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Deuteronomy 20

Deut. 20:19 KJV (With Strong’s)

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19

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 (πfor the tree of the field is man’s life) ρto employ them in the siege:

π

or, for, O man, the tree of the field is to be employed in the siege.

ρ

to go from before thee.

More on:

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Ax; Axe,

Life,

Man,

Siege,

War

Cross References

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thou shalt not.

Matt. 3:10• ¹⁰And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Matt. 3:10)

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Matt. 7:15‑20• ¹⁵Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
¹⁶Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
¹⁷Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
¹⁸A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
¹⁹Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
²⁰Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matt. 7:15‑20)

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Matt. 21:19• ¹⁹And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away. (Matt. 21:19)

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Luke 13:7‑9• ⁷Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
⁸And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
⁹And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. (Luke 13:7‑9)

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John 15:2‑8• ²Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
³Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
⁵I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
⁶If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
⁷If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
⁸Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. (John 15:2‑8)

for the tree, etc.

or, for, O man, the tree of the field isto be employed in the siege. The original is exceedingly difficult.

The LXX. has it, "Is the tree in the field a man, to enter the trench before thee?" The Latin Vulgate:

"For it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of those who war against thee;" Onkelos, "For the tree of the field is not as a man, that it should come against thee in the siege;" and to the same purpose the Arabic, Philo, and Josephus who say, "If trees could speak, they would cry out, that it is unjust that they, who were no cause of the war, should suffer the miseries of it."

However rendered, the sense is sufficiently clear:

and it is a merciful provision to spare all the fruit trees for the support of both the besieged and besiegers.

Deut. 26:6• ⁶And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: (Deut. 26:6)

to employ, etc.

Heb. to go from before thee.

J. N. Darby Translation

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19

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 besiegedb?

JND Translation Notes

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b

Others, "not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's [life]), to employ them in the siege."