutting off so many people.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
13:16 And {i} 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.
(i) Signifying that no idolatry is so detestable, nor more grievously to be punished, than of those who once professed God.