Deuteronomy 29:23-28

23 'All its land is 1brimstone and salt, 2a burning waste, unsown * and unproductive *, and no * grass grows in it, like the overthrow of 3Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath.'
24 "All the nations will say, '4Why * has the LORD done thus to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?'
25 "Then men will say, '5Because * they forsook 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.
26 'They went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they have not known and whom He had not allotted to them.
27 'Therefore, the anger of the LORD burned against that land, 6to bring upon it every curse which is written in this book;
28 and 7the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger and in fury and in great wrath, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.'

Deuteronomy 29:23-28 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 29

This chapter begins with an intimation of another covenant the Lord was about to make with the people of Israel, De 29:1; and, to prepare their minds to an attention to it, various things which the Lord had done for them are recited, De 29:2-9; the persons are particularly mentioned with whom the covenant would now be made, the substance of which is, that they should be his people, and he their God, De 29:10-15; and since they had seen the idols in Egypt and other countries, with which they might have been ensnared, they are cautioned against idolatry and idolaters, as being most provoking to the Lord, De 29:16-21; which would bring destruction not only on particular persons, but upon their whole land, to the amazement of posterity; who, inquiring the reason of it, will be told, it was because they forsook the covenant of God, and particularly were guilty of idolatry, which, whether privately or openly committed, would be always punished, De 29:22-29.

Cross References 7

  • 1. Genesis 19:24; Isaiah 34:9; Jeremiah 17:6; Zephaniah 2:9
  • 2. Isaiah 1:7; Isaiah 64:11
  • 3. Jude 7
  • 4. 1 Kings 9:8; Jeremiah 22:8
  • 5. 2 Kings 17:9-23; 2 Chronicles 36:13-21
  • 6. Daniel 9:11
  • 7. 2 Chronicles 7:20; Psalms 52:5; Proverbs 2:22; Ezekiel 19:12, 13

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. Lit "it is not sown and does not cause to sprout"
  • [b]. Lit "heat"
  • [c]. Lit "portioned"
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