Topic
Brimstone
15 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Genesis 19:24Easton · Smith · Nave Fire and, rained upon Sodom
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
- Job 18:15Easton · ISBE · Nave FIGURATIVE
It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his: brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.
- Psalms 11:6Easton · ISBE · Nave FIGURATIVE
Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
- Isaiah 30:33Easton · ISBE · Nave FIGURATIVE
For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.
- Ezekiel 38:22Easton · ISBE · Nave FIGURATIVE
And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
- Deuteronomy 29:23ISBE · Nave In Palestine
And 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:
- Luke 17:29ISBE · Nave Fire and, rained upon Sodom
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
- Revelation 9:17ISBE · Nave FIGURATIVE
And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
- Revelation 14:10Easton · Nave FIGURATIVE
The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
- Revelation 19:20Easton · Nave FIGURATIVE
And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with…
- Genesis 19:25Easton
And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
- Isaiah 34:9Easton
And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.
Show 3 more
- Revelation 9:18 Nave FIGURATIVE
- Revelation 20:10 Easton
- Revelation 21:8 Nave FIGURATIVE
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 11 references
An inflammable mineral substance found in quantities on the shores of the Dead Sea. The cities of the plain were destroyed by a rain of fire and brimstone (Gen. 19:24, 25). In Isa. 34:9 allusion is made to the destruction of these cities. This word figuratively denotes destruction or punishment (Job 18:15; Isa. 30:33; 34:9; Ps. 11:6; Ezek. 38:22). It is used to express the idea of excruciating torment in Rev. 14:10; 19:20; 20:10.
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 1 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 8 references
brim'-ston, brim'-stun (gophrith; to theion): The word translated "brimstone" probably referred originally to the pitch of trees, like the cypress. By analogy it has been rendered "brimstone" because of the inflammability of both substances. Sulphur existed in Palestine in early times and was known by most of the ancient nations as a combustible substance. In the vicinity of the Dead Sea, even at the present time, deposits of sulphur are being formed. Blanckenhorn (ZDPV, 1896) believes that this formation is due to the action of bituminous matter upon gypsum, as these two substances are found associated with each other in this district. Travelers going from Jericho to the Dead Sea may pick up lumps of sulphur, which are usually encrusted with crystals of gypsum. De 29:23 well describes the present aspect of this region. That the inhabitants of the land had experienced the terrors of burning sulphur is very probable. Once one of these deposits took fire it would melt and run in burning streams down the ravines spreading everywhere suffocating fumes such as come from the ordinary brimstone match. No more realistic figure could be chosen to depict terrible suffering and destruction. It is not at all unlikely that during some of the disastrous earthquakes which took place in this part of the world, the hot lava sent forth ignited not only the sulphur, but also the bitumen, and added to the horrors of the earthquake the destruction caused by burning pitch and brimstone.
The figurative use of the word brimstone to denote punishment and destruction is illustrated by such passages as De 29:23; Job 18:15; Ps 11:6; Isa 30:33; Eze 38:22; Lu 17:29; Re 9:17.
James A. Patch
In the topical indexes
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.