God commanded the Israelites not just to destroy idols but to burn them completely and refuse the valuable gold and silver on them. Commentators explain this wasn't because the metals were inherently evil, but because their association with idolatry made them a spiritual 'snare' (Barnes, Gill) and a 'contagious plague' (Calvin). This teaches that believers must make a clean and total break from anything associated with false worship, as it is an 'abomination' to God.