Scripture · Old Testament
Deuteronomy 20:19
Deuteronomy 20:19 is verse 19 of Deuteronomy chapter 20, shown here in the Berean Standard Bible.
Berean Standard Bible
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?
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:
World English Bible
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 ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down, for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you?
Read in context
Deuteronomy 20:17–20 · Berean Standard Bible
17 For you must devote them to complete destruction —the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you,
18 so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.
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.
Read all of Deuteronomy 20Hebrew words
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Study Deuteronomy 20:19
Cross-references
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.
Matthew 3:10The 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 7:15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Matthew 7:16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Matthew 7:17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
Matthew 7:18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Matthew 7:19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 7:20So then, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 21:19Seeing 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.
Luke 13:7So 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?’
Luke 13:8‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it.
Luke 13:9If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’”
John 15:2He 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.
John 15:3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
John 15:4Remain 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.
John 15:5I 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.
John 15:6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned.
John 15:7If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
John 15:8This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, proving yourselves to be My disciples.
Deuteronomy 26:6But the Egyptians mistreated us and afflicted us, putting us to hard labor.