Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version You are to gather all the plunder of the town into the middle of the public square and completely burn the town and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town is to remain a ruin forever, never to be rebuilt, New Living Translation Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the open square and burn it. Burn the entire town as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. English Standard Version You shall gather all its spoil into the midst of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall 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. Berean Literal Bible And all its plunder you shall gather into the middle of the street, and burn with the fire the city and all its plunder completely before YHWH your God. And it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. King James Bible 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. New King James Version And you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of the street, and completely burn with fire the city and all its plunder, for the LORD your God. It shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. New American Standard Bible Then you shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its public square, and burn the city and all its plunder with fire as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God; and it shall be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt. NASB 1995 “Then you shall gather all its booty into the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its booty with fire as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God; and it shall be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt. NASB 1977 “Then you shall gather all its booty into the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its booty with fire as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God; and it shall be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt. Legacy Standard Bible Then you shall gather all its spoil into the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire as a whole burnt offering to Yahweh your God; and it shall be a ruin forever. It shall never be rebuilt. Amplified Bible Then you shall collect all its spoil (plunder) into the middle of its open square and burn the city and set fire to the spoil as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It shall be a ruin forever. It shall not be built again. Berean Annotated 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 {YHWH Eloheka}. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt. Christian Standard Bible You are to gather all its spoil in the middle of the city square and completely burn the city and all its spoil for the LORD your God. The city is to remain a mound of ruins forever; it is not to be rebuilt. Holman Christian Standard Bible You are to gather all its spoil in the middle of the city square and completely burn up the city and all its spoil for the LORD your God. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever; it is not 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. English Revised 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 the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again. GOD'S WORD® Translation Gather their goods into the middle of the city square. Then burn their city and all their goods as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. It must remain a mound of ruins and never be rebuilt. Good News Translation Bring together all the possessions of the people who live there and pile them up in the town square. Then burn the town and everything in it as an offering to the LORD your God. It must be left in ruins forever and never again be rebuilt. International Standard Version Gather whatever you've taken as spoils at the public square of the town, then burn the town, along with whatever you've taken, as an offering to the LORD your God. It will remain a permanent mound of ruins, never to be rebuilt again. NET Bible You must gather all of its plunder into the middle of the plaza and burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It will be an abandoned ruin forever--it must never be rebuilt again. New Heart English Bible You shall gather all its plunder into the midst of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God: and it shall be a ruin forever; it shall not be built again. Webster's Bible Translation And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of its street, and shalt burn with fire the city, and all the spoil of it every whit, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be a heap forever; it shalt not be built again. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAnd 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. World English Bible You shall gather all its plunder into the middle of its street, and shall burn with fire the city, with all of its plunder, to Yahweh your God. It shall be a heap forever. It shall not be built again. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd you gather all its spoil into the midst of its broad place, and have completely burned the city and all its spoil with fire for your God YHWH, and it has been a continuous heap, it is not built anymore; Berean Literal Bible And all its plunder you shall gather into the middle of the street, and burn with the fire the city and all its plunder completely before YHWH your God. And it shall be a heap forever; it shall not be built again. Young's Literal Translation and all its spoil thou dost gather unto the midst of its broad place, and hast burned with fire the city and all its spoil completely, before Jehovah thy God, and it hath been a heap age-during, it is not built any more; Smith's Literal Translation And thou shalt gather all its spoil to the midst of its street, and burn in fire the city and all its spoil, wholly, to Jehovah thy God: and it was a heap forever; it shall no more be built. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd all the household goods that are there, thou shalt gather together in the midst of the streets thereof, and shalt burn them with the city itself, so as to consume all for the Lord thy God, and that it be a heap for ever: it shall be built no more. Catholic Public Domain Version Then all the household goods which are there, you shall gather together in the midst of its streets, and you shall set fire to these, along with the city itself, so that you may consume everything for the Lord your God, and so that it may be an everlasting tomb. It shall no longer be built up. New American Bible Having heaped up all its spoils in the middle of its square, you shall burn the city with all its spoils as a whole burnt offering to the LORD, your God. Let it be a heap of ruins forever, never to be rebuilt. New Revised Standard Version All of its spoil you shall gather into its public square; then burn the town and all its spoil with fire, as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. It shall remain a perpetual ruin, never to be rebuilt. