Deuteronomy 32:32
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This verse reveals that Israel's "vine" – their very nature and fruit – has become corrupted, mirroring the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. This isn't just about outward actions, but a deep-seated spiritual decay, where the "grapes" of their character are poisonous and their "clusters" bitter to God.
For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter;
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes from Moses' final song to the Israelites, a powerful, poetic indictment of their future unfaithfulness and God's subsequent judgment. It follows a series of warnings and prophecies about the consequences of abandoning God, contrasting their privileged status with the depravity of nations like Sodom and Gomorrah. The song emphasizes that any perceived success of their enemies is not due to their own strength but to God's judgment upon Israel.
God planted Israel like a choice vine, but their spiritual fruit became poisonous and bitter. What does it mean for our spiritual 'vine' to become corrupted?
The imagery of a vine is powerful in Scripture. God is the vinedresser, and Israel was His precious vineyard, intended to produce good fruit. However, in Deuteronomy 32:32, Moses uses the stark contrast of the vine of Sodom and Gomorrah to describe Israel's corrupted state.
From Choice Vine to Poisonous Grapes
What kind of 'fruit' are we producing? The fruit of the vine of Sodom is not sweet and nourishing; it's dangerous and destructive.
The fruit of a plant is its outward expression, the result of its inner nature. For Israel, their 'vine' (their character, their way of living) was corrupted, and the 'fruit' they bore reflected this.
The Danger of Poisonous Fruit
Ask a follow-up
Why did Israel's vine become so corrupted? The text points to a deep-seated problem that goes beyond mere actions.
The passage in Deuteronomy doesn't just describe the result of Israel's sin; it points to the underlying cause.
Forsaking the True Vine
Understand the original words
Sedom · Hebrew Noun
A city in the plain of Jordan known for extreme wickedness and divine judgment. In Scripture, it serves as the archetypal symbol of corruption, immorality, and impending judgment.
Amorah · Hebrew Noun
A city associated with Sodom that experienced divine destruction due to its great sin. It is often cited as a warning of the certainty of God's judgment upon the ungodly.
rosh · Hebrew Noun
A general term referring to toxic or deadly substances. In a theological context, it is often used metaphorically to describe the corrupting, destructive nature of sin, idolatry, and evil behavior.
The verse uses the ancient and infamous destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as a stark metaphor for Israel's moral corruption. Their 'vine,' representing their character and actions, has become as poisonous and bitter as the very land God judged for its wickedness, highlighting a profound spiritual degeneration that invited divine judgment.
c. 2000 BC
Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God due to their extreme wickedness. Their name became synonymous with sin and divine judgment.
c. 1446 BC
Israel Enters the Promised Land
After 40 years in the wilderness, the Israelites, led by Joshua, cross the Jordan River to begin the conquest of Canaan.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Moses Delivers the Song of Deuteronomy
Moses presents this song to the Israelites as a witness against them, foretelling their future disobedience and God's subsequent judgment and faithfulness.
c. 1000 BC - 586 BC
Period of the Judges and the Monarchy
Israel experiences cycles of apostasy, judgment, and deliverance, followed by the establishment and eventual division of the united monarchy, with repeated instances of disobedience and idolatry.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and exile a significant portion of the population, fulfilling God's prophecies of judgment for persistent disobedience.
This passage uses the imagery of a vineyard to describe God's disappointment and judgment when His chosen people, like Israel, fail to produce good fruit, mirroring the sentiment of Deuteronomy 32:32 where their 'vine' is corrupt.
Jeremiah 2:21Jeremiah directly parallels Deuteronomy 32:32 by stating, 'Yet I had planted you a choice vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned into the degenerate growth of an alien vine before me?' This highlights the sharp contrast between God's good intention for Israel and their corrupted reality.
Hosea 10:1Hosea echoes the 'empty vine' metaphor, stating 'Israel is an empty vine; he brings forth fruit for himself.' This reinforces the theme of Israel's spiritual barrenness and self-serving corruption, directly linking to the 'poisonous grapes' described in Deuteronomy.
Genesis 19:24-25This passage describes the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone from the Lord. Deuteronomy 32:32 draws upon this infamous judgment, associating the corrupted 'vine' of Israel with the very places God destroyed for their extreme wickedness.
Romans 11:17-24Paul uses the metaphor of an olive tree to explain the grafting in of Gentiles and the breaking off of unbelieving Jews. This connects to the vine imagery, showing how branches (representing people) can be broken off due to unfaithfulness, similar to how Israel's 'vine' became corrupt.
calvinDeuteronomy 32:1-52: "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth."
They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
Ipsi ad zelum provocaverunt me, in eo quod non est Deus, ad iracundiam me provocaverunt in vanitatibus suis: et ego ad zelum provocabo eos in eo qui non…
barnesDeuteronomy 32:32: "For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter:"
Their vine - i. e., the nature and character of Israel: compare for similar expressions Psalm 80:8 , Psalm 80:14 ; Jeremiah 2:21 ; Hosea 10:1 . Sodom ... Gomorrah - Here, as elsewhere, and often in the prophets, emblems of utter depravity: compare Isaiah 1:10; Jeremiah 23:14, Gall - Compare Deuteronomy 29:18 note.
This verse reveals that Israel's "vine" – their very nature and fruit – has become corrupted, mirroring the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. This isn't just about outward actions, but a deep-seated spiritual decay, where the "grapes" of their character are poisonous and their "clusters" bitter to God.
This passage comes from Moses' final song to the Israelites, a powerful, poetic indictment of their future unfaithfulness and God's subsequent judgment. It follows a series of warnings and prophecies about the consequences of abandoning God, contrasting their privileged status with the depravity of nations like Sodom and Gomorrah. The song emphasizes that any perceived success of their enemies is not due to their own strength but to God's judgment upon Israel.
This passage comes from Moses' final song to the Israelites, a powerful, poetic indictment of their future unfaithfulness and God's subsequent judgment. It follows a series of warnings and prophecies about the consequences of abandoning God, contrasting their privileged status with the depravity of nations like Sodom and Gomorrah. The song emphasizes that any perceived success of their enemies is not due to their own strength but to God's judgment upon Israel.
"For their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter;" — This verse reveals that Israel's "vine" – their very nature and fruit – has become corrupted, mirroring the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah. This isn't just about outward actions, but a deep-seated…
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Last reviewed October 2026
