Bible Encyclopedias
Sodom, Vine of
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
( גּפן־סרם , gephen ṣedhōm ):
"For their vine is of the vine of Sodom,
And of the fields of Gomorrah:
Their grapes are grapes of gall,
Their clusters are bitter" (Deuteronomy 32:32 ).
This must be distinguished from the "Apples of Sodom" (which see), described by Josephus ( BJ , IV, viii, 4), which appear to have been an actual species of fruit, probably either the colocynth or the fruit of the Usher tree, Calotropis procera . It would appear, however, from the above, the only passage referring to the Vine of Sodom, that this expression is metaphorical and does not refer to any particular plant.
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Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Sodom, Vine of'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​isb/​s/sodom-vine-of.html. 1915.