The sacred writer rises by a gradation from the sin of individuals to that of a whole city, and here in this instance, like as in the case of Sodom, GOD is so jealous of his honor, that rather than his glory shall be tarnished, all shall be swept away with the besom of destruction. Reader, pause over this solemn account, call to remembrance your own apostacy, unbelief, denials of GOD and the like, and then look up to JESUS, as the only means whereby thou art preserved to this day, amidst all the idols which you have set up at various times in the heart. Oh, how precious is it to behold that LAMB of GOD, which hath taken away the sins of his people. John 1:29.
Deuteronomy 13:12-18
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13 Certain men, the childrenc of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known;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 the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein, and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.
16 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.
17 And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand: that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of his anger, and shew thee mercy, and have compassion upon thee, and multiply thee, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers;
18 When thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.