Vine of Sodom

This article incorporates text from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), a publication now in the public domain.

Vine of Sodom - referred to only in Deut. 32:32. Among the many conjectures as to this tree, the most probable is that it is the osher (Calotropis procera) of the Arabs, which grows from Jordan to southern Egypt. Another conjecture equates it with the colocynth (Citrullus colocynthis).

Its fruit are called "apples of Sodom", which, though beautiful to the eye, are bitter to the taste. (See Ein Gedi.)

The people of Israel are referred to here by Moses as being utterly corrupt, bringing forth only bitter fruit.