Ver. 17. There shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand— Nothing could be more wisely appointed than this law, which served at once to create in them the greatest abhorrence of idolatry, and at the same time prevented any temptations to destroy an innocent city for the sake of plunder. After such severe and strict laws for the extirpation of idolatry, one cannot help being astonished at the absurdity of Voltaire's attempt to prove that idolatry was tolerated among the Jews.
That the Lord may—multiply thee— As if he had said, "Fear not that the total destruction of a great city will prejudice your commonwealth; for the Lord, in consequence of your obedience to his commands, will give you other citizens, and those in great abundance." With respect to the punishment denounced in this chapter, it was necessary; for nothing was more important than to prevent a crime which sapped the very foundations of the Hebrew constitution church and state. Grotius remarks, that idolatry and blasphemy were the only crimes to which a confiscation of goods was attached; as religion is the bond of society, impiety and irreligion are its destruction. See De Jur. B. et P. lib. 2: cap. 20. We should, however, remark at the same time, that, as the law here treated of was founded upon the particular constitution of the people of Israel, we cannot justly conclude from it, that it is lawful among other nations to punish idolaters with death, however enormous their crime may be.