Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 20:19-20

Holy War, Covenant Trust, and the Limits of Violence

Fear displaced by divine presence (vv. 1–4) → community exemptions that purify covenant confidence (vv. 5–9) → regulated war protocol for distant nations (vv. 10–15) → total devotion war against Canaanite peoples (vv. 16–18) → ecological restraint in siege (vv. 19–20)

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

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?

20 But 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.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 19

Cross-references

Matthew 3:10 Classic cross-references Matthew 21:19 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 24:6 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 26:6 Classic cross-references Jeremiah 6:6 Classic cross-references

Original words

When כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you lay siege תָצ֣וּר H6696 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition a city עִיר֩ H5892 Noun - feminine singular for an extended רַבִּ֜ים H7227 Adjective - masculine plural time יָמִ֨ים H3117 Noun - masculine plural while fighting לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם H3898 Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct against it עָלֶ֣יהָ H5921 Preposition | third person feminine singular to capture it לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ H8610 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular you must not לֹֽא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle destroy תַשְׁחִ֤ית H7843 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker its trees עֵצָהּ֙ H6086 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular by putting לִנְדֹּ֤חַ H5080 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct an axe גַּרְזֶ֔ן H1631 Noun - masculine singular to them עָלָיו֙ H5921 Preposition | third person masculine singular because כִּ֚י H3588 Conjunction you can eat their fruit תֹאכֵ֔ל H398 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular - וְאֹת֖וֹ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker | third person masculine singular - מִמֶּ֣נּוּ H4480 Preposition | third person masculine singular You must not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle cut them down תִכְרֹ֑ת H3772 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . כִּ֤י H3588 Conjunction Are the trees עֵ֣ץ H6086 Noun - masculine singular construct of the field הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה H7704 Article | Noun - masculine singular human הָֽאָדָם֙ H120 Article | Noun - masculine singular vvv לָבֹ֥א H935 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct vvv מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ H6440 Preposition-m | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular that you should besiege them בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃ H4692 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular

Verse 20

Original words

But רַ֞ק H7535 Adverb you may destroy תַשְׁחִ֖ית H7843 Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular the trees עֵ֣ץ H6086 Noun - masculine singular construct that אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative you know תֵּדַ֗ע H3045 Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular . . . כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction do not לֹא־ H3808 Adverb - Negative particle . . . עֵ֤ץ H6086 Noun - masculine singular construct produce fruit מַאֲכָל֙ H3978 Noun - masculine singular . . . ה֔וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular - אֹת֥וֹ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine singular [Use them] וְכָרָ֑תָּ H3772 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular to build וּבָנִ֣יתָ H1129 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular siege works מָצ֗וֹר H4692 Noun - masculine singular against עַל־ H5921 Preposition the city הָעִיר֙ H5892 Article | Noun - feminine singular that אֲשֶׁר־ H834 Pronoun - relative . . . הִ֨וא H1931 Pronoun - third person feminine singular is waging עֹשָׂ֧ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular war מִלְחָמָ֖ה H4421 Noun - feminine singular against you עִמְּךָ֛ H5973 Preposition | second person masculine singular until עַ֥ד H5704 Preposition it falls רִדְתָּֽהּ׃פ H3381 Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular

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