Deuteronomy 20:19 “When you lay siege to a city for an extended time while fighting again…”

Deuteronomy 20:19

When 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?

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

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:

World English Bible

When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down, for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you?

American Standard Version

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?

Geneva Bible 1599

When thou hast besieged a citie long time, and made warre against it to take it, destroy not the trees therof, by smiting an axe into them: for thou mayest eate of them: therfore thou shalt not cut them downe to further thee in the siege, (for the tree of the field is mans life)

Darby Translation

When thou shalt besiege a city many days, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by lifting up an axe against them; for thou canst eat of them; and thou shalt not cut them down, for is the tree of the field a man that it should be besieged?

Young's Literal Translation

'When thou layest siege unto a city many days, to fight against it, to capture it, thou dost not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for of them thou dost eat, and them thou dost not cut down — for man's [is] the tree of the field — to go in at thy presence in the siege.

Bible in Basic English

If in war a town is shut in by your armies for a long time, do not let its trees be cut down and made waste; for their fruit will be your food; are the trees of the countryside men for you to take up arms against them?

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Cross references

“thou shalt not”

Matthew 3:10 Matthew 21:19 Matthew 7:15–20 Luke 13:7–9 John 15:2–8

Matthew 3:10 · BSB

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.

Matthew 21:19 · BSB

Seeing 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.

Matthew 7:15–20 · BSB

Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Luke 13:7–9 · BSB

So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

John 15:2–8 · BSB

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.

“for the tree, etc.”

Deuteronomy 26:6

Deuteronomy 26:6 · BSB

But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

18so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.

20But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce fruit. Use them to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.

Read Deuteronomy 20