The Meaning of Deuteronomy 20:6 Explained

Deuteronomy 20:6

KJV: And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not yet eaten of it? let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

YLT: And who is the man that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not made it common? -- let him go and turn back to his house, lest he die in battle, and another man make it common.

Darby: And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not eaten of it? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man eat of it.

ASV: And what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not used the fruit thereof? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use the fruit thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And what man  [is he] that hath planted  a vineyard,  and hath not [yet] eaten  of it? let him [also] go  and return  unto his house,  lest he die  in the battle,  and another  man  eat  of it. 

What does Deuteronomy 20:6 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 20:6 mean?

And who [is] the man who has planted a vineyard and not has eaten of it let him go and return to his house lest he die in the battle and man another eat of it
וּמִֽי־ הָאִ֞ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ נָטַ֥ע כֶּ֙רֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א חִלְּל֔וֹ יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ פֶּן־ יָמוּת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאִ֥ישׁ אַחֵ֖ר יְחַלְּלֶֽנּוּ

וּמִֽי־  And  who  [is] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
הָאִ֞ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
נָטַ֥ע  has  planted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָטַע  
Sense: to plant, fasten, fix, establish.
כֶּ֙רֶם֙  a  vineyard 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּרֶם 
Sense: vineyard.
וְלֹ֣א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
חִלְּל֔וֹ  has  eaten  of  it 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.
יֵלֵ֖ךְ  let  him  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְיָשֹׁ֣ב  and  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לְבֵית֑וֹ  to  his  house 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יָמוּת֙  he  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה  in  the  battle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִלְחָמָה  
Sense: battle, war.
וְאִ֥ישׁ  and  man 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אַחֵ֖ר  another 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
יְחַלְּלֶֽנּוּ  eat  of  it 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלַל 
Sense: to profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin.