Deuteronomy 20:19

Deuteronomy 20:19 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe against them: for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege:
• English Standard Version (ESV)"When you besiege a city for a long time, making war against it in order to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you shall not cut them down. Are the trees in the field human, that they should be besieged by you?
• New King James Version (NKJV)“When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“When you are attacking a town and the war drags on, you must not cut down the trees with your axes. You may eat the fruit, but do not cut down the trees. Are the trees your enemies, that you should attack them?

Context of Deuteronomy 20:19

17Completely destroy them—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—as the Lord your God has commanded you. 18Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the Lord your God. When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down. Are the trees people, that you should besiege them? 20However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.

Deuteronomy 20:19 word by word

כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר אֶל־עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣יהָ לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָיו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְאֹת֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• When thou shalt besiegeצוּרtsûr · to confineH6696
• a cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• a longרַבrab · manyH7227
• timeיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
• in making warלָחַםlâcham · to fightH3898
• against it to takeתָּפַשׂtâphaώ · to captureH8610
• it, thou shalt not destroyשָׁחַתshâchath · to ruinH7843
• the treesעֵץ‛êts · treeH6086
• thereof by forcingנָדַחnâdach · to banishH5080
• an axeגַּרְזֶןgarzen · axeH1631
• against them: for thou mayest eatאָכַל'âkal · to eatH398
• of them, and thou shalt not cut them downכָּרַתkârath · to cut: cutH3772
• of the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• man’sאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
• to employבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): besiegeH935
• in the siegeמָצוֹרmâtsôr mâtsûr · siegeH4692
• in the siegeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 20:19

• Matthew 3:10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
• Matthew 7:15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
• Matthew 21:19Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
• Luke 13:7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
• John 15:2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
• Deuteronomy 26:6But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20:19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19(For the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege - The original is exceedingly obscure, and has been variously translated, במצור מפניך לבא השדה עץ האדם כי ki haadam ets hassadeh labo mippaneycha bammatsor . The following are the chief versions: For, O man, the trees of the field are for thee to employ Them in the siege - or, For it is man, and the tree of the field, that must go before thee for a bulwark - or, For it is a tree, and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-20Verses 10-20 Directions intended to prevent wanton destruction of life and property in sieges. Deuteronomy 20:16 Forbearance, however, was not to be shown toward the Canaanite nations, which were to be utterly exterminated (compare Deuteronomy 7:1-4). The command did not apply to beasts as well as men (compare Joshua 11:11, Joshua 11:14). Deuteronomy 20:19 The parenthesis may he more literally rendered “for man is a tree of the field,” i. e., has his life…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19You must not cut them down: In war, armies often cut down trees. They do this so their enemies cannot use the trees for food or wood. However, this situation was different. The Israelites were not simply attacking and leaving. They were going to live in that land. Because they would settle there, the trees would be useful to them. The trees could provide food, shade, and building materials in the future.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-2010-20. When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it--An important principle is here introduced into the war law of Israel regarding the people they fought against and the cities they besieged. With "the cities of those people which God doth give thee" in Canaan, it was to be a war of utter extermination (De 20:17, 18). But when on a just occasion, they went against other nations, they were first to make a proclamation…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 20:19

• Fort
• Fruit Trees
• Horticulture
• Siege

In the dictionaries

• Axe
• Faint
• Fearful
• Atonement, Day of
• Ax (axe); Ax-Head
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Give

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings