English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 29:23
23the 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—
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.
- 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.’
- New Living Translation (NLT)They will exclaim, ‘The whole land is devastated by sulfur and salt. It is a wasteland with nothing planted and nothing growing, not even a blade of grass. It is like the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the Lord destroyed in his intense anger.’
Context of Deuteronomy 29:23
21And the Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for calamity, in accordance with all the curses of the covenant written in this Book of the Law. 22And the next generation, your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, will say, when they see the afflictions of that land and the sicknesses with which the Lord has made it sick— 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— 24all the nations will say, 'Why has the Lord done thus to this land? What caused the heat of this great anger?' 25Then people will say, 'It is because they abandoned 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 18:15In his tent dwells that which is none of his; sulfur is scattered over his habitation.
- Isaiah 34:9And the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch, and her soil into sulfur; her land shall become burning pitch.
- Luke 17:29but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all—
- Revelation 19:20And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.
- Judges 9:45And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
- Psalms 107:34a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.
- Jeremiah 17:6He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
- Ezekiel 47:11But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt.
- Zephaniah 2:9Therefore, as I live," declares the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Moab shall become like Sodom, and the Ammonites like Gomorrah, a land possessed by nettles and salt pits, and a waste forever. The remnant of my people shall plunder them, and the survivors of my nation shall possess them."
- Luke 14:34"Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?
- Genesis 14:2these kings 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 on Sodom and Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven.
- Jeremiah 20:16Let that man be like the cities that the Lord overthrew without pity; let him hear a cry in the morning and an alarm at noon,
- Hosea 11:8How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender.
- Amos 4:11"I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me," declares 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries