The Enigma of Deuteronomy 20:19–20
Existing interpretations of Deut 20:19–20 concerning the clause kī hāʾādām ʿēṣ haśśādeh have failed to sufficiently explain the meaning of the law against felling food-bearing trees in times of war. I argue that ʾādām is not the generic Hebrew word “human,” but a rare masculine singular bi-form of t...
| Auteur principal: | |
|---|---|
| Type de support: | Électronique Article |
| Langue: | Anglais |
| Vérifier la disponibilité: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Publié: |
2025
|
| Dans: |
Vetus Testamentum
Année: 2025, Volume: 75, Numéro: 2, Pages: 155-176 |
| Sujets / Chaînes de mots-clés standardisés: | B
Bibel. Deuteronomium 20,19-20
/ adamah
/ adam (Locutions)
/ Linguistique
/ Arbre
/ Guerre
|
| Classifications IxTheo: | HB Ancien Testament |
| Sujets non-standardisés: | B
Trees
B Law B siege B Deuteronomy B Warfare B Pays |
| Accès en ligne: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Résumé: | Existing interpretations of Deut 20:19–20 concerning the clause kī hāʾādām ʿēṣ haśśādeh have failed to sufficiently explain the meaning of the law against felling food-bearing trees in times of war. I argue that ʾādām is not the generic Hebrew word “human,” but a rare masculine singular bi-form of the more common ʾădāmāh, “land.” Drawing on both comparative philology and Mesopotamian material about warfare practices, the paper also shows that understanding the equation as one between “land” (rather than humans) and trees better accounts for the law and its placement in its literary context. D distinguishes between far lands and near lands that will be part of the Israelites’ inheritance. If land is soon-to-be conquered, then food-bearing trees are valuable, not only for any immediate fruit, but also for the wealth that they promise in the future. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1568-5330 |
| Contient: | Enthalten in: Vetus Testamentum
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685330-bja10176 |
