Deuteronomy 20:19

Whanne thou hast bisegid a citee `in myche tyme, and hast cumpassid with strengthingis that thou ouercome it, thou schalt not kitte doun trees, of whiche `me may ete, nether thou schalt waste the cuntrey `bi cumpas with axis; for it is `a tree, and not man, nether it may encresse the noumbre of fiyteris ayens thee.

Wycliffe (portions)

In The King James Version

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:

In Context

18lest perauenture thei techen you to do alle abhomynaciouns, whiche thei wrouyten to her goddis, and ye doon synne ayens youre Lord God.

20Forsothe if onye ben not appil trees, but `of the feeld, and ben able in to othere vsis, kitte doun, and make thou engynes, til thou take the citee that fiytith ayens thee.

Read all of Deuteronomy 20

Cross References

Matthew 3:10And now the ax is put to the roote of the tree; therfore euery tree that makith not good fruyt, shal be kit doun, and shal be cast in to the fier.

Matthew 21:19And he saye a fige tree bisidis the weie, and cam to it, and foond no thing ther ynne but leeues oneli. And he seide to it, Neuer fruyt come forth of thee, in to with outen eende, And anoon the fige tre was dried vp.

John 15:2Ech braunch in me that berith not fruyt, he schal take awey it; and ech that berith fruyt, he schal purge it, that it bere the more fruyt.

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 20:11-20

Proclamations of War; Directions Concerning War. ( b. c. 1451.) 10 When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it. 11 And it shall be, if it make thee answer of peace, and open unto thee, then it shall be, that all the people that is found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee. 12 And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it: 13 And when the Lord thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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