Hail is a meteorological phenomenon frequently mentioned in the Bible, often symbolizing divine judgment and power. It consists of solid precipitation in the form of balls or lumps of ice, which can cause significant damage to crops, property, and even life. In the biblical context, hail is often associated with God's intervention in human affairs, serving as a tool of His wrath and a demonstration of His sovereignty over creation.

Old Testament References

One of the most notable occurrences of hail in the Bible is during the plagues of Egypt. In Exodus 9:18-26, God sends a devastating hailstorm as the seventh plague upon Egypt to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from bondage. The passage describes the hail as mingled with fire, a phenomenon that emphasizes the severity and supernatural nature of the event: "So Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt" (Exodus 9:23). This plague demonstrates God's power over nature and His ability to protect His people, as the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was spared from the destruction.

In the book of Joshua, hailstones are used as a weapon in the battle against the Amorites. Joshua 10:11 recounts how the LORD intervened on behalf of Israel: "As they fled before Israel on the road down from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD hurled large hailstones down on them from the sky, and more of them died from the hailstones than were killed by the swords of the Israelites" . This event underscores God's active role in the battles of His people, ensuring their victory through miraculous means.

The Psalms and the Prophets also reference hail as an instrument of God's judgment. Psalm 18:12-13 describes a theophany where hailstones and coals of fire accompany God's presence: "From the brightness of His presence, His clouds advanced—hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded—hailstones and coals of fire" . Similarly, in Isaiah 28:17, hail is used metaphorically to represent God's justice: "I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place" .

New Testament References

In the New Testament, hail is mentioned in the context of eschatological events. The book of Revelation describes hail as part of the apocalyptic judgments that will befall the earth. Revelation 8:7 speaks of the first trumpet judgment: "Then the first angel sounded his trumpet, and hail and fire mixed with blood were hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all the green grass" . This imagery serves to convey the severity of God's final judgment and the cosmic upheaval that will accompany the end times.

Revelation 16:21 further describes a future plague of hail during the pouring out of the seventh bowl of God's wrath: "And great hailstones, about a hundred pounds each, rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous" . This passage highlights the unrepentant nature of humanity even in the face of divine judgment and the overwhelming power of God's wrath.

Symbolism and Theological Significance

Throughout Scripture, hail serves as a symbol of God's might and His ability to execute judgment upon the earth. It is a reminder of His control over the natural world and His willingness to use creation to fulfill His purposes. The biblical accounts of hail emphasize the seriousness of sin and the certainty of divine retribution, while also offering assurance of God's protection and deliverance for those who are faithful to Him.Frozen rain-drops; one of the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 9:23). It is mentioned by Haggai as a divine judgment (Haggai 2:17). A hail-storm destroyed the army of the Amorites when they fought against Joshua (Joshua 10:11). Ezekiel represents the wall daubed with untempered mortar as destroyed by great hail-stones (Ezek. 13:11). (See also 38:22; Revelation 8:7; 11:19; 16:21.)

A salutation expressive of a wish for the welfare of the person addressed; the translation of the Greek Chaire, "Rejoice" (Luke 1:8). Used in mockery in Matthew 27:29.

1. (n.) Small roundish masses of ice precipitated from the clouds, where they are formed by the condensation of vapor. The separate masses or grains are called hailstones.

2. (v. i.) To pour down particles of ice, or frozen vapors.

3. (v. t.) To pour forcibly down, as hail.

4. (a.) Healthy. See Hale (the preferable spelling).

5. (v. t.) To call loudly to, or after; to accost; to salute; to address.

6. (v. t.) To name; to designate; to call.

7. (v. i.) To declare, by hailing, the port from which a vessel sails or where she is registered; hence, to sail; to come; -- used with from; as, the steamer hails from New York.

8. (v. i.) To report as one's home or the place from whence one comes; to come; -- with from.

9. (n.) An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting.

10. (n.) A wish of health; a salutation; a loud call.

HAIL (1)

hal (baradh; chalaza):

1. Its Occurrence:

Hail usually falls in the spring or summer during severe thunder storms. Hailstones are made up of alternate layers of ice and snow, and sometimes reach considerable size, causing great damage by their fall. Upward currents of air carry up raindrops already formed to the colder regions above, where they freeze, and as they again pass through layers of cloud, their bulk increases until, too heavy to be carried by the current, they fall to the ground. Hailstorms, like thunder storms, occur in narrow belts a few miles in breadth and are of short duration. Almost without exception they occur in the daytime. If they take place before the time of harvest they do great damage to grain and fruit, and in extreme cases have injured property and endangered life.

2. In Syria:

Hailstorms, while by no means common in Syria and Palestine, are not unusual and are of great severity. They occasionally take place in Egypt. Within a few years hailstones of unusual size fell in Port Said, breaking thousands of windows.

