Deuteronomy 29:23

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

21And the Lord will single him out from all the tribes of Israel for disaster based on all the conditions of the promise written in this Book of the Teachings. 22Then the next generation of your children and foreigners who come from distant countries will see the plagues that have happened in this land and the diseases the Lord sent here. They will see all the soil poisoned with sulfur and salt. Nothing will be planted. Nothing will be growing. There will be no plants in sight. It will be as desolate as Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, cities the Lord destroyed in fierce anger. 24Then all the other nations in the world will ask, “Why has the Lord done this to their land? Why is he so angry?” 25The answer will be, “Because they abandoned the promise of the Lord God of their ancestors. He made this promise to them when he brought them out of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 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 18:15Fire lives in his tent. Sulfur is scattered over his home.
• Isaiah 34:9Edom’s streams will be turned to tar. Its soil will be turned to burning sulfur. Its land will become blazing tar.
• Luke 17:29But on the day that Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from the sky and destroyed all of them.
• Revelation 19:20The beast and the false prophet who had done miracles for the beast were captured. By these miracles the false prophet had deceived those who had the brand of the beast and worshiped its statue. Both of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
• Judges 9:45Abimelech attacked the city all day long. He captured the city and killed the people in it. He also tore down the city and scattered salt all over the land.
• Psalms 107:34and fertile ground into a layer of salt because of the wickedness of the people living there.
• Jeremiah 17:6He will be like a bush in the wilderness. He will not see when something good comes. He will live in the dry places in the desert, in a salty land where no one can live.
• Ezekiel 47:11But the water in the swamps and marshes won’t become fresh. It will remain salty.
• Zephaniah 2:9Therefore, I solemnly swear, as I live,” declares the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, “Moab will become like Sodom, and Ammon will become like Gomorrah: a place of weeds, salt pits, and ruins forever. The faithful few of my people will loot them, and those who are left in my nation will take possession of them.”
• Luke 14:34“Salt is good. But if salt loses its taste, how will you restore its flavor?
• Genesis 14:2went to war against ⌞five kings⌟—King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
• Genesis 19:24Then the Lord made burning sulfur and fire rain out of heaven on Sodom and Gomorrah.
• Jeremiah 20:16May that man be like the cities that the Lord destroyed without pity. May he hear a cry of alarm in the morning and a battle cry at noon.
• Hosea 11:8“How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboim? I have changed my mind. I am deeply moved.
• Amos 4:11I destroyed some of you as I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning log snatched from a fire. And you still didn’t 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

• Admah
• Backsliders
• Brimstone
• Gomorrah
• Judgments
• Sodom
• Zeboim

In the dictionaries

• Gomorrah
• Sodom
• Admah
• Covenant
• Moses
• Root
• Secret
• Smoke
• Zeboim
• Brimstone

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