Why must Israel spare trees that provide food during a long siege, and which trees may it cut?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The chapter says a tree is not a man and cannot increase the number fighting against Israel. It forbids cutting trees that provide food or spoiling the surrounding country with axes. Wild trees that bear no fruit and are fit for other uses may be cut to make siege engines until the city is taken.

Chapter breakdown

If Israel goes to war and sees horsemen, chariots, and an enemy army larger than its own, it must not fear them, because the Lord is with it, the one who brought it out of Egypt. When battle is at hand, the priest must stand before the army and speak to the people. He tells Israel that it joins battle that day against its enemies: its heart must not be dismayed, it must not be afraid, give back, or fear them. He gives the reason: the Lord is in their midst and will fight for them against their enemies to deliver them from danger.

The captains must proclaim through every band in the army’s hearing that a man who has built a new house but not dedicated it must return home, lest he die in battle and another dedicate it. A man who has planted a vineyard but not yet made it common for all men to eat must return home, lest he die and another carry out his task. A man who has betrothed a wife but not taken her must return home, lest he die in war and another take her. After declaring these things, the captains must add that a fearful and fainthearted man should return home, lest he make his brothers’ hearts fear as he himself fears. When the captains finish speaking and fall silent, every man must prepare their bands to fight.

When coming to fight a city, Israel must first offer peace. If its people accept and open the gates, all within must be saved and serve Israel by paying tribute. If they refuse peace and begin war against Israel, it must besiege the city. When the Lord delivers it into Israel’s hands, the command is to kill those of the male sex with the sword, excepting women and children, cattle and other things in the city. Israel must divide all the prey among the army and eat the enemy’s spoils that the Lord gives. These directions concern cities at a great distance, outside the cities Israel will receive in possession.

For the cities to be given to Israel, the command is to let none at all live, but to kill with the sword the Hethite, Amorrhite, Chanaanite, Pherezite, Hevite, and Jebusite, as the Lord has commanded. The stated reason is lest they teach Israel all the abominations they have done to their gods and Israel sin against the Lord.

During a long siege, when Israel has surrounded a city with defensive works to take it, it must not cut down trees that provide food or spoil the country around it with axes. The reason given is that a tree is not a man and cannot increase the number fighting against Israel. Wild trees that bear no fruit and are fit for other uses may be cut to make siege engines until the city fighting against Israel is taken.

The story inside

The siege directions distinguish two sets of cities. For distant cities outside the land Israel will possess, an offer of peace comes first. Acceptance and opened gates lead to preservation and tribute; refusal and the start of war lead to siege and the stated rules about killing and spoils when the Lord delivers the city. The cities given to Israel have a different command, naming six peoples and giving the reason concerning what they might teach Israel about their gods. The tree directions then distinguish food-bearing trees from wild trees without fruit. The reason for sparing the former is stated in terms of the tree not being a person who adds to the opposing fighters. These are commands and conditions, not an account of a particular siege or proof of its outcome.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The return-home directions have separate conditions and reasons. The house, vineyard, and betrothal cases name what another person might do if the man died; the fearful man’s case names fear among his brothers.
2
The peace and tribute directions have a defined scope. They apply to distant cities outside those Israel will receive in possession. The chapter separately names the six peoples in the given cities and the reason for that command.
3
The siege instructions distinguish trees by their use. Food-bearing trees must be spared, while wild trees without fruit and fit for other uses may supply siege engines. The chapter itself gives the reason for sparing the food trees.

Test your recall

Why does the chapter forbid cutting down trees that provide food during a long siege?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 20661–20678
Deuteronomy Chapter 20 Laws relating to war. 20:1. If thou go out to war against thy enemies, and see horsemen and chariots, and the numbers of the enemy’s army greater than thine, thou shalt not fear them: because the Lord thy God is with thee, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. 20:2. And when the battle is now at hand, the priest shall stand before the army, and shall speak to the people in this manner: 20:3. Hear, O Israel, you join battle this day against your enemies, let not your heart be dismayed, be not afraid, do not give back, fear ye them not: 20:4. Because the Lord your God is in the midst of you, and will fight for you against your enemies, to deliver you from danger.
Lines 20680–20701
20:5. And the captains shall proclaim through every band in the hearing of the army: What man is there, that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it. 20:6. What man is there, that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not as yet made it to be common, whereof all men may eat? let him go, and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man execute his office. 20:7. What man is there, that hath espoused a wife, and not taken her? let him go, and return to his house, lest he die in the war, and another man take her. 20:8. After these things are declared they shall add the rest, and shall speak to the people: What man is there that is fearful, and faint hearted? let him go, and return to his house, lest he make the hearts of his brethren to fear, as he himself is possessed with fear. 20:9. And when the captains of the army shall hold their peace, and have made an end of speaking, every man shall prepare their bands to fight.
Lines 20703–20723
20:10. If at any time thou come to fight against a city, thou shalt first offer it peace. 20:11. If they receive it, and open the gates to thee, all the people that are therein, shall be saved, and shall serve thee paying tribute. 20:12. But if they will not make peace, and shall begin war against thee, thou shalt besiege it. 20:13. And when the Lord thy God shall deliver it into thy hands, thou shalt slay all that are therein of the male sex, with the edge of the sword, 20:14. Excepting women and children, cattle and other things, that are in the city. And thou shalt divide all the prey to the army, and thou shalt eat the spoils of thy enemies, which the Lord thy God shall give thee. 20:15. So shalt thou do to all cities that are at a great distance from thee, and are not of these cities which thou shalt receive in possession.
Lines 20725–20733
20:16. But of those cities that shall be given thee, thou shalt suffer none at all to live: 20:17. But shalt kill them with the edge of the sword, to wit, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Chanaanite, the Pherezite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee: 20:18. Lest they teach you to do all the abominations which they have done to their gods: and you should sin against the Lord your God.
Lines 20735–20745
20:19. When thou hast besieged a city a long time, and hath compassed it with bulwarks, to take it, thou shalt not cut down the trees that may be eaten of, neither shalt thou spoil the country round about with axes: for it is a tree, and not a man, neither can it increase the number of them that fight against thee. 20:20. But if there be any trees that are not fruitful, but wild, and fit for other uses, cut them down, and make engines, until thou take the city, which fighteth against thee.