Deuteronomy 29:22-28 · Bible study

Deuteronomy 29:22-28 Commentary: Covenant Curses as a Monument

Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say

Meaning in one sentence

Why does Moses describe the land's devastation as a spectacle that prompts questions from nations? The meaning of judgment as testimony.

Research Summary

Meaning: The covenant curses are so severe that the land becomes a visible monument, prompting all nations to ask “why,” and the answer is covenant infidelity and idolatry.
Key words: Brimstone/sulfur, salt, burning, terms of utter barrenness borrowed from the Dead Sea region; “rooted them out” (Hebrew natash, used often in Jeremiah).
Main debate: Whether the description is literal physical transformation or symbolic hyperbole for barrenness; also whether the fulfillment is primarily Babylonian, Roman, or both.
Theological theme: God’s judgment is public and pedagogical, it teaches future generations and foreigners about the seriousness of covenant relationship.
Best use: A warning against idolatry and a call to covenant faithfulness, and a reminder that God’s justice is not hidden but vindicated before all peoples.

Translation Comparison

BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020

²²Then the generation to come—your sons who follow you and the foreigner who comes from a distant land—will see the plagues of the land and the sicknesses the LORD has inflicted on it.

²³All its soil will be a burning waste of sulfur and salt, unsown and unproductive, with no plant growing on it, just like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His fierce anger.

²⁴So all the nations will ask, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this land? Why this great outburst of anger?’

²⁵And the people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned 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.

²⁶They went and served other gods, and they worshiped gods they had not known—gods that the LORD had not given to them.

²⁷Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against this land, and He brought upon it every curse written in this book.

²⁸The LORD uprooted them from their land in His anger, rage, and great wrath, and He cast them into another land, where they are today.’

WEB World English Bible 2000

²²The generation to come—your children who will rise up after you, and the foreigner who will come from a far land—will say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses with which Yahweh has made it sick,

²³that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath.

²⁴Even all the nations will say, “Why has Yahweh done this to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?”

²⁵Then men will say, “Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt,

²⁶and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they didn’t know and that he had not given to them.

²⁷Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against this land, to bring on it all the curses that are written in this book.

²⁸Yahweh rooted them out of their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and thrust them into another land, as it is today.”

KJV King James Version 1769

²²So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the Lord hath laid upon it;

²³And 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:

²⁴Even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?

²⁵Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt:

²⁶For they went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given unto them:

²⁷And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book:

²⁸And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.

ASV American Standard Version 1901

²²And the generation to come, your children that shall rise up after you, and the foreigner that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses wherewith Jehovah hath made it sick;

²³and that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and a burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Jehovah overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:

²⁴even all the nations shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?

²⁵Then men shall say, Because they forsook the covenant of Jehovah, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt,

²⁶and went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods that they knew not, and that he had not given unto them:

²⁷therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curse that is written in this book;

²⁸and Jehovah rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as at this day.

YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898

²²`And the latter generation of your sons who rise after you, and the stranger who cometh in from a land afar off, have said when they have seen the strokes of that land, and its sicknesses which Jehovah hath sent into it, --

²³( with brimstone and salt is the whole land burnt, it is not sown, nor doth it shoot up, nor doth there go up on it any herb, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which Jehovah overturned in His anger, and in His fury,) --

²⁴yea, all the nations have said, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus to this land? what the heat of this great anger?

²⁵`And they have said, Because that they have forsaken the covenant of Jehovah, God of their fathers, which He made with them in His bringing them out of the land of Egypt,

²⁶and they go and serve other gods, and bow themselves to them--gods which they have not known, and which He hath not apportioned to them;

²⁷and the anger of Jehovah burneth against that land, to bring in on it all the reviling that is written in this book,

²⁸and Jehovah doth pluck them from off their ground in anger, and in fury, and in great wrath, and doth cast them unto another land, as at this day.

Darby Darby Bible 1890

²²And the generation to come, your children who shall rise up after you, and the foreigner that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and its sicknesses wherewith Jehovah hath visited it,

²³[that] the whole ground thereof is brimstone and salt, [and] burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, and no grass groweth in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim, which Jehovah overthrew in his anger and in his fury:

²⁴even all nations shall say, Why has Jehovah done thus to this land? whence the heat of this great anger?

²⁵And men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of Jehovah the God of their fathers, which he had made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt;

²⁶and they went and served othergods, and bowed down to them,gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not assigned to them.

