A hailstorm, as described in the Bible, is a meteorological phenomenon where balls or irregular lumps of ice, known as hail, fall from the sky. In biblical narratives, hailstorms are often depicted as instruments of divine judgment or as signs of God's power and sovereignty over creation.

Biblical References:

1. The Plague of Hail in Egypt:
One of the most notable instances of a hailstorm in the Bible occurs during the plagues of Egypt. In Exodus 9:18-26, God sends a devastating hailstorm as the seventh plague upon Egypt. This event is described as unprecedented in its severity: "Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now" (Exodus 9:18). The hailstorm destroyed crops, livestock, and even people who were caught in the open, demonstrating God's power and judgment against Pharaoh and the Egyptian gods.

2. Hail as a Weapon in Battle:
In Joshua 10:11, God uses hailstones as a weapon to aid the Israelites in battle against the Amorites. As the Amorites fled, "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" (Joshua 10:11). This miraculous intervention underscores God's active role in the affairs of His people and His ability to control natural elements for their benefit.

3. Prophetic and Apocalyptic Imagery:
Hailstorms are also used in prophetic and apocalyptic literature to symbolize divine judgment and the end times. In Isaiah 28:2, God is described as having "a mighty and strong one, like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest." Similarly, in Revelation 16:21, during the pouring out of the seventh bowl of God's wrath, "huge hailstones, about a hundred pounds each, rained down on them from above" . These passages highlight the destructive power of hail as a tool of divine retribution.

Theological Significance:

In the biblical context, hailstorms serve as a reminder of God's omnipotence and His ability to use natural phenomena to fulfill His purposes. They are often associated with divine judgment, serving as a warning to those who oppose God's will. The severity and suddenness of hailstorms in the Bible illustrate the unpredictability of God's judgment and the need for repentance and obedience.

Symbolism:

Hailstorms symbolize the destructive power of God's judgment and the futility of human resistance against His will. They also represent the cleansing and purifying aspects of divine intervention, as the destruction they bring can lead to renewal and restoration for those who turn back to God.

Cultural and Historical Context:

In the ancient Near East, hailstorms were understood as rare but powerful natural events. The biblical accounts of hailstorms would have resonated with the original audience, who recognized them as manifestations of divine power. The use of hail in biblical narratives reflects the broader ancient understanding of weather phenomena as being under the control of deities, with the God of Israel demonstrating His supremacy over creation through such events.(n.) A storm accompanied with hail; a shower of hail.5464. chalaza -- hailstone
... Word Origin a prim. word Definition hailstone NASB Word Usage hail (2), hailstones
(1), hailstorm (1). hail. Probably from chalao; hail -- hail. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5464.htm - 6k

Diamond Became a Great Favourite with all the Men About the Mews. ...
... him. He never took any notice of them, and his face shone pure and good
in the middle of them, like a primrose in a hailstorm. At ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 17 diamond became a.htm

Thessalonica and Berea
... His experience in the former city might well have daunted a feebler faith, but
opposition affected Paul as little as a passing hailstorm dints a rock. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture the acts/thessalonica and berea.htm

Philip and the Emperor
... The deaths of Eudoxia, Arsacius, Cyrinus, and others, had terrified him. Besides
the terrible hailstorm, another violent earthquake had shaken Constantinople. ...
/.../chapter lxi philip and the.htm

Religion not Godliness
... But if there comes a hailstorm or a blight, and spoils it all, and brings on a
famine, they call it at once "a visitation of God." My friends! ...
/.../kingsley/twenty-five village sermons/sermon ii religion not godliness.htm

A Last visit to Arcadius
... Then the Emperor sent the boy back to the Purple Chamber, and said to Philip, I
used to think, after the hailstorm, and the earthquake which shook down the ...
/.../chapter lxix a last visit.htm

The Morning of Good Friday.
... And so he told them, as he went out, that he found no fault in Him. Then came from
the assembled Sanhedrists a perfect hailstorm of accusations. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xiv the morning of.htm

Psalm XXXVIII.
... groaning of his heart:" another because he has buried his son, another his wife;
another because his vineyard has been injured by a hailstorm; another because ...
/.../augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm xxxviii.htm

Preaching (I. ).
... One day a tremendous hailstorm assailed the church windows, and not only did his
parishioners fail to hear him, but literally he lost the sound of his own voice ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moule/to my younger brethren/chapter x preaching i.htm

Treatise on the Priesthood. Book vi.
... infantry borne through the air, and sorcery of every power and form; and let him
consider the calamities of war, the cloud of spears, the hailstorm of arrows ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/treatise on the priesthood book 6.htm

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and ...
... And thicker and heavier than ever before fell the hailstorm of His denunciations,
as He foretold the certain doom which awaited their national impenitence. ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iv the third day.htm

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

Bethhoron (12 Occurrences)
... Jehovah interposed in behalf of Israel by a terrific hailstorm, which caused more
deaths among the Canaanites than did the swords of the Israelites. ...
/b/bethhoron.htm - 30k

Beth-horon (12 Occurrences)
... Jehovah interposed in behalf of Israel by a terrific hailstorm, which caused more
deaths among the Canaanites than did the swords of the Israelites. ...
/b/beth-horon.htm - 30k

Battle (282 Occurrences)
... A great hailstorm swept up from the west, bringing with it a sudden lowering of
temperature, and no doubt hiding the sun and putting it to "silence." 6 ...
/b/battle.htm - 55k

Hainous (2 Occurrences)

/h/hainous.htm - 6k

Hail-stones (2 Occurrences)
Hail-stones. Hailstones, Hail-stones. Hailstorm . Multi-Version Concordance ...
(DBY). Hailstones, Hail-stones. Hailstorm . Reference Bible.
/h/hail-stones.htm - 7k

Joshua (211 Occurrences)
... The routed army fled westward "by the way of the ascent to Beth-horon" (Joshua
10:10), and in the pass was overtaken by a violent hailstorm, by which more ...
/j/joshua.htm - 101k

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