Deuteronomy 8:15

8:15 and who brought you through the great, fearful desert of venomous serpents ¹  and scorpions, an arid place with no water. He made water flow ²  from a flint rock and

Deuteronomy 20:20

20:20 However, you may chop down any tree you know is not suitable for food, ³  and you may use it to build siege works ⁴  against the city that is making war with you until that city falls.

[8:15]  ¹ tn Heb “flaming serpents”; KJV, NASB “fiery serpents”; NAB “saraph serpents.” This figure of speech (metonymy) probably describes the venomous and painful results of snakebite. The feeling from such an experience would be like a burning fire (שָׂרָף, saraf).

[8:15]  ² tn Heb “the one who brought out for you water.” In the Hebrew text this continues the preceding sentence, but the translation begins a new sentence here for stylistic reasons.

[20:20]  ³ tn Heb “however, a tree which you know is not a tree for food you may destroy and cut down.”

[20:20]  ⁴ tn Heb “[an] enclosure.” The term מָצוֹר (matsor) may refer to encircling ditches or to surrounding stagings. See R. de Vaux, Ancient Israel, 238.