²⁷And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curse that is written in this book;

²⁸and Jehovah rooted them out of their land in anger, and in fury, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as [it appears] this day.

Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899

²²And the following generation shall say, and the children that shall be born hereafter, and the strangers that shall come from afar, seeing the plagues of that land and the evils wherewith the Lord hath afflicted it,

²³Burning it with brimstone, and the heat of salt, so that it cannot be sown any more, nor any green thing grow therein, after the example of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha, Adama and Seboim, which the Lord destroyed in his wrath and indignation:

²⁴And all the nations shall say: Why hath the Lord done thus to this land? what meaneth this exceeding great heat of his wrath?

²⁵And they shall answer: Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord, which he made with their fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt:

²⁶And they have served strange gods, and adored them, whom they knew not, and for whom they had not been assigned:

²⁷Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this volume:

²⁸And he hath cast them out of their land, in anger and in wrath, and in very great indignation, and hath thrown them into a strange land, as it is seen this day.

Verse in Context

20 Yahweh will not pardon him, but then Yahweh’s anger and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book will fall on him, and Yahweh will blot out his name from under the sky.

21 Yahweh will set him apart for evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the law.

22 The generation to come—your children who will rise up after you, and the foreigner who will come from a far land—will say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses with which Yahweh has made it sick,

23 that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath.

24 Even all the nations will say, “Why has Yahweh done this to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?”

25 Then men will say, “Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt,

26 and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they didn’t know and that he had not given to them.

27 Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against this land, to bring on it all the curses that are written in this book.

28 Yahweh rooted them out of their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and thrust them into another land, as it is today.”

29 The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Scholars' Consensus

Commentators across traditions agree that Deuteronomy 29:22, 28 presents a scene of judgment so severe that it becomes a visible monument, prompting future generations and foreigners to ask why. Calvin calls this a “sign and a prodigy”, not ordinary punishment but an extraordinary display that forces onlookers to seek an explanation. The answer given in verses 25, 26 is unanimous: covenant abandonment and idolatry caused this. Barnes notes that the language of sulfur and salt is borrowed from the Dead Sea region, making the land a perpetual illustration of divine wrath. Gill adds that the description need not be taken as literal burning; rather it conveys utter barrenness and ruin. Keil and Delitzsch observe that Moses foresaw not only individual apostasy but national devastation, and that the purpose of the public question-and-answer is to make God’s justice clear to all nations. The passage thus serves as a theological explanation built into history: the covenant curses become a sermon in the landscape itself.

How settled is the interpretation?

Interpretive difficulty: Medium

Main views:

Literal physical devastation: Barnes and Calvin read the sulfur, salt, and burning as actual transformations of the land, similar to the Dead Sea region, as a permanent monument.
Symbolic hyperbole: Gill argues the land is not literally burning; the language expresses barrenness and divine curse, not a change in the physical elements.
Already/not-yet fulfillment: Some see the Babylonian exile as the initial fulfillment and the Roman destruction as the climactic one, while others apply it primarily to the post-AD 70 dispersion.

What is clear: The passage teaches that severe national judgment is a direct consequence of covenant abandonment and idolatry, and that this judgment serves as a public testimony to God's justice.

What Scholars Agree and Debate

Topic	Agreed	Debated
Literal vs. symbolic devastation of the land	The land will be barren and uninhabitable as a divine judgment.	Some read the description of sulfur, salt, and burning as literal physical conditions (Barnes, Calvin). Others, like Gill, argue it is hyperbolic language for extreme barrenness, the land is not literally on fire but becomes like a salt waste.
Timing of fulfillment: Babylonian exile, Roman destruction, or both	This prophecy anticipates historical disaster for Israel.	Gill applies it primarily to the Roman destruction (AD 70), noting the long dispersion. Keil and Delitzsch see the Babylonian exile as the initial fulfillment. Most see a pattern that recurs whenever Israel abandons the covenant.
Meaning of 'gods that he had not given to them' (v. 26)	The gods worshiped were not the true God and brought no benefit.	Clarke argues the phrase means these false gods gave Israel 'no portion' or inheritance, they could not save. Others (like the Geneva Bible and Wesley) take it as referring to gods that God had not allotted to Israel for worship, unlike the nations to whom God had assigned heavenly bodies (Deut 4:19).
The role of the question-and-answer format	The passage intends to provide a theological explanation for national catastrophe.	Some emphasize that the nations themselves initiate the question, making the judgment a universal testimony. Others see the answer as primarily for Israel’s own descendants, to prevent them from misinterpreting God’s actions.

