All objects of worship of pagan gods are to be destroyed, to avoid the possibility of the Israelites being drawn to worship them.

Graven images: these are idols of wood and metal (see 4.16; 5.8).

Burn with fire: see a similar phrase at 7.5.

Covet the silver or the gold: for covet see 5.21. Even the silver and the gold that was on the idols must be destroyed. These were wooden idols overlaid with silver or gold; the Israelites were to melt the metal off them and throw it away.

Lest you be ensnared by it: see the same idea (but not the same Hebrew word) in verse 16. Contemporary English Version has “Don’t get trapped into wanting the silver or gold on an idol.” Another way to express this is “Don’t let your hearts lead you into wanting the silver….”

An abomination: this is something so hateful, so terrible, that it produces the strongest dislike. It may be expressed as “detestable” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version) or “abhorrent” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, New Revised Standard Version). BÍBLIA para todos Edição Comum has “is horrified with these things”; Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje “to worship idols is a disgusting thing”; Good News Translation “because the LORD hates idolatry”; Contemporary English Version “is disgusting to the LORD.” We may also say “makes the LORD’s insides turn over.”

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 .