Deuteronomy 29:23
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—
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This verse vividly paints a picture of complete desolation, not just barrenness but a land so fundamentally ruined by "brimstone and salt" that nothing can grow. It's a stark warning that this destruction will be so absolute that future generations and even foreigners will point to it as a visible testament to God's severe judgment, much like the infamous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Moses has just concluded a solemn covenant ceremony with Israel, reiterating the terms of God's law and the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. This verse vividly describes the consequence of their breaking the covenant: their land will become utterly desolate and infertile, a stark and enduring testament to God's judgment, directly referencing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as the ultimate example.
Imagine a land so utterly destroyed by God's judgment that nothing can grow. This verse paints a stark picture of what happens when a nation turns its back on God.
The Ultimate Desolation
Deuteronomy 29:23 uses vivid imagery to describe the consequence of forsaking God's covenant: a land rendered permanently barren.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Deuteronomy 29:23 is available in the Sola app.
What if the devastation of your people became a lesson for all future generations, a story told by strangers who pass by?
The Land as a Monument
This verse isn't just about physical destruction; it's about a profound theological statement etched into the very land.
Understand the original words
aph · Hebrew Noun
A term describing deep, intense hostility, indignation, or divine displeasure toward sin. It is the holy reaction of God's righteousness against everything that opposes His character and commands.
chemah · Hebrew Noun
A powerful, burning indignation or fury that accompanies divine judgment. It signifies the intense and irresistible expression of God's holy hatred of evil.
The vivid description of a land ruined by brimstone, salt, and burning isn't just a literal prediction of a future landscape; it's a powerful, ancient warning. By referencing the catastrophic destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Moses paints a stark picture of what happens when a people utterly rejects God and His covenant, turning a once-fertile land into a desolate wasteland as a visible sign of divine wrath.
c. 2000 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
The cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim are destroyed by divine judgment, leaving the land barren and covered in salt and brimstone.
c. 1406 BC
Israel enters the Promised Land
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites prepare to enter Canaan, a land described as flowing with milk and honey, under the leadership of Joshua.
c. 1406 BC
Covenant Renewal at Mount Ebal and Gerizim
Joshua leads the people in a ceremony to renew the covenant, with blessings proclaimed from Mount Gerizim and curses from Mount Ebal.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Moses' Farewell Speeches in Moab
As they stand on the border of Canaan, Moses delivers his final addresses, reiterating the Law, recounting Israel's history, and warning of future blessings and curses.
c. 1406 BC
Blessings and Curses Reiterated
Moses outlines the severe consequences of disobedience, including curses that would make the land desolate and infertile, mirroring the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.
c. 13th-8th centuries BC
Cycles of Disobedience and Judgment
Throughout Israel's history, periods of faithfulness are followed by cycles of idolatry and disobedience, leading to various forms of divine judgment and desolation.
This passage directly describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone, directly paralleling the description of the land in Deuteronomy 29:23.
Jeremiah 22:8-9This passage explains that future nations will question the desolation of Jerusalem, just as Deuteronomy 29:24-25 states, and the answer given is their forsaking of God's covenant.
Leviticus 26:31-33This section of Leviticus prophesies a similar desolation for Israel if they disobey, including a barren land and scattering among nations, echoing the severity described in Deuteronomy.
Psalm 107:33-34This psalm illustrates how God can turn a fruitful land into a barren wasteland as a consequence of wickedness, directly reflecting the imagery of brimstone and salt in Deuteronomy 29:23.
Amos 4:11Amos echoes the language of divine judgment, referencing the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, which highlights the catastrophic judgment that Deuteronomy 29:23 warns against.
calvinDeuteronomy 29:10-28: "Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,"
That he may establish thee today for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Ut statuat te hodie sibi in populum, et ipse sit tibi in Deum, quemadmodum loquutus est tibi, et quemadmodum juravit patrib…
pulpitDeuteronomy 29:23: "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:"
Verse 23. - And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, etc.; rather, sulfur and salt, a burning the whole land thereof, it shall not be sown, etc. The words "sulfur," etc., are in apposition to the "…
This verse vividly paints a picture of complete desolation, not just barrenness but a land so fundamentally ruined by "brimstone and salt" that nothing can grow. It's a stark warning that this destruction will be so absolute that future generations and even foreigners will point to it as a visible testament to God's severe judgment, much like the infamous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Moses has just concluded a solemn covenant ceremony with Israel, reiterating the terms of God's law and the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. This verse vividly describes the consequence of their breaking the covenant: their land will become utterly desolate and infertile, a stark and enduring testament to God's judgment, directly referencing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as the ultimate example.
Moses has just concluded a solemn covenant ceremony with Israel, reiterating the terms of God's law and the blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. This verse vividly describes the consequence of their breaking the covenant: their land will become utterly desolate and infertile, a stark and enduring testament to God's judgment, directly referencing the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as the ultimate example.
"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—" — This verse vividly paints a picture of complete desolation, not just barrenness but a land so fundamentally ruined by "brimstone and salt" that nothing can grow. It's a stark warning that this destru…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
