Deuteronomy 28:23 kjv
And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
Deuteronomy 28:23 nkjv
And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron.
Deuteronomy 28:23 niv
The sky over your head will be bronze, the ground beneath you iron.
Deuteronomy 28:23 esv
And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron.
Deuteronomy 28:23 nlt
The skies above will be as unyielding as bronze, and the earth beneath will be as hard as iron.
Deuteronomy 28 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 26:19 | "I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heaven as iron and your earth as bronze," | Parallel imagery of heaven/earth sterility. |
| 1 Ki 8:35 | "When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned..." | Prayer of Solomon recognizing rain cessation. |
| Ps 147:8 | "He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth..." | God's sovereignty over rain and heavens. |
| Isa 5:6 | "I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up..." | God's judgment leading to desolation of land. |
| Jer 14:1 | "The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought:" | Prophetic description of a major drought. |
| Joel 1:17 | "The seed shrivels under the clods; the granaries are desolate..." | Effects of drought and locust invasion. |
| Hag 1:10 | "Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce." | Direct echo of Deut 28, God withholding rain. |
| Zech 14:16-17 | "...And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them." | Future consequences for withholding worship. |
| Am 4:7 | "I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest..." | God directly declares withholding rain. |
| Ps 105:16 | "When he summoned a famine on the land and broke all supply of bread..." | God's control over famine and provisions. |
| Deut 11:14 | "he will give the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain..." | Promise of rain for obedience. |
| Jer 5:24 | "They do not say in their hearts, 'Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rain in its season...'" | Critique of Israel's forgetfulness of God as rain-giver. |
| Ezek 34:26-27 | "And I will make them and the places all around my hill a blessing, and I will send down the showers in their season..." | Restoration promise of rain and fertility. |
| Hos 2:21-22 | "And in that day I will answer, declares the LORD, I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the grain, the wine, and the oil..." | Prophetic promise of renewed fruitfulness. |
| Rev 21:1 | "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away..." | Ultimate removal of all curse and desolation. |
| Ps 68:9 | "You rained down a plentiful rain, O God, upon your inheritance..." | God's blessing of rain on His people. |
| Job 5:10 | "He gives rain on the earth and sends waters on the fields." | God as the ultimate provider of rain. |
| Deut 29:22-23 | "all its soil a burning waste of salt and sulfur, unconquered, and unsown..." | Broader description of land devastated by curse. |
| Heb 6:7-8 | "For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it... but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless..." | Spiritual analogy of unyielding soil. |
| Rom 1:24-28 | "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity..." | God "giving up" people to consequences of sin. |
Deuteronomy 28 verses
Deuteronomy 28 23 Meaning
Deuteronomy 28:23 describes a profound curse of severe drought and agricultural sterility, a consequence of the covenant people's disobedience to God. The imagery conveys a complete absence of life-giving rain, where the heavens are likened to impenetrable brass, unable to release moisture, and the earth below becomes as hard and barren as iron, incapable of producing any yield. This state signifies utter desolation and a divine withholding of all natural blessings crucial for sustaining life in an agrarian society.
Deuteronomy 28 23 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 28 presents a pivotal moment in the covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel, laid out by Moses on the plains of Moab before their entry into the Promised Land. This chapter functions as a solemn, conditional covenant renewal, detailing a stark contrast between blessings for obedience (verses 1-14) and curses for disobedience (verses 15-68). Verse 23 falls squarely within the curses section, specifically among those pertaining to famine and unproductive land. This passage warns the people that their prosperity and very sustenance are entirely dependent on their faithfulness to God. For an ancient agrarian society, reliant on rain for crop growth, the imagery of "brass heaven" and "iron earth" would have been particularly terrifying, signifying utter devastation and starvation, a direct antithesis to the promised land "flowing with milk and honey."
Deuteronomy 28 23 Word analysis
- thy heaven: Hebrew: shamayim (שָׁמַיִם). Refers to the visible sky, the source of clouds and rain. The possessive "thy" is significant; it underscores that this heaven, ordinarily a source of blessing for them as covenant people, will, due to their sin, turn against them. It is not an arbitrary natural phenomenon but a direct covenantal judgment from their God.
- that is over thy head: Implies immediate proximity and inescapable, direct oppression. It signifies a universal affliction where the very element that typically brings life-giving sustenance directly above them becomes a source of their woe.
- shall be brass: Hebrew: nechoshet (נְחֹשֶׁת). Translates to copper or bronze. Bronze is known for its hardness, impenetrability, heat-retention, and opaque, non-porous nature. Metaphorically, a sky of brass suggests it is like a sealed roof, solid and unyielding, blocking all moisture, light, and blessing from penetrating it. It also conveys a sense of burning heat, radiating down rather than offering shade or cool rain.
- and the earth: Hebrew: erets (אֶרֶץ). Refers to the ground, the land itself. In an agrarian context, this is the vital source of food and livelihood.
- that is under thee: Highlights the direct and inescapable nature of the curse upon the very ground they walk on and depend upon. It shows how the land itself, which should respond to rain, becomes unresponsive.
- shall be iron: Hebrew: barzel (בַּרְזֶל). Refers to iron. Iron is known for its extreme hardness, unyielding nature, and inability to be ploughed or absorb water. This imagery depicts a soil so parched and hard that it cannot be cultivated or support life, rendering it sterile and barren.
- Word-group: "thy heaven...shall be brass, and the earth...shall be iron": This parallelism uses striking metallic imagery to paint a vivid picture of a double curse—no rain from above and no fruit from below. It is a reversal of creation's design where heaven nourishes earth (Gen 2:5-6). This specific curse means a complete drying up of all sources of life. The hardness of the heaven matches the hardness of the earth, creating an environment utterly devoid of the conditions necessary for agricultural life and human sustenance. It implies that every aspect of the natural world will actively participate in bringing judgment upon the disobedient nation.
Deuteronomy 28 23 Bonus section
- Polemics against Paganism: This verse stands in stark contrast to the pagan cults prevalent in Canaan, particularly the worship of Baal, the Canaanite storm and fertility god. By threatening to withhold rain, Yahweh explicitly asserts His singular and absolute authority over nature and fertility, demonstrating that only He provides sustenance, not idols. If the heaven becomes brass and the earth iron, it is not because Baal is displeased or weak, but because YHWH, the true God, has withheld His blessing as a covenant judgment.
- Spiritual Parallel: While literally referring to drought and barrenness, the imagery can also spiritually symbolize a state of spiritual deadness, where the soul receives no refreshing from God (like the brass heaven) and yields no spiritual fruit (like the iron earth) due to hardened hearts and rebellion against His Word (Heb 3:7-11).
- Purpose of Severity: The graphic and severe nature of these curses (like v. 23) was intended to impress upon Israel the solemnity of the covenant and the critical importance of faithful obedience, ideally serving as a deterrent from disobedience and a call to repentance.
Deuteronomy 28 23 Commentary
Deuteronomy 28:23 delivers a chilling depiction of divine judgment, emphasizing God's absolute control over creation and His covenantal faithfulness in both blessing and cursing. The vivid imagery of "brass heaven" and "iron earth" is not merely poetic but serves as a profound metaphor for complete natural desolation resulting from spiritual rebellion. For a people dependent on agricultural yields, this curse promised existential hardship, stripping away the very foundation of their livelihood and prosperity. It is a powerful reminder that while God generously provides for His people, His provisions are not to be taken for granted, and persistent disobedience carries severe, tangible consequences. The verse underscores that God, and not pagan deities, sovereignly orchestrates the weather and fertility, making it a powerful polemic against any belief in false gods or reliance on human effort outside of God's blessing.