Deuteronomy 13:16
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.

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.

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.

Majority 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.

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.

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 Version
And 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;

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 Bible
And 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 Bible
And 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 1917
And 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
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.

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.’”

1 Kings 9:16
Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire, killed the Canaanites who lived in the city, and given it as a dowry to his daughter, Solomon’s wife.

2 Kings 23:20
On the altars he slaughtered all the priests of the high places, and he burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.

Leviticus 27:28-29
Nothing that a man sets apart to the LORD from all he owns—whether a man, an animal, or his inherited land—can be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the LORD. / No person set apart for destruction may be ransomed; he must surely be put to death.

Numbers 31:10-11
Then they burned all the cities where the Midianites had lived, as well as all their encampments, / and carried away all the plunder and spoils, both people and animals.

Ezekiel 9:5-6
And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone! / Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple.

Isaiah 34:2
The LORD is angry with all the nations and furious with all their armies. He will devote them to destruction; He will give them over to slaughter.

Jeremiah 50:13
Because of the wrath of the LORD, she will not be inhabited; she will become completely desolate. All who pass through Babylon will be horrified and will hiss at all her wounds.

Revelation 18:8
Therefore her plagues will come in one day—death and grief and famine—and she will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.”

Revelation 18:17-19
For in a single hour such fabulous wealth has been destroyed!” Every shipmaster, passenger, and sailor, and all who make their living from the sea, will stand at a distance / and cry out at the sight of the smoke rising from the fire that consumes her. “What city was ever like this great city?” they will exclaim. / Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”

Revelation 17:16
And the ten horns and the beast that you saw will hate the prostitute. They will leave her desolate and naked, and they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

Matthew 11:20-24
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of His miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. / “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. / But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ...

Luke 10:12-15
I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town. / Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. / But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. ...

Acts 19:19
And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books and burned them in front of everyone. When the value of the books was calculated, the total came to fifty thousand drachmas.


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.

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Deuteronomy 13
1. Enticers to idolatry
6. however near to oneself
9. are to be stoned to death
12. Idolatrous cities are not to be spared














You are to gather
The directive to "gather" implies a deliberate and comprehensive action. In the Hebrew context, the word used here is "קָבַץ" (qavats), which means to collect or assemble. This action signifies a thorough and intentional gathering of all possessions, emphasizing the seriousness of the command and the totality of the judgment against the city. It reflects God's demand for complete obedience and the eradication of idolatry.

all its spoil
The term "spoil" refers to the goods and possessions of the city. In Hebrew, "שָׁלָל" (shalal) denotes plunder or loot. This indicates that everything of value is to be collected, signifying that nothing should be left behind or reused. The spoil represents the material wealth that could potentially lead the Israelites astray, thus it must be destroyed to prevent any temptation or future idolatry.

into the middle of the city square
The "middle of the city square" is a public and central location, symbolizing transparency and communal participation in the act of judgment. This central gathering point ensures that the entire community witnesses the destruction, reinforcing the collective responsibility to uphold God's commandments and the communal rejection of idolatry.

and completely burn
The phrase "completely burn" underscores the total destruction required. The Hebrew word "שָׂרַף" (saraph) means to burn or consume with fire. This act of burning signifies purification and the removal of sin, as fire is often used in the Bible as a symbol of divine judgment and cleansing. It reflects the severity of the offense and the need for a complete eradication of evil.

the city and all its spoil
The inclusion of both "the city and all its spoil" highlights the comprehensive nature of the judgment. Not only the material possessions but the very infrastructure and identity of the city are to be destroyed. This total destruction serves as a deterrent to future rebellion and a reminder of the consequences of turning away from God.

as a whole burnt offering
The term "whole burnt offering" is significant in its religious connotation. In Hebrew, "עוֹלָה" (olah) refers to a sacrifice that is entirely consumed by fire, symbolizing complete devotion and surrender to God. By offering the city as a burnt offering, the Israelites are demonstrating their commitment to God and their rejection of idolatry, acknowledging His sovereignty and holiness.

to the LORD your God
This phrase emphasizes the ultimate purpose of the act: to honor and obey "the LORD your God." It is a reminder that the Israelites' actions are not merely punitive but are acts of worship and obedience to God. The use of "your God" personalizes the relationship, underscoring the covenant between God and His people and their duty to remain faithful.

The city must remain a ruin forever
The command that the city "must remain a ruin forever" signifies the permanence of the judgment. The Hebrew word "תֵּל" (tel) means a heap or mound, indicating that the city is to be left as a perpetual reminder of the consequences of idolatry. This lasting ruin serves as a warning to future generations of the seriousness of disobedience to God.

never to be rebuilt
The prohibition against rebuilding the city underscores the finality of God's judgment. The Hebrew "לֹא תִבָּנֶה" (lo tibaneh) means it shall not be built again. This ensures that the city remains a testament to God's justice and the importance of faithfulness. It serves as a deterrent to future idolatry and a reminder of the need for unwavering devotion to God.

(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).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And
וְאֶת־ (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


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 13:16 You shall gather all its spoil into (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 13:15
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