Verses 19-20 add another instruction with regard to the siege of a city (verses 10-15).

The Hebrew text of verse 19 is not altogether clear, but the meaning given by Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, and Contemporary English Version represents the most common interpretation of the text.

When you besiege a city for a long time: or “When your fighting men surround a town for a long time.” For besiege see verse 12.

You shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them: these are fruit trees that grow outside the city, and they are not to be cut down. Good News Translation reduces the number of words considerably, with “do not cut down its fruit trees.” The model of Revised Standard Version is not recommended, as it gives the idea that as long as you don’t use an axe, you may cut the trees down. The sentence means that under no condition may anyone cut down the trees.

It is also possible to reorder the first clauses of the verse as follows: “When you are attacking a town, even though you surround the town for a long time, don’t chop down its fruit trees.”

You may eat of them, but you shall not cut them down: the Israelites were allowed to eat the fruits of the trees, but they were not to destroy the trees. New Revised Standard Version “Although you may take food from them…” is not much better than Revised Standard Version, since in English people hardly speak of taking “food” from a tree. Good News Translation is more natural with “Eat the fruit, but do not destroy the trees.”

Are the trees in the field men that they should be besieged by you? The rhetorical question is a way of saying vividly that the trees are not human beings and so pose no threat to the Israelites. If the rhetorical question (expecting the answer “No”) will be understood by the reader, it may be retained. Otherwise a negative statement should be used: “Trees are not men…” or “Fruit trees aren’t your enemies” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .