The Meaning of Deuteronomy 20:20 Explained

Deuteronomy 20:20

KJV: 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.

YLT: 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.

Darby: Only the trees which thou knowest are not trees for meat, thou mayest destroy and cut them down, and build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it fall.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Deuteronomy 20:20 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 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

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 20:20 mean?

only the trees which you know that not trees for food are - you may destroy and cut down and to build siegeworks against the city that it makes with you war until it is subdued -
רַ֞ק עֵ֣ץ אֲשֶׁר־ תֵּדַ֗ע כִּֽי־ לֹא־ עֵ֤ץ מַאֲכָל֙ ה֔וּא אֹת֥וֹ תַשְׁחִ֖ית וְכָרָ֑תָּ וּבָנִ֣יתָ מָצ֗וֹר עַל־ הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁר־ הִ֨וא עֹשָׂ֧ה עִמְּךָ֛ מִלְחָמָ֖ה עַ֥ד רִדְתָּֽהּ פ

רַ֞ק  only 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רַק  
Sense: only, altogether, surely.
עֵ֣ץ  the  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
תֵּדַ֗ע  you  know 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
עֵ֤ץ  trees 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עֵץ  
Sense: tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
מַאֲכָל֙  for  food 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַאֲכָל  
Sense: food, fruit, meat.
אֹת֥וֹ  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תַשְׁחִ֖ית  you  may  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחַת  
Sense: to destroy, corrupt, go to ruin, decay.
וְכָרָ֑תָּ  and  cut  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
וּבָנִ֣יתָ  and  to  build 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
מָצ֗וֹר  siegeworks 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָצֹור 
Sense: siege-enclosure, siege, entrenchment, siege works.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָעִיר֙  the  city 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עֹשָׂ֧ה  makes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
עִמְּךָ֛  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
מִלְחָמָ֖ה  war 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
עַ֥ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
רִדְתָּֽהּ  it  is  subdued 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation