Deuteronomy Chapter 20 — Laws of Warfare and Peace
This chapter outlines the regulations for Israel's military conduct, including exemptions for certain soldiers and guidelines for sieges and environmental care.
1When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses, chariots, and a people more numerous than you, you shall not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, is with you.
2It shall be, when you draw near to the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak to the people,
3and shall tell them, “Hear, Israel, you draw near today to battle against your enemies. Don’t let your heart faint! Don’t be afraid, nor tremble, neither be scared of them;
4for the LORD your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
5The officers shall speak to the people, saying, “What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man dedicate it.
6What man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not used its fruit? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man use its fruit.
7What man is there who has pledged to be married to a wife, and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.”
8The officers shall speak further to the people, and they shall say, “What man is there who is fearful and faint-hearted? Let him go and return to his house, lest his brother’s heart melt as his heart.”
9It shall be, when the officers have finished speaking to the people, that they shall appoint captains of armies at the head of the people.
10When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace to it.
11It shall be, if it gives you answer of peace and opens to you, then it shall be that all the people who are found therein shall become forced laborers to you, and shall serve you.
12If it will make no peace with you, but will make war against you, then you shall besiege it.
13When the LORD your God delivers it into your hand, you shall strike every male of it with the edge of the sword;
14but the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, even all its plunder, you shall take for plunder for yourself. You may use the plunder of your enemies, which the LORD your God has given you.
15Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
16But of the cities of these peoples that the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes;
17but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you;
18that they not teach you to follow all their abominations, which they have done for their gods; so would you sin against the LORD your God.
19When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them. You shall not cut them down, for is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you?
20Only the trees that you know are not trees for food, you shall destroy and cut them down. You shall build bulwarks against the city that makes war with you, until it falls.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
Deuteronomy 20:4
“for the LORD your God is he who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.”
This verse highlights the foundational belief that Israel's success in battle relied on divine presence rather than human strength.
Deuteronomy 20:19
“When you shall besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; for you may eat of them.”
It establishes a principle of environmental stewardship and resource management even in the midst of conflict.
Chapter Summary
Deuteronomy 20 establishes the legal and spiritual framework for Israel's conduct in war. It begins with an exhortation from the priests to trust in God's presence rather than military might. The chapter details specific exemptions from military service, allowing men to return home if they have recently built a house, planted a vineyard, or become betrothed, as well as those who are simply afraid. The text also provides instructions for engaging cities: distant cities must first be offered terms of peace, while nations within the Promised Land are to be utterly destroyed to prevent religious corruption. Finally, the chapter includes an early conservation law, forbidding the destruction of food-producing trees during a siege, noting that trees are not the enemy and should be preserved for their fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Men were exempt if they had built a new house but not dedicated it, planted a vineyard but not eaten its fruit, or were betrothed but not yet married. Additionally, those who were fearful or faint-hearted were sent home to ensure they did not discourage their fellow soldiers.
Before attacking, Israel was commanded to offer terms of peace. If the city accepted, its people became forced laborers. If they refused, a siege began. This rule applied only to distant cities; those within the promised inheritance were treated differently to prevent the spread of idolatry.
The text specifies that fruit-bearing trees were to be spared during a siege because they provided food. Only trees that did not produce food could be used to build siege works, reflecting a respect for nature's role in human survival.
Study Note
The rhetorical question in verse 19, 'is the tree of the field man, that it should be besieged by you?', serves as a literary device to distinguish between human combatants and non-threatening natural resources.
Continue in the App
Get the full experience — immersive audio, instant explanations, highlights, notes, and reading plans.