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.
You must gather everything valuable from the city and bring it to the center of the main street. Then burn the entire city and everything in it completely as an offering to the LORD your God. Let it remain as a pile of ruins forever—it must never be rebuilt.
This verse describes God's command to completely destroy cities that had turned to worshiping false gods, leaving them as permanent ruins.
📚 Historical Context
This passage is part of Moses' instructions to the Israelites about how to handle cities within their own territory that had been led astray to worship other gods. In the ancient Near East, complete destruction of rebellious cities was considered necessary to prevent the spread of religious corruption. These were harsh measures for what was seen as spiritual treason that could destroy the entire nation's relationship with God.
Ask the AI Assistant
Have a question about this chapter or verse? Ask below for a clear explanation.