Deuteronomy 13:16

Thou shalt surely strike the inhabitants of that town with the edge of the cherev, in cherem destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the cherev.

Orthodox Jewish Bible

In The King James 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, for the LORD thy God: and it shall be an heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

In Context

15Then shalt thou inquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, hinei, if it be emes, and the thing certain, that such to'evah (abomination, detestable action) is wrought among you;

17And thou shalt gather all the plunder of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with eish the town, and all the plunder thereof completely for Hashem Eloheicha; and it shall be a tel olam (heap forever); it shall not be built again.

Read all of Deuteronomy 13

Cross References

Exodus 22:19He that sacrificeth unto elohim (the g-ds), other than unto Hashem only, he shall be destroyed.

Joshua 6:21And they utterly destroyed + 6:21 devoted as cherem all that was in the Ir, both ish and isha, na'ar and zaken, and shor, and seh, and chamor, with the edge of the cherev.

Joshua 6:26And Yehoshua made them take this shevu'ah, saying, Arur (cursed) be the ish before Hashem, that riseth up and rebuildeth this Ir Yericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof with his bechor, and with his tza'ir (youngest son) shall he set up the delatot (gates) thereof. + 6:26 See fulfillment 1Kgs 16:34

Isaiah 17:1The massa (burden) of Damascus: 1 Hinei, Damascus is taken away from being a city, 1 and it shall be a heap of ruins. 1

Jeremiah 49:2Therefore, hinei, the days come, saith Hashem, 1 that I will cause an alarm of milchamah 1 to be heard in Rabbah of Bnei Ammon; 1 and it shall become a desolate tel (mound), 1 and her banot shall be burned with eish: 1 then shall Yisroel dispossess his dispossessors, saith Hashem. 1

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 13:13-18

12 If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the Lord thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying, 13 Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known; 14 Then shalt thou enquire, and make search, and ask diligently; and, behold, if it be truth, and the thing certain, that such abomination is wrought among you; 15 Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with… Read the whole commentary →

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