| 19. Source Text: Hebrew (WLC) Deuteronomy 20:19:1 ⧉כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּרkeetatsurWhen you lay siege Deuteronomy 20:19:2 ⧉אֶל־עִיר֩eleeragainst a city Deuteronomy 20:19:3 ⧉יָמִ֨יםyamimfor days Deuteronomy 20:19:4 ⧉רַבִּ֜יםrabimmany Deuteronomy 20:19:5 ⧉לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧םlehillakhemto fight Deuteronomy 20:19:6 ⧉עָלֶ֣יהָalehaagainst it Deuteronomy 20:19:7 ⧉לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּletafsato capture it Deuteronomy 20:19:8 ⧉לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤יתlotashkhityou shall not destroy Deuteronomy 20:19:9 ⧉אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙eteitsahits trees Deuteronomy 20:19:10 ⧉לִנְדֹּ֤חַlindoakhby wielding {to wield} Deuteronomy 20:19:11 ⧉עָלָיו֙alavagainst it Deuteronomy 20:19:12 ⧉גַּרְזֶ֔ןgarzenan axe Deuteronomy 20:19:13 ⧉כִּ֚יkeefor Deuteronomy 20:19:14 ⧉מִמֶּ֣נּוּmimenufrom it Deuteronomy 20:19:15 ⧉תֹאכֵ֔לtokhelyou may eat Deuteronomy 20:19:16 ⧉וְאֹת֖וֹveotoand it Deuteronomy 20:19:17 ⧉לֹ֣אlonot Deuteronomy 20:19:18 ⧉תִכְרֹ֑תtikhrotyou shall cut Deuteronomy 20:19:19 ⧉כִּ֤יkeefor Deuteronomy 20:19:20 ⧉הֽ͏ָאָדָם֙haadamthe man Deuteronomy 20:19:21 ⧉עֵ֣ץeitsa tree Deuteronomy 20:19:22 ⧉הַשָּׂדֶ֔הhasadehof the field Deuteronomy 20:19:23 ⧉לָבֹ֥אlavoto come Deuteronomy 20:19:24 ⧉מִפָּנֶ֖יךָmipanekhabefore you Deuteronomy 20:19:25 ⧉בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃bamatzorin the siege |
| 19. Formal Translation When you lay siege to a city for many days, fighting against it to capture it, you shall not ruin its tree by swinging an axe against it, because you may eat from it. You shall not cut it down, for is a tree of the field a person to come before you in the siege? |
| 19. Dynamic Translation If you surround a city for a long time to take it, do not chop down its trees with an axe, since you can eat their fruit. Do not cut them down; people are not trees that should be treated like enemies in a siege. |