An abominable thing: this is the same word as “abomination” in verse 25. Here it has the particular meaning of a pagan idol. Good News Translation has “Do not bring any of these idols into your homes”; but it is also possible to express this as “Do not bring any of these disgusting things into….”

Become accursed like it: the verb here is the same one used in 2.34, and means to come under God’s “curse,” that is, God’s condemnation and punishment. A person who comes into contact with an object devoted to destruction will suffer the same punishment (see Josh 6.18; 7.12). In languages that do not use the passive voice, we may say, for example, “Because God will destroy you as he destroyed….”

Utterly detest and abhor: these terms have the same meaning; the structure of the Hebrew is very emphatic, using each verb twice in two different forms. Revised Standard Version tries to represent this by using the adverb utterly. The verb for abhor is the same verb root used for the noun abomination (verse 25). Good News Translation has “You must hate and despise these idols.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .