Deuteronomy 20:19
Bible › Deuteronomy › Chapter 20 › Verse 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 (for the tree of the field is man’s life) to employ them in the siege: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?
In other translations
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: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?
Hebrew words
כִּי־ki-ifH3588תָצוּרtatzuryou will lay siegeH6696אֶל־'el-toH413עִיר'ira cityH5892יָמִיםyamimdaysH3117רַבִּיםrabimmanyH7227לְהִלָּחֵםlehilachemto fightH3898עָלֶיהָ'aleihaon itH5921לְתָפְשָׂהּletafesahto capture itH8610לֹא־lo'-notH3808תַשְׁחִיתtashchityou will destroyH7843אֶת־'et-<obj.>H853עֵצָהּ'etzahtree[s] itsH6086לִנְדֹּחַlindoachby wieldingH5080עָלָיו'alavon itH5921גַּרְזֶןgarzenan axeH1631כִּיkiforH3588מִמֶּנּוּmimenufrom itH4480תֹאכֵלtokhelyou will eatH398וְאֹתוֹve'otoand <obj.> itH853לֹאlo'notH3808תִכְרֹתtikhrotyou will cut downH3772כִּיkiforH3588הָאָדָםha'adam¿ humanH120עֵץ'etz[is] [the] tree ofH6086הַשָּׂדֶהhasadehthe fieldH7704לָבֹאlavo'to goH935מִפָּנֶיךָmipaneikhafrom before youH6440בַּמָּצוֹר׃bamatzorin <the> state of siegeH4692
Word by word from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Hebrew reads right to left.
Related verses
- Matthew 3:10And 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.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 21:19And 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.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.
- John 15:2-82 Every 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. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide 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. 5 I 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.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. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. 5 I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.
- Matthew 7:15-2015 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.15 Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
- Luke 13:7-97 Then 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? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.7 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?’ 8 ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
- Deuteronomy 26:6And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.
Cross-references from OpenBible.info, most-voted first.