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd you shall gather all the spoil of it into the midst of an open space beyond the walls thereof, and burn the city with fire, and all its spoil every bit, before the LORD your God; and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And gather all its plundered property within its open courtyard and burn the city in fire and all its property completely before LORD JEHOVAH your God, and it shall be a heap forever and it shall not be built again. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the broad place thereof, and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, unto the LORD thy God; and it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again. Brenton Septuagint Translation And all its spoils thou shalt gather into its public ways, and thou shalt burn the city with fire, and all its spoils publicly before the Lord thy God; and it shall be uninhabited for ever, it shall not be built again. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Idolatrous Cities to Be Destroyed…15you must surely put the inhabitants of that city to the sword. Devote to destruction all its people and livestock. 16And 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. 17Nothing devoted to destruction shall cling to your hands, so that the LORD will turn from His fierce anger, grant you mercy, show you compassion, and multiply you as He swore to your fathers,… Cross References And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square, Joshua 8:2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.” Joshua 11:14 The Israelites took for themselves all the plunder and livestock of these cities, but they put all the people to the sword until they had completely destroyed them, not sparing anyone who breathed. 1 Samuel 15:21 The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” and completely burn the city and all its plunder Joshua 6:24 Then the Israelites burned up the city and everything in it. However, they put the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. Joshua 11:11 The Israelites put everyone in Hazor to the sword, devoting them to destruction. Nothing that breathed remained, and Joshua burned down Hazor itself. 2 Kings 25:9 He burned down the house of the LORD, the royal palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem—every significant building. as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God. Exodus 29:18 Then burn the entire ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD, a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. Leviticus 1:3-4 If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to present an unblemished male. He must bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting for its acceptance before the LORD. / He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, so it can be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him. Numbers 28:3 And tell them that this is the food offering you are to present to the LORD as a regular burnt offering each day: two unblemished year-old male lambs. The city must remain a mound of ruins forever, Joshua 8:28 So Joshua burned Ai and made it a permanent heap of ruins, a desolation to this day. 2 Kings 19:25 Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it; in days of old I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass, that you should crush fortified cities into piles of rubble. Jeremiah 49:13 For by Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, that Bozrah will become a desolation, a disgrace, a ruin, and a curse, and all her cities will be in ruins forever.” never to be rebuilt. Joshua 6:26 At that time Joshua invoked this solemn oath: “Cursed before the LORD is the man who rises up and rebuilds this city, Jericho; at the cost of his firstborn he will lay its foundations; at the cost of his youngest he will set up its gates.” Ezekiel 26:14 I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread the fishing nets. You will never be rebuilt, for I, the LORD, have spoken, declares the Lord GOD.’ 1 Kings 16:34 In Ahab’s days, Hiel the Bethelite rebuilt Jericho. At the cost of Abiram his firstborn he laid its foundation, and at the cost of Segub his youngest he set up its gates, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun. 1 Samuel 15:3 Now go and attack the Amalekites and devote to destruction all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death men and women, children and infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’” Treasury of Scripture And you shall gather all the spoil of it into the middle of the street thereof, and shall burn with fire the city, and all the spoil thereof every whit, for the LORD your God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again. burn with Joshua 6:24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. an heap Numbers 21:2,3 And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities… Joshua 6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it. Joshua 8:28 And Joshua burnt Ai, and made it an heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day. Jump to Previous Booty Broad Built Burn Burnt City Heap Middle Midst Offering Open Ruin Spoil Square Street Thereof Whit WholeJump to Next Booty Broad Built Burn Burnt City Heap Middle Midst Offering Open Ruin Spoil Square Street Thereof Whit WholeDeuteronomy 13 1. Enticers to idolatry6. however near to oneself 9. are to be stoned to death 12. Idolatrous cities are not to be spared And you are to gather all its plunder in the middle of the public square This directive emphasizes the public nature of the judgment against the city. The public square was often the center of community life, symbolizing the heart of the city. By gathering the plunder there, it serves as a visible demonstration of the consequences of idolatry. This act is reminiscent of the communal nature of sin and judgment seen in other parts of Scripture, such as the stoning of Achan in Joshua 7, where the sin of one affected the entire community. 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 Persons / Places / Events 1. IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, who are being instructed on how to deal with cities that lead them into idolatry. 2. Idolatrous City A city within Israel that has turned to worship other gods, leading its inhabitants astray. 3. Public Square The central place in the city where the plunder is gathered, symbolizing the public nature of the judgment. 4. Whole Burnt Offering A sacrificial act dedicated entirely to God, signifying complete destruction and devotion. 5. The LORD (Yahweh) The God of Israel, who demands exclusive worship and obedience from His people. Teaching Points The Seriousness of IdolatryIdolatry is a grave sin that leads people away from God. The drastic measures commanded in Deuteronomy 13:16 underscore the seriousness with which God views idolatry. Total Devotion to God The command to burn the city and its plunder as a whole burnt offering signifies the need for total devotion to God. Nothing should be spared or kept for personal gain when it comes to eradicating sin. Irrevocable Consecration Once something is devoted to God, it cannot be reclaimed or rebuilt. This teaches us about the irrevocable nature of our commitments to God. Public Accountability The gathering of plunder in the public square highlights the importance of public accountability in dealing with sin. Sin is not just a private matter but affects the community. Eternal Consequences The command that the city must remain a ruin forever serves as a reminder of the eternal consequences of sin and disobedience. