unfoldingWord_en_tn/deu/20/19.md

# General Information:

Moses continues speaking to the people of Israel.

# wage war

"fight in a war"

# by wielding an ax against them

"by cutting down the trees with an ax"

# For is the tree of the field a man whom you should besiege?

This rhetorical question is to remind the people of what they should already know. This question can be translated as a statement. AT: "For fruit trees are not people, so they are not your enemy." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])

# you know are not trees for food

"you know are not trees that grow fruit to eat"

# siege works

These are tools and structures, such as ladders and towers, that are needed to lay siege to a city.

# until it falls

This is an idiom. AT: "until the people of the city lose the war" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-idiom]])

# it falls

Here "it" refers to the city which represents the people of the city. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metonymy]])

# translationWords

* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/siege]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/ax]]
* [[rc://en/tw/dict/bible/other/know]]