3. Biblical Instances:

(1) The plague of hail (Exodus 9:23-24 Psalm 78:47), which was a local storm, as they usually are, falling on the Egyptians and not striking the children of Israel in Goshen. It was of great severity. "There was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation" (Exodus 9:24). It took place in January, for the barley "was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom" (Exodus 9:31), and caused great damage.

(2) After the battle with the Amorites at Gibeon, "Yahweh cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more who died with the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword" (Joshua 10:11).

4. As Punishment:

Hail is often spoken of as a means of punishing the wicked: "As a tempest of hail. will he cast down" (Isaiah 28:2); "The hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies" (Isaiah 28:17); and as symbols of God's anger: "I will rain. great hailstones, fire, and brimstone" (Ezekiel 38:22); "There shall be. great hailstones in wrath to consume it" (Ezekiel 13:13; compare Isaiah 30:30 Haggai 2:17 Revelation 8:7; Revelation 11:19; Revelation 16:21).

5. God's Power:

Yahweh's power and wisdom are shown in controlling the hail: "Hast thou seen the treasuries of the hail?" (Job 38:22); "Fire and hail, snow and vapor. fulfilling his word" (Psalm 148:8).

Alfred H. Joy

HAIL (2)

hal: Interjection, found only in the Gospels as the translation of chaire, chairete, imp. of chairo, "to rejoice," is used as a greeting or salutation. The word "Hail" is Old English and was formerly an adjective, used with the verb to be, meaning "well," "sound," "hale," e.g. "Hale be thou." Wycliff has "heil" without the verb, followed by other English VSS, except that the Geneva has "God save thee," in Matthew 26:49; Matthew 28:9. The word occurs in Matthew 26:49; Matthew 27:29; Matthew 28:9, "all hail"; Mark 15:18 Luke 1:28 John 19:3.

See GODSPEED; GREETING.

5464. chalaza -- hailstone
... hailstone. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: chalaza Phonetic Spelling:
(khal'-ad-zah) Short Definition: hail Definition: hail. ... hail. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5464.htm - 6k

5463. chairo -- to rejoice, be glad
... Verb Transliteration: chairo Phonetic Spelling: (khah'-ee-ro) Short Definition:
I rejoice, am glad Definition: I rejoice, am glad; also a salutation: Hail. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5463.htm - 10k

2753. keleuo -- to command
... order, command. From a primary kello (to urge on); "hail"; to incite by word, ie
Order -- bid, (at, give) command(-ment). (ekeleuon) -- 1 Occurrence. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2753.htm - 6k

1259. barad -- hail
... 1258, 1259. barad. 1260 . hail. Transliteration: barad Phonetic Spelling:
(baw-rawd') Short Definition: hail. Word Origin from an ...
/hebrew/1259.htm - 6k

1258. barad -- to hail
... 1257, 1258. barad. 1259 . to hail. Transliteration: barad Phonetic Spelling:
(baw-rad') Short Definition: hail. Word Origin denominative ...
/hebrew/1258.htm - 5k

417. elgabish -- hail
... 416, 417. elgabish. 418 . hail. Transliteration: elgabish Phonetic Spelling:
(el-gaw-beesh') Short Definition: hailstones. Word ...
/hebrew/417.htm - 6k

1134. Ben-chayil -- "son of might," one of Jehoshaphat's leaders
... Word Origin from ben and chayil Definition "son of might," one of Jehoshaphat's
leaders NASB Word Usage Ben-hail (1). Ben-hail. From ...
/hebrew/1134.htm - 6k

7140. qerach -- frost, ice
... crystal, frost, ice. Or qorach {ko'-rakh}; from qarach; ice (as if bald, ie Smooth);
hence, hail; by resemblance, rock crystal -- crystal, frost, ice. ...
/hebrew/7140.htm - 6k

1261. barod -- spotted, marked
... mottled (2). grisled. From barad; spotted (as if with hail) -- grisled. see
HEBREW barad. 1260, 1261. barod. 1262 . Strong's Numbers.
/hebrew/1261.htm - 6k

1260. Bered -- a place near Kadesh, also an Ephraimite
... Bered. From barad; hail; Bered, the name of a place south of Palestine, also of
an Israelite -- Bered. see HEBREW barad. 1259, 1260. Bered. 1261 . ...
/hebrew/1260.htm - 6k

68. eben -- a stone
... From the root of banah through the meaning to build; a stone -- + carbuncle, + mason, +
plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-)stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s). ...
/hebrew/68.htm - 6k

Hail, Jesus;
... CERTAIN PATTERNS OF DEVOUT EXERCISES OF IMMEDIATE ACTS AND AFFECTIONS OF THE WILL.
HAIL, JESUS; OR ACTS UPON THE LIFE AND PASSION OF OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST: ...
/.../baker/holy wisdom or directions for the prayer of contemplation/hail jesus.htm

