Deuteronomy 13:17

17 And nothing of that cursing shall dwell in thine hand, that the Lord be turned away from the wrath of his strong vengeance, and have mercy upon thee, and multiply thee, as he swore to thy fathers. (And then nothing of what be cursed shall be found in thy hands, and the Lord shall turn away from the anger of his strong vengeance, and shall have mercy on thee, and shall multiply thee, as he promised to thy fathers.)

Deuteronomy 13:17 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:17

And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine
hand
That is, they might not take anything whatever to their own use; for all being devoted to destruction, was cursed, and brought a curse upon the man that should make it his own property, as Achan did, when Jericho was destroyed:

that the Lord may turn from the fierceness of his anger;
stirred up by the idolatry of the city:

and show thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee;
who, seeing wrath gone forth, might dread the consequences, lest it should spread itself further:

and multiply thee, as he hath sworn to thy fathers;
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; this is observed to encourage them to execute his orders punctually in the destruction of the idolatrous city; since God could and would multiply them, as he had promised their fathers, with an oath, so that they should not be the fewer by such an instance of his severity.

Deuteronomy 13:17 In-Context

15 anon thou shalt smite the dwellers of that city with the sharpness of sword (at once thou shalt strike the inhabitants of that city with the sharpness of the sword), and thou shalt destroy that city, and all things that be therein, unto the beasts.

16 Also whatever thing of purtenance of household is found there, thou shalt gather it together in [the] midst of the streets thereof, and thou shalt burn it with that city, so that thou waste all things before thy Lord God, and it be a burial everlasting; it shall no more be builded. (And whatever thing of purtenance of household is found there, thou shalt gather it together in the middle of its streets, or in the town square, and thou shalt burn all those things along with that city, so that thou destroy all those things before the Lord thy God, and it shall be an everlasting burial; that city shall never be rebuilt.)

17 And nothing of that cursing shall dwell in thine hand, that the Lord be turned away from the wrath of his strong vengeance, and have mercy upon thee, and multiply thee, as he swore to thy fathers. (And then nothing of what be cursed shall be found in thy hands, and the Lord shall turn away from the anger of his strong vengeance, and shall have mercy on thee, and shall multiply thee, as he promised to thy fathers.)

18 When thou hast heard the voice of thy Lord God, thou shalt keep all his behests which I command to thee today, that thou do that thing that is pleasing in the sight of thy Lord God. (When thou hast heard the voice of the Lord thy God, thou shalt obey all his commandments which I command to thee today, so that thou do what is right before the Lord thy God.)