Vine of Sodom

The vine of Sodom is mentioned once in Scripture, in the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy: "Their vine is from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison; their clusters are bitter" (Deuteronomy 32:32). The passage is part of a prophetic indictment of an unfaithful generation whose corruption is as thoroughgoing as that of the cities destroyed by divine judgment. The "vine of Sodom" functions as a symbol of moral poison and spiritual deception—outwardly resembling fruit but producing only bitterness and death.

The plant's botanical identity has been debated, but many scholars identify it with the colocynth (Citrullus colocynthis), a wild gourd that produces round, smooth fruits resembling small watermelons. These fruits appear appealing but contain a powerful bitter cathartic substance toxic in large doses. The "apple of Sodom" described by ancient writers (Josephus, Tacitus) may refer to this or to another plant of the region whose fruit turns to ashes or dust when touched. Whatever the botanical referent, the theological point is clear: Sodom's legacy is a harvest of beautiful appearances concealing deadly content, a fitting image for the corrupting influence of idolatry on Israel.