Deuteronomy 29:23 Meaning and Explanation
“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:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The verse imagines children and foreign visitors looking at ruined ground and asking how such devastation happened. Moses allows the damaged land itself to provoke moral memory. The image is severe, yet the surrounding question-and-answer form aims to teach later generations the seriousness of abandoning the covenant.
Future observers will see covenant land reduced to salt, sulfur, burning, and barrenness like the cities overthrown near Sodom, a visible witness to the devastation described in Moses' warning.
The Context of Deuteronomy 29:23
Moses renews the LORD's covenant with Israel in Moab before entry into the promised land. He recalls deliverance from Egypt, years in the wilderness, and victory east of Jordan, then summons leaders, families, children, and sojourners to stand before God. Verses 18 through 21 warn against a secret root that turns toward other gods while presuming peace. Beginning in verse 22, a future generation and visitors from a distant land see the country's plagues. Verse 23 describes its burned and barren condition through the memory of Sodom and neighboring cities. Verses 24 through 28 record the nations' question and the answer that Israel forsook the covenant and served other gods.
What Does Deuteronomy 29:23 Mean?
Brimstone, salt, and burning create a landscape where sowing, fruitfulness, and ordinary grass have disappeared. The repeated negatives slow the reader over what the land cannot do: it is unsown, unproductive, and bare. Moses compares the scene with Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, cities remembered for catastrophic overthrow under divine anger. The comparison presents a future covenant judgment in visible, agricultural terms. Land once promised as good and fruitful bears witness through devastation that the people's relationship with the Giver and their use of His gifts cannot be separated.
The verse belongs to a public question posed by descendants and foreigners. They ask why the LORD has done this and why such anger burned against the land. The answer names forsaken covenant, abandoned worship, and service to other gods. This teaching pattern preserves memory after disaster and warns people who imagine that hidden disloyalty carries no communal consequence. At the same time, the passage addresses Israel's stated covenant. It does not authorize observers to assign a specific sin whenever drought, fire, or damaged soil strikes another community. Scripture also knows innocent sufferers and disasters that resist such easy judgment.
The biblical story later records exile and ruined land, while prophets also promise renewed planting, rebuilding, and fruitfulness through God's mercy. Paul says creation groans and waits for deliverance, and Revelation ends with healed nations and a life-giving city. Christ's work opens that hope of renewed creation without making present stewardship expendable. Deuteronomy trains readers to see land as God's gift, human worship and conduct as embodied realities, and environmental devastation as a serious loss. The final vision of healing strengthens responsible care for soil, water, households, and future generations now.
Bible Verses Related to Deuteronomy 29:23
“Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;”
- Genesis 19:24
“And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?”
- 2 Chronicles 7:21
“For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.”
- Jeremiah 17:6
“A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.”
- Psalm 107:34
Where Deuteronomy 29:23 Echoes in Scripture
Second Chronicles 7:19-22 anticipates that passersby will be astonished at a ruined land and temple and will ask why the LORD acted against them. The answer again concerns forsaking the God who delivered His people and embracing other gods. Both passages make devastation a lesson in covenant memory for later observers.
How to Apply Deuteronomy 29:23 Today
Care for land with gratitude toward its Creator and concern for neighbors who depend upon it. Practices may include conserving soil and water, reducing needless contamination, supporting responsible agriculture, and listening to communities living with environmental damage. When disaster occurs, practical relief and careful investigation serve people better than confident claims about divine punishment. The passage also encourages honest communal memory. We can teach how destructive choices developed, who was harmed, and what repair requires, while leaving room for lament and God's promised mercy.
Reflection & Prayer
What will the condition of the places entrusted to us teach a future generation about our worship and stewardship? Pray: LORD of the covenant, keep us from presumption. Teach us to honor Your gifts, care for the land, remember truthfully, and seek restoration with humility. Amen.