Historical & Cultural Context

This passage sits within Moses’ covenant renewal address on the plains of Moab, just before Israel enters Canaan. The curses catalogued in Deuteronomy 28 (disease, siege, exile) now take on a visible, permanent form: the land itself becomes an exhibit. The imagery of sulfur and salt echoes the destruction of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim (Genesis 19), cities in the Dead Sea vicinity whose ruins still smoldered in collective memory. Cambridge Bible notes that “brimstone and salt” were terms drawn from local geography, where travelers could see the barren shores of the salt sea. Sowing a conquered city with salt (as Abimelech did in Judges 9:45) was an ancient curse against fertility, so this language would resonate deeply with Israel.

The passage also anticipates the full sweep of Israel’s history, both the Babylonian exile and the later Roman destruction. Gill explicitly connects it to the Roman period when Jews were “rooted out” for nearly two thousand years. Yet the question-and-answer structure (vv. 24, 25) appears in Jeremiah 22:8, 9 as well, showing that this pattern was already a recognizable way to explain national disaster. The theological backdrop is the covenant: God had chosen Israel, freed them from Egypt, and given them a land. If they abandon him for gods “that had not been given to them” (v. 26, a phrase that Clarke interprets as “no portion, no inheritance” from these false gods), the covenant curse would not only punish them but also teach the watching world why the land lay wasted.

Textual Notes

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 29:22, 28. The passage is well preserved across Hebrew manuscripts and ancient versions. Some minor differences in spelling or word order exist between the Masoretic tradition and the Septuagint, but they do not affect the meaning.

Reception History

Jewish tradition has read this passage as a solemn warning fulfilled in the destruction of the First Temple (586 BC) and again in the Second Temple (AD 70). The imagery of a barren, salted land appears in later prophetic literature (Jeremiah 17:6, Zephaniah 2:9) as a standard description of divine judgment. In Christian history, commentators from Calvin to Matthew Henry have used these verses to emphasize God’s justice and the seriousness of idolatry. The question-and-answer structure influenced later preaching on theodicy, why bad things happen to God’s people. The passage also resonates in hymns of lament and judgment (e.g., the medieval “Dies Irae” draws on similar themes of fire and desolation). Across traditions, the passage is cited as evidence that covenant breaking has visible, historical consequences, intended to instruct both believers and onlookers.

Preaching This Verse

Three-point outline

The spectacle of judgment (vv. 22, 23). The land becomes a visible warning: sulfur, salt, no sowing, no growth. Like Sodom, Israel’s disaster would be unmistakable. Preachers can emphasize that God’s judgments are not hidden, they are public demonstrations of his holiness.
The question it provokes (v. 24). Nations and foreigners ask, “Why?” Judgment prompts inquiry. This creates a door for witness: people may ask about suffering, and Christians can point to sin and the need for a savior. But the question also invites self-examination: do we recognize God’s hand in our own trials?
The answer it reveals (vv. 25, 28). The cause is clear: covenant breaking and idolatry. God’s anger burned, and he uprooted his people. This is not arbitrary, it is the logical consequence of forsaking the covenant. Yet even in judgment, God is truthful: the curses are exactly what he warned.

Five-point outline

Declaration: future generations and foreigners will witness the ruins (v. 22).
Description: the land is a sulfurous wasteland, like the cities of the plain (v. 23).
Question: all nations will ask, “Why has the LORD done this?” (v. 24).
Answer: covenant abandonment and worship of other gods (vv. 25, 26).
Result: God’s anger brings the written curses, and he casts them into another land (vv. 27, 28).

Illustration hooks

A sign on a farm that reads “This field was destroyed by fire from a lightning strike, a warning to check your insurance.” The dead land itself tells a story.
A family who lost their home to foreclosure because of unpaid debt; children ask why they had to move, and the explanation becomes a lesson about financial faithfulness.
Tourists visiting the ruins of Pompeii, asking what happened, and learning about volcanic judgment that preserved the city as a monument.

Questions your congregation is asking

Does God still judge nations today? How do we see covenant curses in modern history?
Why does God allow suffering that becomes a public spectacle? Does he want people to be afraid or to learn?
Is this passage about Israel only, or can it apply to any people who turn away from God?

Leading a Discussion

This passage confronts us with a sobering reality: covenant unfaithfulness has national consequences. Yet the purpose is not merely to frighten, it is to provide a clear, public explanation for judgment so that all may know the justice of God. As you discuss, consider both the weight of the warning and the hope that God still offers to those who return to him.

