Fire and brimstone

Fire and brimstone is an <a href="/facts/Idiomatic_expression/JaAk3qnW">idiomatic expression</a> referring to <a href="/facts/Divine_retribution/wdrjXgPr">God's wrath</a> found in both the Old and New Testaments. In the Bible, it often appears in reference to the fate of the unfaithful. Brimstone, an archaic term for <a href="/facts/Sulfur/IK0amTfM">sulfur</a>, evokes the acrid odor of <a href="/facts/Sulfur_dioxide/jDK1fIDs">sulfur dioxide</a>, which is stated to be given off by <a href="/facts/Lightning/dLTuxz8n">lightning</a> strikes. The association of sulfur with divine retribution is common in the Bible.
The English translation "fire and brimstone" is found in the 1611 Christian <a href="/facts/King_James_Version/FdS5n0lX">King James Version</a> of the Old Testament and also in the <a href="/facts/Jewish_English_Bible_translations/Dzlg1Bku">1917 translation of the Jewish Publication Society</a>. The <a href="/facts/Jewish_English_Bible_translations/Dzlg1Bku">1857 Leeser translation of the Tanakh</a> inconsistently uses both "sulfur" and "brimstone" to translate גָּפְרִ֣ית וָאֵ֑שׁ. The translation used by the <a href="/facts/Jewish_English_Bible_translations/Dzlg1Bku">1985 New JPS</a> is "sulfurous fire" while the 1978 Christian <a href="/facts/New_International_Version/wuysbe1N">New International Version</a> translation uses "burning sulfur."
Used as an adjective, fire-and-brimstone often refers to a style of Christian <a href="/facts/Sermon/AT5m7TaU">preaching</a> that uses vivid descriptions of judgment and eternal <a href="/facts/Damnation/bzGTvLlL">damnation</a> to encourage <a href="/facts/Repentance/TDsP6b8K">repentance</a> especially popular during historical periods of <a href="/facts/Great_Awakening/t0lPmSNX">Great Awakening</a>.

Fire and brimstone open-in-new

Fire and brimstone