What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 20:20? But you may destroy the trees Deuteronomy 20:19 had just commanded Israel not to cut down fruit-bearing trees because “the tree of the field is man’s food.” Now the Lord clarifies that certain trees may be cut. • God balances stewardship with military necessity, permitting destruction only when it serves His purpose (compare Genesis 2:15 and Proverbs 21:31). • The permission is limited; it does not abolish respect for creation but recognizes the fallen world where warfare sometimes becomes necessary (Ecclesiastes 3:8). • The same Lord who spared Nineveh’s animals (Jonah 4:11) is the One who gives this order, showing He alone decides how His creation may be used. that you know do not produce fruit The key qualifier is knowledge. Israel must verify a tree’s barrenness before cutting. • Diligence: commanders and soldiers are to investigate, not assume (Deuteronomy 17:4-6; John 7:24). • Fruitfulness is God’s standard for usefulness—both in orchards and in people (Matthew 7:19; John 15:2). • Even in war, God teaches His people to value productivity and life; unfruitful resources may be sacrificed, but fruitful ones are preserved. Use them to build siege works against the city The barren trees become tools for justice. • Siege ramps, towers, and battering rams could be fashioned from this wood (2 Samuel 20:15). • God connects the practical with the spiritual: He supplies material means to accomplish His commands (Philippians 4:19). • The directive assumes Israel’s obedience; proper use of resources flows from following God’s precise instructions (Exodus 25:40). that is waging war against you Israel is not the aggressor; the city is hostile first. • This clause underscores a defensive posture consistent with God’s justice (Deuteronomy 19:6; Romans 13:4). • The Lord distinguishes between ordinary life and wartime measures—what is forbidden in peacetime may be allowed in conflict (Luke 22:36). • Israel’s battles are ultimately the Lord’s battles (1 Samuel 17:47); using non-fruit trees for siege underscores that the fight belongs to Him. until it falls Perseverance is assumed. • Israel must pursue victory to completion, not half-measure obedience (Joshua 6:20; 1 Samuel 15:22-23). • God promises success when His strategies are followed (Deuteronomy 20:4). • The falling city foreshadows ultimate judgment on unfruitfulness (Revelation 18:2) and encourages believers to endure “until the end” (Matthew 24:13). summary Deuteronomy 20:20 sets a careful boundary: in warfare Israel may cut only non-fruit trees, turning what is barren into instruments that advance God’s just cause. The verse teaches responsible stewardship, discernment between fruitful and fruitless, and steadfast obedience until God-given victory is secured. |
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