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 13:16?2. How does Deuteronomy 13:16 instruct us to handle idolatry in our lives? 3. What does "burn the city" symbolize in our spiritual battles today? 4. How can we apply the principle of removing sin from Deuteronomy 13:16? 5. What New Testament teachings align with Deuteronomy 13:16's call to reject idolatry? 6. How can we ensure our community remains faithful, as instructed in Deuteronomy 13:16? 7. How does Deuteronomy 13:16 align with the concept of a loving God? 8. Why does Deuteronomy 13:16 command the destruction of entire cities? 9. What historical context explains the harshness of Deuteronomy 13:16? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Deuteronomy 13? 11. How does Psalm 137 align with divine justice, given that it appears to advocate collective punishment? 12. (Jeremiah 13:16-17) Isn't it contradictory for God to demand repentance while also foretelling inevitable punishment? 13. In Deuteronomy 13:1-5, why would a loving God command the death of false prophets and those who follow them? 14. What do owls symbolize in the Bible? What Does Deuteronomy 13:16 Mean Gathering all its plunder• The command begins, “You are to gather all its plunder.” Nothing in the apostate city was to be spared or quietly carried off. • This prevented any Israelite from profiting by what God had declared cursed (cf. Joshua 7:1–13; Genesis 14:23). • It echoes earlier warnings: “The images of their gods you are to burn with fire. Do not covet the silver and gold on them...” (Deuteronomy 7:25). • By gathering everything together, Israel publicly acknowledges that even the wealth of a rebellious city belongs to the Lord, not to human greed. In the middle of the public square • “...in the middle of the public square” places judgment where everyone can see. • A public setting underscored the seriousness of idolatry and preserved communal purity (Deuteronomy 17:5; Acts 5:5–11). • It served as lasting instruction for surrounding towns: “All Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again” (Deuteronomy 13:11). Completely burn the city and all its plunder as a whole burnt offering to the LORD your God • The destruction was total—nothing left to temptation or reuse (compare 1 Samuel 15:3, 22–23). • Calling the ruined city “a whole burnt offering” shows that justice toward sin also functions as worship, honoring God’s holiness (Leviticus 1:9; Hebrews 10:31). • Fire, often a symbol of divine judgment, also purifies (Numbers 31:23) and reminds Israel that God alone determines what may live in His land. A perpetual mound of ruins—never to be rebuilt • “The city must remain a mound of ruins forever.” Its fate mirrors Sodom and Gomorrah, left “as an example” (2 Peter 2:6). • Permanence prevents any future generation from restoring what God has condemned (Isaiah 34:10). • The warning anticipates Revelation 18:21, where Babylon is thrown down “and will never again be found,” showing God’s consistent stance against systemic evil throughout Scripture. summary Deuteronomy 13:16 commands Israel to expose, remove, and permanently destroy a city that lured God’s people into idolatry. By gathering every possession in the public square, burning it as an act of worship, and leaving the site forever desolate, Israel affirms God’s absolute holiness and rejects any benefit from rebellion. The passage teaches that judgment against persistent sin must be thorough, visible, and irrevocable, so the community remains faithful and God’s name is honored. (16) And shalt burn with fire the city.--So Gibeah was treated (Judges xx 40).Verse 16. - All the spoil thereof every whir, for the Lord thy God; rather, all the spoil [booty] thereof as a whole offering unto Jehovah thy God; it was to be wholly devoted to God, and as such to be consumed by fire. "It was a destruction, and not properly an offering. Hence the author selects neither עֹולָה nor חַטָּאת, but כָּליִל, whole, whole offering (Deuteronomy 33. '10; Leviticus 6:15 [22]), which word, in the law concerning offering, is no technical designation of any particular kind of offering. The rendering omnino is untenable" (Knobel). The city was to be made a ruin, never to be rebuilt; and thus was to be treated the same as a heathen, idolatrous city might be (cf. Numbers 21:3).
Hebrew Andוְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-) Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case you are to gather תִּקְבֹּץ֮ (tiq·bōṣ) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 6908: To gather, collect all כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every its plunder שְׁלָלָ֗הּ (šə·lā·lāh) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 7998: A prey, spoil, plunder, booty in אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to the middle תּ֣וֹךְ (tō·wḵ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre of the public square, רְחֹבָהּ֒ (rə·ḥō·ḇāh) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 7339: A broad open place, plaza and completely burn וְשָׂרַפְתָּ֨ (wə·śā·rap̄·tā) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 8313: To be, on fire the city הָעִ֤יר (hā·‘îr) Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 5892: Excitement and all כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every its plunder שְׁלָלָהּ֙ (šə·lā·lāh) Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular Strong's 7998: A prey, spoil, plunder, booty as a whole burnt offering כָּלִ֔יל (kā·lîl) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 3632: Complete, the whole, as, fully to the LORD לַיהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh) Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel your God. אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative [The city] must remain וְהָיְתָה֙ (wə·hā·yə·ṯāh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be a mound of ruins תֵּ֣ל (têl) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 8510: A mound forever, עוֹלָ֔ם (‘ō·w·lām) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always never לֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no to be rebuilt. תִבָּנֶ֖ה (ṯib·bā·neh) Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular Strong's 1129: To build Links Deuteronomy 13:16 NIVDeuteronomy 13:16 NLT Deuteronomy 13:16 ESV Deuteronomy 13:16 NASB Deuteronomy 13:16 KJV Deuteronomy 13:16 BibleApps.com Deuteronomy 13:16 Biblia Paralela Deuteronomy 13:16 Chinese Bible Deuteronomy 13:16 French Bible Deuteronomy 13:16 Catholic Bible OT Law: Deuteronomy 13:16 You shall gather all its spoil into (Deut. De Du) |
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