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? Cross References Deuteronomy 20:18 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. Deuteronomy 20:20 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. 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 When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them: for you may eat of them, and you shall not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege: thou shalt not Matthew 3:10 Matthew 7:15-20 Matthew 21:19 for the tree, etc. Deuteronomy 26:6 to employ, etc. |