יהושע, פרק ו׳, פסוק י״ט

The conquest of a city often brings the temptation of wealth, as victorious soldiers typically claim the spoils of war for themselves. However, during the fall of Jericho, a strict ban is placed on taking any personal plunder, establishing a clear boundary between items destined for destruction and those dedicated to God.

The primary approach among commentators is that a sharp distinction is made between worthless property, which is simply destroyed, and objects of true value, which the soldiers are strictly forbidden from taking [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Valuable metals such as silver, gold, copper, and iron are deemed fitting to be dedicated entirely to God's treasury [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם].

[אברבנאל] offers a practical reason for singling out these specific metals from the rest of the spoils. Unlike other materials, metals are not consumed by fire. Even if they are melted down in the heat of destruction, their raw material always survives intact. Because they endure, they are classified as holy and transferred directly to the treasury.

This treasury is identified as the Tabernacle. [רד״ק] points out a historical parallel regarding this destination, noting that this very same location was used in the past to store other holy items. Specifically, it housed the golden spoils from the war against Midian, which had been similarly dedicated to God by the commanders of the army.