Deuteronomy 28 · Verse 23

Deuteronomy 28:23

And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
Deuteronomy 28:23, King James Version

Deuteronomy 28:23 in other translations

BSBThe sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron.
WEBYour sky that is over your head will be bronze, and the earth that is under you will be iron.
ASVAnd thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
YLT‘And thy heavens which are over thy head have been brass, and the earth which is under thee iron;
DARBYAnd thy heavens which are over thy head shall be brass, and the earth which is under thee, iron.
BBEAnd the heaven over your heads will be brass, and the earth under you hard as iron.
WebsterAnd thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

What does Deuteronomy 28:23 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
23. heaven ... brass ... earth ... iron--strong Oriental figures used to describe the effects of long-continued drought. This want of regular and seasonable rain is allowed by the most intelligent observers to be one great cause of the present sterility of Palestine.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 23 Thy heaven - shall be brass, and the earth - iron - The atmosphere should not be replenished with aqueous vapours, in consequence of which they should have neither the early nor the latter rain; hence the earth - the ground, must be wholly intractable, and, through its hardness, incapable of cultivation. God shows them by this that he is Lord of nature; and that drought and sterility are not casualties, but proceed from the immediate appointment of the Lord.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:15-44

If we do not keep God's commandments, we not only come short of the blessing promised, but we lay ourselves under the curse, which includes all misery, as the blessing all happiness. Observe the justice of this curse. It is not a curse causeless, or for some light cause. The extent and power of this curse. Wherever the sinner goes, the curse of God follows; wherever he is, it rests upon him. Whatever he has is under…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 28:15-44 →

Deuteronomy 28:23 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָי֥וּve.ha.Yuand they will beH1961
שָׁמֶ֛יךָsha.Mei.khaheavens yourH8064
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhichH834
עַל\־'al-[are] overH5921
רֹאשְׁךָ֖ro.she.Khahead yourH7218
נְחֹ֑שֶׁתne.Cho.shetbronzeH5178
וְהָאָ֥רֶץve.ha.'A.retzand the groundH776
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
תַּחְתֶּ֖יךָtach.Tei.kha[is] under youH8478
בַּרְזֶֽל\׃bar.ZelironH1270

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 28:23

  • Leviticus 26:19

    And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass:

  • Jeremiah 14:1-6

    The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth. Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters: they came to the pits, and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads. Because the ground is chapt, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed, they covered their heads. …

  • 1 Kings 18:2

    And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

  • 1 Kings 17:1

    And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

  • Amos 4:7

    And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The language here is remarkable: "Thy heaven;" that part of the atmosphere which was over Judea, instead of being replenished with aqueous vapours, should become, with respect to moisture, like brass: and consequently their land would become as hard as iron, and wholly incapable of cultivation; while the clouds might give showers in abundance, and the earth be moist and fruitful in other regions.
Le 26:19; 1Ki 17:1; 18:2; Jer 14:1-6; Am 4:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 28:22

    The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

  • Deuteronomy 28:23

    And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

  • Deuteronomy 28:24

    The Lord shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

Read all of Deuteronomy 28

Deuteronomy 28:23 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y tus cielos que están sobre tu cabeza, serán de metal; y la tierra que está debajo de ti, de hierro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tes cieux qui sont sur ta tête seront d’airain, et la terre qui est sous toi sera de fer.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und dein Himmel, der über deinem Haupte ist, wird Erz sein, und die Erde, die unter dir ist, Eisen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Sit cælum, quod supra te est, æneum: et terra, quam calcas, ferrea.