Hail the Resurrection Day!
... CANON FOR EASTER DAY BY ST. JOHN OF DAMASCUS Hail the Resurrection day! tr., John
Brownlie 7,8,7,8 D. Ode A? ... ho Heirmos. troparion. Hail the Resurrection day! ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the greek church/hail the resurrection day.htm

Hail! Holy Joseph, Hail!
... No. 95 Hail! Holy Joseph, Hail! SAINTS, St. Joseph Hail! Holy Joseph, Hail! Father
Faber From the Catholic Songbook (St. Gall 1863). Con Spirito. ...
/.../the st gregory hymnal and catholic choir book/no 95 hail holy joseph.htm

Hail! the Morn with Gladness Crowned
... Hymns of the Holy Eastern Church HAIL! THE MORN WITH GLADNESS CROWNED. tr., John
Brownlie 7.8.7.8. I. Hail! the morn with gladness crowned,. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the holy eastern church/hail the morn with gladness.htm

Hail, Jesus, Hail!
... No. 71 Hail, Jesus, hail! THE PRECIOUS BLOOD Hail, Jesus, hail! (Viva! Viva! Gesu).
From the Italian by Father Faber Nicola A. Montani. Con Spirito. ...
/.../various/the st gregory hymnal and catholic choir book/no 71 hail jesus hail.htm

Hail the Resurrection Day,
... EASTER XVII Hail the Resurrection day,. 7,8,7,8 Anastaseos emera From the Canon
for Easter" JOHN OF DAMASCUS. Hail the Resurrection day,. ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the russian church/xvii hail the resurrection day.htm

Hail, Rock of Ages
... No. 70 Hail, Rock of Ages. THE SACRED WOUNDS Hail, Rock of Ages. (From the Hymn
"There is an everlasting home" No.69) M. Bridges Nicola A. Montani. ...
/.../various/the st gregory hymnal and catholic choir book/no 70 hail rock of.htm

Hail, Queen of Heaven
... No. 84 Hail, Queen of heaven. THE BLESSED VIRGIN Hail, Queen of heaven Ave, Regina
coelorum. Rev. Dr. Lingard Traditional Melody. Moderato. ...
/.../various/the st gregory hymnal and catholic choir book/no 84 hail queen of.htm

May 9. "All Hail" (Matt. xxviii. 9).
... MAY 9. "All hail" (Matt. xxviii. 9). "All hail" (Matthew 28:9). It was
a stirring greeting which the Lord of Life spake to His ...
/.../simpson/days of heaven upon earth /may 9 all hail matt.htm

Hail the Morn, with Gladness Crowned;
... EASTER XIII Hail the morn, with gladness crowned; 7,8,7,8. Hail the morn,
with gladness crowned; Morn of morns, O glad and glorious! ...
/.../brownlie/hymns of the russian church/xiii hail the morn with.htm

Hail (42 Occurrences)
... A hail-storm destroyed the army of the Amorites when they fought against Joshua
(Joshua 10:11). ... 3. (vt) To pour forcibly down, as hail. 4. (a.) Healthy. ...
/h/hail.htm - 25k

Ben-hail (1 Occurrence)
Ben-hail. Benhail, Ben-hail. Benhanan . Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BEN-HAIL. ben-ha'-il (ben-chayil, "son of strength ...
/b/ben-hail.htm - 7k

Hail-stones (2 Occurrences)
Hail-stones. Hailstones, Hail-stones. Hailstorm . Multi-Version
Concordance Hail-stones (2 Occurrences). Psalms 78:47 ...
/h/hail-stones.htm - 7k

Thunder (48 Occurrences)
... storms. Thunder accompanied the storm of hail in Egypt at the time of the
plagues: "The Lord sent thunder and hail" (Exodus 9:23). ...
/t/thunder.htm - 25k

Hailstorm (3 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n.) A storm accompanied with hail; a shower of
hail. Multi-Version Concordance Hailstorm (3 Occurrences). ...
/h/hailstorm.htm - 7k

Voices (76 Occurrences)
... in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there
were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail...
/v/voices.htm - 29k

Growing (31 Occurrences)
... Exodus 9:22 Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand toward the sky, that
there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every ...
/g/growing.htm - 15k

Lightning (49 Occurrences)
... severe. Lightning is usually accompanied by heavy rainfall or by hail, as
at the time of the plague of hail (Exodus 9:24). See HAIL. ...
/l/lightning.htm - 24k

Flashed (12 Occurrences)
... (See NAS NIV). Exodus 9:23 Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and
Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. ...
/f/flashed.htm - 9k

Hailstones (10 Occurrences)
... people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this
plague is exceedingly severe. (WEB NAS RSV NIV). Joshua ...
/h/hailstones.htm - 9k

What is the Hail Mary that Catholics say so often? | GotQuestions.org

Does the name “Jesus” actually mean “Hail, Zeus”? | GotQuestions.org

What was the meaning and purpose of the ten plagues of Egypt? | GotQuestions.org

Hail: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus