Deuteronomy 20:19
in Deuteronomy 20When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting against it to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by putting an axe to them, because you can eat their fruit. You must not cut them down. Are the trees of the field human, that you should besiege them?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 wielding an axe against them; for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of thee?
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:
⋯
This verse in Deuteronomy 20
Commentary
9 notes on this verseThe Logos in his goodness, richly equipped with love of humankind, teaches that it is not right to cut down cultivated trees, still less to cut crops for purposes of vandalism before harvest, and even less still to destroy, root and branch, cultivated fruit, whether of the land or of the soul. It does not even allow the razing of enemy land. Yes, and farmers find their profit from the law.
This site's exposition
When you lay siege to a city for an extended time
on Deuteronomy 20:19-20
The King James supplies the word life here. Matthew Henry reports that the Septuagint and Targums read the clause as a question, as the Berean does: “Are the trees of the field human”.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it,.... Before it will surrender; it holding out the siege a considerable time: the Hebrew text says, "many days" (c); which the Targum of Jonathan interprets of all the seven days, to make war against it, in order to subdue it on the sabbath day.
That reason, for the tree of the field is man's (the word life we supply), all the ancient versions, the Septuagint, Targums, &c., read, For is the tree of the field a man? Or the tree of the field is not a man, that it should come against thee in the siege, or retire from thee into the bulwark.
Thou shalt not destroy - Which is to be understood of a general destruction of them, not of the cutting down some few of them, as the conveniency of the siege might require.
And it is observable that the discipline of war here prescribed is so far from having any thing in it harsh or severe, as is usual in martial law, that the intent of the whole is, on the contrary, to encourage the soldiers, and to make their service easy to them.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
But fruit-bearing trees were to be carefully spared; and, indeed, in warm countries like India, where the people live much more on fruit than we do, the destruction of a fruit tree is considered a sort of sacrilege.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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).
(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, כי האדם עץ השדה לבא מפניך במצור ki haadam ets hassadeh labo mippaneycha bammatsor.
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תָצ֣וּר | tatzur | you will lay siege | H6696 → | 38 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| עִיר֩ | ʾir | a city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| יָמִ֨ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| רַבִּ֜ים | rabim | many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם | lehilachem | to fight | H3898 → | 177 times |
| עָלֶ֣יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ | letafesah | to capture it | H8610 → | 65 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַשְׁחִ֤ית | tashchit | you will destroy | H7843 → | 146 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֵצָהּ֙ | ʾetzah | tree[s] its | H6086 → | 328 times |
| לִנְדֹּ֤חַ | lindoach | by wielding | H5080 → | 55 times |
| עָלָיו֙ | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| גַּרְזֶ֔ן | garzen | an axe | H1631 → | |
| כִּ֚י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מִמֶּ֣נּוּ | mimenu | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| תֹאכֵ֔ל | tokhel | you will eat | H398 → | 810 times |
| וְאֹת֖וֹ | veoto | and <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִכְרֹ֑ת | tikhrot | you will cut down | H3772 → | 288 times |
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָֽאָדָם֙ | haadam | ¿ human | H120 → | 551 times |
| עֵ֣ץ | ʾetz | [is] [the] tree of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה | hasadeh | the field | H7704 → | 334 times |
| לָבֹ֥א | lavo' | to go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ | mipaneikha | from before you | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃ | bamatzor | in <the> state of siege | H4692 → | 25 times |
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
תָצ֣וּרyou will lay siege
tatzurH6696 →38 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
עִיר֩a city
ʾirH5892 →1090 times
יָמִ֨יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
רַבִּ֜יםmany
rabimH7227 →454 times
לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧םto fight
lehilachemH3898 →177 times
עָלֶ֣יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּto capture it
letafesahH8610 →65 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תַשְׁחִ֤יתyou will destroy
tashchitH7843 →146 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֵצָהּ֙tree[s] its
ʾetzahH6086 →328 times
לִנְדֹּ֤חַby wielding
lindoachH5080 →55 times
עָלָיו֙on it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
גַּרְזֶ֔ןan axe
garzenH1631 →
כִּ֚יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
מִמֶּ֣נּוּfrom it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
תֹאכֵ֔לyou will eat
tokhelH398 →810 times
וְאֹת֖וֹand <obj.> it
veotoH853 →10935 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תִכְרֹ֑תyou will cut down
tikhrotH3772 →288 times
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הָֽאָדָם֙¿ human
haadamH120 →551 times
עֵ֣ץ[is] [the] tree of
ʾetzH6086 →328 times
הַשָּׂדֶ֔הthe field
hasadehH7704 →334 times
לָבֹ֥אto go
lavo'H935 →2568 times
מִפָּנֶ֖יךָfrom before you
mipaneikhaH6440 →2123 times
בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃in <the> state of siege
bamatzorH4692 →25 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 3:10The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
it leads to
- John 15:6
If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 3:9
The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Luke 13:6–9
Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Matthew 7:19
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
- John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
- John 15:6
Through
Matthew 21:19Seeing a fig tree by the road, He went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. “May you never bear fruit again!” He said. And immediately the tree withered.
it leads to
- Mark 11:14
Then He said to the tree, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again.” And His disciples heard this statement.
- Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
- Mark 11:14
Through
Deuteronomy 26:6But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.
it leads to
- Exodus 1:11
So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.
- Exodus 1:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.