© Charles Chandler

 

Deuteronomy 7

 

25 The carved images of their gods you shall burn with fire. You shall not covet the silver or the gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, lest you be ensnared by it, for it is an abomination to the Lord your God.

The people are warned against coveting the silver and gold of the people they destroy, yet the people were asked several times on the Exodus to give up their own jewelry. It sounds like the people were asked to do the destroying, while the plundering was left up to the leaders.