Deuteronomy 20:19
Cross References

When thou hast besieged a city a long time, and hath compassed it with bulwarks, to take it, thou shalt not cut down the trees that may be eaten of, neither shalt thou spoil the country round about with axes: for it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of them that fight against thee.

Deuteronomy 20:18
Lest they teach you to do all the abominations which they have done to their gods: and you should sin against the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 20:20
But if there be any trees that are not fruitful, but wild, and fit for other uses, cut them down, and make engines, until thou take the city, which fighteth against thee.

Jeremiah 6:6
For thus saith the Lord of hosts: Hew down her trees, cast up a trench about Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited, all oppression is in the midst of her.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

When thou hast besieged a city a long time, and hath compassed it with bulwarks, to take it, thou shalt not cut down the trees that may be eaten of, neither shalt thou spoil the country round about with axes: for it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of them that fight against thee.

thou shalt not

Matthew 3:10 For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.

Matthew 7:15-20 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. . . .

Matthew 21:19 And seeing a certain fig tree by the way side, he came to it and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he saith to it: May no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And immediately the fig tree withered away.

Luke 13:7-9 And he said to the dresser of the vineyard: Behold, for these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree and I find none. Cut it down therefore. Why cumbereth it the ground? . . .

John 15:2-8 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. . . .

for the tree, etc.

Deuteronomy 26:6 And the Egyptians afflicted us, and persecuted us, laying on us most grievous burdens:

to employ, etc.

Context
Laws of Warfare
18Lest they teach you to do all the abominations which they have done to their gods: and you should sin against the Lord your God. 19When thou hast besieged a city a long time, and hath compassed it with bulwarks, to take it, thou shalt not cut down the trees that may be eaten of, neither shalt thou spoil the country round about with axes: for it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of them that fight against thee.20But if there be any trees that are not fruitful, but wild, and fit for other uses, cut them down, and make engines, until thou take the city, which fighteth against thee.…
Lexicon
When
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 3588: A relative conjunction

you lay siege
תָצ֣וּר (ṯā·ṣūr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6696: To confine, bind, besiege

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 413: Near, with, among, to

a city
עִיר֩ (‘îr)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5892: Excitement

for an extended
רַבִּ֜ים (rab·bîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 7227: Much, many, great

time
יָמִ֨ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew 3117: A day

while fighting
לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם (lə·hil·lā·ḥêm)
Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

against it
עָלֶ֣יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5921: Above, over, upon, against

to capture it,
לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ (lə·ṯā·p̄ə·śāh)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

you must not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's Hebrew 3808: Not, no

destroy
תַשְׁחִ֤ית (ṯaš·ḥîṯ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7843: Perhaps to go to ruin

its trees
עֵצָהּ֙ (‘ê·ṣāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6086: Tree, trees, wood

by putting
לִנְדֹּ֤חַ (lin·dō·aḥ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's Hebrew 5080: To impel, thrust, banish

an ax
גַּרְזֶ֔ן (gar·zen)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1631: An axe

to them,
עָלָיו֙ (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5921: Above, over, upon, against

because
כִּ֚י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 3588: A relative conjunction

you can eat their fruit.
תֹאכֵ֔ל (ṯō·ḵêl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 398: To eat

You must not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's Hebrew 3808: Not, no

cut them down.
תִכְרֹ֑ת (ṯiḵ·rōṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

Are the trees
עֵ֣ץ (‘êṣ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 6086: Tree, trees, wood

of the field
הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה (haś·śā·ḏeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7704: Field, land

human,
הָֽאָדָם֙ (hā·’ā·ḏām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 120: Ruddy, a human being

that you should besiege them?
בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃ (bam·mā·ṣō·wr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 4692: Something hemming in, a mound, a siege, distress, a fastness


Additional Translations
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 ax 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?When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them: for you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege:

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?

And if thou shouldest besiege a city many days to prevail against it by war to take it, thou shalt not destroy its trees, by applying an iron tool to them, but thou shalt eat of it, and shalt not cut it down: Is the tree that is in the field a man, to enter before thee into the work of the siege?

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?

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?

When thou shalt besiege a city a long time in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees of it by forcing an ax 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:

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 axe against them; for you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged of you?

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.
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OT Law: Deuteronomy 20:19 When you shall besiege a city (Deut. De Du) Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools

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