Deuteronomy 20:19
Parallel Strong's
Berean Study 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?

Young's Literal Translation
‘When thou layest siege unto a city many days, to fight against it, to capture it, thou dost not destroy its trees to force an axe against them, for of them thou dost eat, and them thou dost not cut down—for man’s [is] the tree of the field—to go in at thy presence in the siege.

King James Bible
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:

Hebrew
When
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you lay siege
תָצ֣וּר (ṯā·ṣūr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6696: To confine, bind, besiege

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

a city
עִיר֩ (‘îr)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 5892: Excitement

for an extended
רַבִּ֜ים (rab·bîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 7227: Much, many, great

time
יָמִ֨ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

while fighting
לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם (lə·hil·lā·ḥêm)
Preposition-l | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3898: To feed on, to consume, to battle

against it
עָלֶ֣יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

to capture it,
לְתָפְשָׂ֗הּ (lə·ṯā·p̄ə·śāh)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8610: To manipulate, seize, chiefly to capture, wield, to overlay, to use unwarrantably

you must not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

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

its trees
עֵצָהּ֙ (‘ê·ṣāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 6086: Tree, trees, wood

by putting
לִנְדֹּ֤חַ (lin·dō·aḥ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5080: To impel, thrust, banish

an ax
גַּרְזֶ֔ן (gar·zen)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1631: An axe

to them,
עָלָיו֙ (‘ā·lāw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

because
כִּ֚י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you can eat their fruit.
תֹאכֵ֔ל (ṯō·ḵêl)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 398: To eat

You must not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

cut them down.
תִכְרֹ֑ת (ṯiḵ·rōṯ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3772: To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenant

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

of the field
הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה (haś·śā·ḏeh)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

human,
הָֽאָדָם֙ (hā·’ā·ḏām)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 120: Ruddy, a human being

that you should besiege them?
בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃ (bam·mā·ṣō·wr)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4692: Something hemming in, a mound, a siege, distress, a fastness

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
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Deuteronomy 20:18
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