Discovery BoxDeuteronomy 8:9 
Context8:9 a land where you may eat food 1 in plenty and find no lack of anything, a land whose stones are iron 2 and from whose hills you can mine copper.
Deuteronomy 20:20
Context20:20 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.
Deuteronomy 23:4
Context23:4 for they did not meet you with food and water on the way as you came from Egypt, and furthermore, they hired 5 Balaam son of Beor of Pethor in Aram Naharaim to curse you.
1 tn The Hebrew term may refer to “food” in a more general sense (cf. NASB, NCV, NLT) or “bread” in particular (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV).
2 sn A land whose stones are iron. Since iron deposits are few and far between in Palestine, the reference here is probably to iron ore found in mines as opposed to the meteorite iron more commonly known in that area.
3 tn Heb “however, a tree which you know is not a tree for food you may destroy and cut down.”
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.
5 tn Heb “hired against you.”
