Deuteronomy 20:19
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:
KJV
Quando obsederis civitatem multo tempore, et munitionibus circumdederis ut expugnes eam, non succides arbores, de quibus vesci potest, nec securibus per circuitum debes vastare regionem : quoniam lignum est, et non homo, nec potest bellantium contra te augere numerum.
Vulgate
Ἐὰν δὲ περικαθίσῃς περὶ πόλιν μίαν ἡμέρας πλείους ἐκπολεμῆσαι αὐτὴν εἰς κατάλημψιν αὐτῆς, οὐχὶ ἐξολεθρεύσεις τὰ δένδρα αὐτῆς ἐπιβαλεῖν ἐπ’ αὐτὰ σίδηρον· ἀλλ’ ἢ ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ φάγῃ, αὐτὸ δὲ οὐκ ἐκκόψεις. μὴ ἄνθρωπος τὸ ξύλον τὸ ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, εἰσελθεῖν ἀπὸ προσώπου σου εἰς τὸν χάρακα;
LXX
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?
ASV
כִּֽי תָצ֣וּר אֶל עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽ/הִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣י/הָ לְ/תָפְשָׂ֗/הּ לֹֽא תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת עֵצָ/הּ֙ לִ/נְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָי/ו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣/נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְ/אֹת֖/וֹ לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽ/אָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַ/שָּׂדֶ֔ה לָ/בֹ֥א מִ/פָּנֶ֖י/ךָ בַּ/מָּצֽוֹר
Hebrew
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In the original Hebrew
23 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.
Historic Christian voices
3 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.
Cross-references
- Deut 24:6 — No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone to pledge: for he taketh a man’s life to pledge.
- Deut 26:6 — And the Egyptians evil entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage:
- Jer 6:6 — For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.
- John 15:2 — 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.
- Matt 3:10 — And 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 21:19 — And 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