Amplified Bible
Deuteronomy 29:23
23‘The whole land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it; it is like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and wrath.’
Deuteronomy 29:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:
- New International Version (NIV)The whole land will be a burning waste of salt and sulfur—nothing planted, nothing sprouting, no vegetation growing on it. It will be like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboyim, which the Lord overthrew in fierce anger.
- English Standard Version (ESV)the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing, where no plant can sprout, an overthrow like that of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in his anger and wrath—
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’
Context of Deuteronomy 29:23
21Then the Lord will single him out for disaster from all the tribes of Israel [making an example of him], according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law. 22Now the next generation, your children who come after you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land, when they see the plagues of this land and the diseases with which the Lord has afflicted it, will say, ‘The whole land is brimstone and salt, a burning waste, unsown and unproductive, and no grass grows in it; it is like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and wrath.’ 24All the nations will say, ‘Why has the Lord done this thing to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’ 25Then people will say, ‘It is because they abandoned (broke) the covenant of the Lord, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt.
Read all of Deuteronomy 29Deuteronomy 29:23 word by word
גָּפְרִ֣ית וָמֶלַח֮ שְׂרֵפָ֣ה כָל־אַרְצָהּ֒ לֹ֤א תִזָּרַע֙ וְלֹ֣א תַצְמִ֔חַ וְלֹֽא־יַעֲלֶ֥ה בָ֖הּ כָּל־עֵ֑שֶׂב כְּֽמַהְפֵּכַ֞ת סְדֹ֤ם וַעֲמֹרָה֙ אַדְמָ֣ה וּצְבוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר֙ הָפַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֔ה בְּאַפּ֖וֹ וּבַחֲמָתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- the whole landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- brimstoneגׇּפְרִיתgophrîyth · brimstoneH1614
- and saltמֶ֫לַחmelach · saltH4417
- burningשְׂרֵפָהώerêphâh · fireH8316
- it is not sownזָרַעzâra‛ · to sowH2232
- nor bearethצָמַחtsâmach · to springH6779
- nor any grassעֵ֫שֶׂב‛eώeb · vegetationH6212
- growethעָלָה‛âlâh · to ascend: riseH5927
- therein, like the overthrowמַהְפֵּכָהmahpêkâh · overthrowH4114
- of Sodomסְדֹםsedôm · SodomH5467
- and Gomorrahעֲמֹרָה‛ămôrâh · GomorrahH6017
- Admahאַדְמָה'admâh · AdmahH126
- and Zeboimצְבֹיִיםtsebô'îym tsebîyîym tsebîyim · ZeboiimH6636
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- overthrewהָפַךְhâphak · to overturnH2015
- in his angerאַף'aph · face: angerH639
- and in his wrathחֵמָהchêmâh chêmâ' · rageH2534
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 29:23
- Job 18:15Nothing of his dwells in his tent; Brimstone (burning sulfur) is scattered over his dwelling [to purify it].
- Isaiah 34:9The streams [of Edom] will be turned into pitch, And its dust into brimstone, And its land will become burning pitch.
- Luke 17:29but on the [very] day that Lot left Sodom it rained fire and brimstone (burning sulfur) from heaven and destroyed them all.
- Revelation 19:20And the beast (Antichrist) was seized and overpowered, and with him the false prophet who, in his presence, had performed [amazing] signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were hurled alive into the lake of fire which blazes with brimstone.
- Judges 9:45Abimelech fought against the city that entire day. He took the city and killed the people who were in it; he demolished the city and sowed it with salt.
- Psalms 107:34A productive land into a [barren] salt waste, Because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
- Jeremiah 17:6For he will be like a shrub in the [parched] desert; And shall not see prosperity when it comes, But shall live in the rocky places of the wilderness, In an uninhabited salt land.
- Ezekiel 47:11But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh [and wholesome for animal life]; they will [as the river subsides] be left encrusted with salt.
- Zephaniah 2:9Therefore, as I live,” declares the Lord of hosts, The God of Israel, “Moab will in fact become like Sodom And the sons of Ammon like Gomorrah, A land possessed by nettles and salt pits, And a perpetual desolation. The remnant of My people will plunder them And what is left of My nation will inherit them [as their own].”
- Luke 14:34“Therefore, salt is good; but if salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?
- Genesis 14:2they [invaded the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea, and] made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
- Genesis 19:24Then the Lord rained down brimstone (flaming sulfur) and fire on Sodom and on Gomorrah from the Lord out of heaven,
- Jeremiah 20:16And let that man be like the cities Which the Lord overthrew without regret. Let him hear an outcry in the morning And a shout of alarm at noon;
- Hosea 11:8How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within Me; All My compassions are kindled together [for My nation of Israel].
- Amos 4:11“I overthrew and destroyed [some among] you, as [I, your] God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, And you were [rescued] like a log pulled out of the flame; Yet you have not returned to Me [in repentance],” says the Lord.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 29:23
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23The description is borrowed from the local features of the Dead Sea and its vicinity. The towns of the vale of Siddim were fertile and well watered (compare Genesis 13:10) until devastated by the wrath of God Genesis 19:24-25. The ruin of Israel and its land should be of the like sort (compare Leviticus 26:31-32; Psalm 107:34; Zephaniah 2:9). The desolate state of Palestine at present, and the traces of former fertility and prosperity, are attested by…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-28Verses 22-28 Idolatry would be the ruin of their nation. It is no new thing for God to bring desolating judgments on a people near to him in profession. He never does this without good reason. It concerns us to seek for the reason, that we may give glory to God, and take warning to ourselves. Thus the law of Moses leaves sinners under the curse, and rooted out of the Lord's land; but the grace of Christ toward penitent, believing sinners, plants them…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23like … Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim: During the time of Abraham and Lot, God destroyed these cities because of their extreme immorality. Their destruction involved fiery sulfur and salt (Genesis 19:23–28).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-2910-29. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God--The whole congregation of Israel, of all ages and conditions, all--young as well as old; menials as well as masters; native Israelites as well as naturalized strangers--all were assembled before the tabernacle to renew the Sinaitic covenant. None of them were allowed to consider themselves as exempt from the terms of that national compact, lest any lapsing into idolatry might prove a root of…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 29:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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