Deuteronomy 13:12-18

If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,

Certain men, the children of Belial, х bªneey (H1121) Bªliya`al (H1100)]. "Belial," always moral worthlessness: "sons of Belial," they are wicked men-lawless, designing demagogues (Judges 19:22; 1 Samuel 1:16; 1 Samuel 25:25), who abused their influence to withdraw the inhabitants of the city to idol-worship. [The Septuagint has: andres paranomoi, perverse men, transgressors of the law.]

Verse 14. Then shalt thou inquire - i:e., the magistrate, to whom it officially belonged to make the necessary investigation; and in the event of the report proving true, the most summary proceedings were to be commenced against the apostate inhabitants, who had placed themselves beyond the pale of protection. The law in this chapter has been represented as stern and sanguinary; but it was in accordance with the national constitution of Israel. God being their King, idolatry was treason; and a city turned to idols put itself into a state, and incurred the punishment, of rebellion.

Verse 16. It shall not be built again - its ruins shall be a permanent monument of the divine justice, and a beacon for the warning and terror of posterity (cf. Jeremiah 44:3).

Verse 17. There shall cleave nought of the cursed thing - no spoil shall be taken from a city thus solemnly devoted to destruction. Every living creature must be put to the sword, everything belonging to it reduced to ashes, that nothing but its infamy may remain.