Deuteronomy 20:20
New International Version
However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.

New Living Translation
You may only cut down trees that you know are not valuable for food. Use them to make the equipment you need to attack the enemy town until it falls.

English Standard Version
Only the trees that you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, that you may build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

New King James Version
Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.

New American Standard Bible
Only the trees that you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, so that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war against you until it falls.

NASB 1995
“Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.

NASB 1977
“Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees you shall destroy and cut down, that you may construct siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.

Legacy Standard Bible
Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you shall destroy and cut down, that you may build siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.

Amplified Bible
Only the trees which you know are not fruit trees shall you destroy and cut down, so that you may build siegeworks against the city that is making war with you until it falls.

Christian Standard Bible
But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce food. You may cut them down to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But you may destroy the trees that you know do not produce food. You may cut them down to build siege works against the city that is waging war against you, until it falls.”

American Standard Version
Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But destroy and cut down only a tree which you know is not a tree for food, and build mounds against the town that makes war with you until you conquer it.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
But the tree which thou knowest to be not fruit-bearing, this thou shalt destroy and cut down; and thou shalt construct a mound against the city, which makes war against thee, until it be delivered up.

Contemporary English Version
You may need wood to make ladders and towers to help you get over the walls and capture the town. But use only trees that you know are not fruit trees.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But if there be any trees that are not fruitful, but wild, and fit for other uses, cut them down, and make engines, until thou take the city, which fighteth against thee.

English Revised Version
Only the trees which thou knowest that they be not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You may destroy trees that you know are not fruit trees. You may cut them down and use them in your blockade until you capture the city.

Good News Translation
You may cut down the other trees and use them in the siege mounds until the city is captured.

International Standard Version
However, you may cut down the trees whose fruit you know isn't edible, in order to build siege works against the city that waged war with you, until it falls."

JPS Tanakh 1917
Only the trees of which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, them thou mayest destroy and cut down, that thou mayest build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.

Literal Standard Version
Only, the tree of which you know that it [is] not a fruit-tree, you destroy it, and have cut [it] down, and have built a bulwark against the city which is making war with you until you have subdued it.”

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
However, those trees which you know are not fruit trees you may destroy. You may cut them down to build siegeworks against the city that is waging war with you, until it falls.

NET Bible
However, you may chop down any tree you know is not suitable for food, and you may use it to build siege works against the city that is making war with you until that city falls.

New Revised Standard Version
You may destroy only the trees that you know do not produce food; you may cut them down for use in building siegeworks against the town that makes war with you, until it falls.

New Heart English Bible
Only the trees of which you know that they are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down; and you shall build siege works against the city that makes war with you, until it fall.

Webster's Bible Translation
Only the trees which thou knowest that they are not trees for food, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it shall be subdued.

World English Bible
Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down. You shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.

Young's Literal Translation
Only, the tree, which thou knowest that it is not a fruit-tree, it thou dost destroy, and hast cut down, and hast built a bulwark against the city which is making with thee war till thou hast subdued it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laws of Warfare
19When 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? 20But 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.

Cross References
Deuteronomy 20:19
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?

Deuteronomy 21:1
If one is found slain, lying in a field in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,

Ecclesiastes 9:14
There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.

Jeremiah 6:6
For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: "Cut down the trees and raise a siege ramp against Jerusalem. This city must be punished; there is nothing but oppression in her midst.


Treasury of Scripture

Only the trees which you know that they be not trees for meat, you shall destroy and cut them down; and you shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it be subdued.

thou shalt build

Deuteronomy 1:28
Whither shall we go up? our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakims there.

2 Chronicles 26:15
And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by cunning men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks, to shoot arrows and great stones withal. And his name spread far abroad; for he was marvellously helped, till he was strong.

Ecclesiastes 9:14
There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:

be subdued [heb] come down

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Attack Build Built Bulwark Bulwarks City Construct Cut Destroy Destruction However Makes Maketh Making Mayest Meat Siege Siegeworks Subdued Tree Trees Use Used Walls War
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Deuteronomy 20
1. The priest's exhortation to encourage the people to battle
5. The officers' proclamation of who are to be dismissed from the war
10. How to use the cities that accept or refuse the proclamation of peace
16. What cities must be devoted
19. Trees must not be destroyed in the siege














Verse 20. - And thou shalt build bulwarks against the city... until it be subdued; literally, That thou mayest build a siege - he, an instrument for besieging, a rampart, or bulwark - against the city, till it come down (cf. Deuteronomy 28:52).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
רַ֞ק (raq)
Adverb
Strong's 7535: But, even, except, howbeit howsoever, at the least, nevertheless

you may destroy
תַשְׁחִ֖ית (ṯaš·ḥîṯ)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7843: Perhaps to go to ruin

the trees
עֵ֣ץ (‘êṣ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

that
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you know
תֵּדַ֗ע (tê·ḏa‘)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3045: To know

do not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

produce fruit.
מַאֲכָל֙ (ma·’ă·ḵāl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3978: An eatable

[Use them]
וְכָרָ֑תָּ (wə·ḵā·rā·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

to build
וּבָנִ֣יתָ (ū·ḇā·nî·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

siege works
מָצ֗וֹר (mā·ṣō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4692: Something hemming in, a mound, a siege, distress, a fastness

against
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the city
הָעִיר֙ (hā·‘îr)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

that
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

is waging
עֹשָׂ֧ה (‘ō·śāh)
Verb - Qal - Participle - feminine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

war
מִלְחָמָ֖ה (mil·ḥā·māh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4421: A battle, war

against you,
עִמְּךָ֛ (‘im·mə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

until
עַ֥ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

it falls.
רִדְתָּֽהּ׃ (riḏ·tāh)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3381: To come or go down, descend


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 20:20 Only the trees of which you know (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 20:19
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