Discussion questions

Read Deuteronomy 29:22, 23. What images stand out to you? Why does the text compare the land to Sodom and Gomorrah?
In verse 24, the nations ask, “Why has the LORD done this?” What does this question reveal about the expected reaction of outsiders?
The answer in verses 25, 26 focuses on two acts: abandoning the covenant and serving other gods. How do these two actions relate to each other?
The phrase “gods that he had not given to them” (v. 26) suggests that these gods offered nothing. Adam Clarke interprets this as “no portion”, they could not provide nor save. What does this say about the emptiness of idolatry?
Verse 28 says God “rooted them out” and “cast them into another land.” How does this language echo or contrast with the original exodus from Egypt?
This passage was written before any exile occurred. Why does Moses include this prophecy in the covenant renewal ceremony?
How does this passage shape your understanding of God’s justice? How might it move you to examine your own faithfulness to God’s covenant, in your life, your family, or your church?

What the Commentators Say

10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.

Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826

Clarke argues that the common translation misrepresents the original Hebrew. The phrase actually means the false gods gave Israel no portion; unlike the true God who is a portion for his people, these idols could not supply Israel's needs or save their souls.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832

Barnes draws the description directly from the Dead Sea region: once fertile and well-watered, those cities were devastated by God's judgment. He argues that Israel's coming ruin would follow the same pattern, and notes that modern travelers confirm the land's present desolation alongside clear traces of its former prosperity.

Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564

Calvin stresses that the curses listed are not ordinary punishments but extraordinary horrors meant to astonish future generations. He says the cumulative severity, duration, and number of these judgments make God's vengeance visible, like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which stands as a perpetual warning.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880

The commentator points out that the phrase "as at this day" suggests the writer was describing the exile as a contemporary event, not a later editorial addition. The use of a Hebrew word for "rooted out" that appears frequently in Jeremiah supports this dating conclusion.

Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599

The Geneva Notes emphasize that the devastation of the land serves as a visible witness to all future generations and foreigners. The total ruin, compared to Sodom and Gomorrah, forces observers to ask why, and the answer is plain: the people abandoned the covenant and served gods they did not know.

Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748

Gill argues that this prophecy refers primarily to the Roman destruction of Judea, not the Babylonian captivity. The land's barrenness comes not from a permanent change in soil but from human neglect after God's wrath. He notes the enlarged Hebrew letter in "cast" to emphasize the severity of God's anger and the people's final removal.

Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876

Keil-Delitzsch see Moses foreseeing widespread apostasy leading to the land's utter devastation, so that future generations and foreigners will ask why and be told it was because Israel forsook the covenant. They interpret the "hidden things" in the closing verse not as a general warning against curiosity but as God's undisclosed future mode of carrying out His saving purpose despite the people's unfaithfulness.

Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857

Lange treats verse 29 as Moses deliberately pulling back from speculation about the future. After warning of judgment, Moses insists that what matters is not hidden knowledge but obedient action on what God has plainly revealed, calling the people to rest in their duty rather than pry into secret decrees.

Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710

Matthew Henry highlights the remarkable scope of this covenant: every person in Israel, from the highest leader to the lowliest laborer, stands before God, and the covenant binds not only the present assembly but every future generation. He warns that even one person's secret turn to idolatry is a poisonous root that brings God's judgment on the whole community.

Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754

Wesley explains that the "whom God had not given to them" refers to the sun, moon, and stars. These were given for practical use, not worship, yet neighboring nations made them their principal gods. The "salt and burning" describes something made barren, like land destroyed by brimstone and salt.

Cross-References

Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)

Jeremiah 19:8	I will make this city an astonishment and a hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues.
Genesis 14:2	they made war with Bera, king of Sodom; Birsha, king of Gomorrah; Shinab, king of Admah; Shemeber, king of Zeboiim; and the king of Bela (also called Zoar).
Genesis 19:24	Then Yahweh rained on Sodom and on Gomorrah sulfur and fire from Yahweh out of the sky.
Genesis 19:25	He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew on the ground.
Judges 9:45	Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city and killed the people in it. He beat down the city and sowed it with salt.
Job 18:15	There will dwell in his tent that which is none of his. Sulfur will be scattered on his habitation.
Psalms 107:34	and a fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
Isaiah 34:9	Its streams will be turned into pitch, its dust into sulfur, and its land will become burning pitch.

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.

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