Psalms 105:32 · Bible study
Psalms 105:32 Commentary: Hail for Rain
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean when God turns rain into hail? Explore this plague's significance for God's power and judgment in Psalm 105:32.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God turned the rain of Egypt into destructive hail, demonstrating His power over nature in judgment.
- Key words: Gave (nathan, divine bestowal turned to judgment); hail (barad, symbol of God's judgment); fire/lightning (esh, lehavot, divine theophany).
- Main debate: Whether the emphasis is on God's judgment or His sovereignty as provider (rain vs. hail).
- Teological theme: God's absolute authority over creation, used for both blessing and judgment in service of His covenant purposes.
- Best use: In teaching on God's sovereignty, the Exodus narrative, and the way judgment serves redemption.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He gave them hail for rain, with lightning throughout their land.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He gave them hail for rain, with lightning in their land.
KJV King James Version 1769
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He gave them hail for rain, Andflaming fire in their land.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
He hath made their showers hail, A flaming fire is in their land.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He gave them hail for rain, [and] flaming fire in their land;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
They provoked him also at the waters of contradiction: and Moses was afflicted for their sakes:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Volvió en su tierra sus lluvias en granizo, y en fuego de llamaradas.
Tornou suas chuvas em saraiva; pôs fogo ardente em sua terra.
Il leur donna pour pluie de la grêle,
Er gab ihnen Hagel zum Regen, Feuerflammen in ihrem Lande
Hij maakte hun regen tot hagel, vlammig vuur in hun land.
Dette loro grandine invece di pioggia, fiamme di fuoco sul loro paese.
Dał grad miasto deszczu, ogień palący na ziemię ich.
И прогневали Бога у вод Меривы, и Моисей потерпел за них,
他給 他們降下冰雹 為雨，在他們的地上 降下火 焰。
He gave them ice for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 105:32
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Psalm 105:32 refers to the seventh plague of Egypt (Exodus 9:13-35), where God sent 'a very grievous hail' and fire running upon the ground. Barnes notes that this psalm gives a 'mere enumeration' of the plagues without circumstantial detail. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown draws a deliberate contrast: in Leviticus 26:4 God promises 'rain in due season,' but here He gives 'hail for rain', a gift transformed into judgment. Cambridge identifies the verse with the plague of hail accompanied by thunder and lightning. Gill connects the 'flaming fire' to the storm described in Exodus 9:23-24. The consensus is that this verse demonstrates God's absolute authority over the natural world; what typically sustains life (rain) becomes an instrument of destruction. Calvin, in his broader comments on the psalm, emphasizes that this recounting of the plagues magnifies God's covenant faithfulness to Israel.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: This verse recounts one of the plagues of Egypt, demonstrating God's power over nature to judge Egypt and deliver Israel.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation of the plague as judgment | All commentators agree this verse refers to the seventh plague of Exodus, where God judged Egypt with hail and fire. | Some, like Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, emphasize the reversal from blessing to curse (rain to hail), while others like Barnes see it as a straightforward historical enumeration. |
| The meaning of 'flaming fire' (lightning or fire) | The Hebrew includes both 'fire' and 'flames,' indicating a severe storm with lightning. | Translations vary between 'lightning' and 'flaming fire,' but this reflects translation choice rather than a theological divergence. |
| Application for today | God's power over nature remains relevant; He is sovereign over all creation. | Christians differ on whether and how natural disasters today can be interpreted as direct judgments from God, with some cautioning against specific attribution and others seeing them as general warnings. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Egypt's climate made the plague of hail especially terrifying. Unlike Israel, Egypt received little rainfall; the land was watered by the Nile's annual floods. A hailstorm of the severity described in Exodus 9:18, 'such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now', would have been unprecedented. The accompanying fire (likely lightning, or as some render it 'flaming fire') rounded out the display of divine power.
Psalm 105 is a historical psalm, likely used in worship to recount God's mighty acts from Abraham to the conquest. Verses 28-36 summarize the plagues in order. The purpose is not to add new detail but to remind Israel of God's saving works and thereby call them to covenant faithfulness (Calvin). The plagues here show God's judgment on Egypt and its gods (the Nile, the livestock, the sun, and the firstborn). In turning rain into hail, God subverts one of the most basic means of life, water from the sky, and turns it into a weapon. The Hebrew verb nathan ('gave') appears frequently in blessing contexts (e.g., rain as a gift), which sharpens the irony: the same God who gives rain now gives hail.
The land (eretz) here is Egypt, the place of Israel's oppression. For the original hearers, this verse would evoke both the terror of judgment and the security of knowing that God fights for His people. The pairing of hail and fire also recalls theophany scenes (Psalm 18:12-13, Revelation 8:7), tying this historical event to God's ultimate judgment and deliverance.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The difference between 'lightning' and 'flaming fire' in translations arises from how the phrase 'esh lehavot' (fire of flames) is rendered in English; the Hebrew text is stable.
Reception History
This verse has been used in Christian liturgy as part of the recitation of God's mighty acts in the Exodus, especially during the Easter Vigil and in prayers of thanksgiving for deliverance. Early church fathers, such as Augustine, saw the plagues as typological of God's final judgment, with hail and fire prefiguring the eschatological judgment described in Revelation. In Jewish tradition, Psalm 105 is sung during festivals to recall God's covenant faithfulness. The verse continues to be read as a reminder that God can use the natural world to accomplish His purposes, whether in judgment or in mercy.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God transforms gifts into judgments. Rain, a sign of blessing, becomes a weapon of correction. This verse shows that the same God who provides can also withhold and redirect for His own purposes.
- God uses creation to accomplish His purposes. Hail and fire are not random; they answer to their Maker. The Creator commands the elements, and they obey.
- God's power over nature reassures His people of His sovereignty. If God can command the weather, He can handle any threat to His covenant people.
Five-point outline
- Context: the seventh plague in Exodus 9.
- Contrast: rain (blessing) replaced by hail (judgment).
- Accompaniments: fire and lightning intensify the display of power.
- Target: Egypt, the land of oppression, and its gods (Nut, Seth).
- Purpose: to demonstrate Yahweh's supremacy and to deliver Israel.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer who loses a year's crop to unexpected hail learns that nature is not ultimately in his control, it answers to God.
- A parent who gives a child a toy, then takes it away when the child disobeys: the same hand gives and takes, each act purposeful.
- A lightning strike during a sudden storm reminds us of the raw power and unpredictability of weather, pointing to a power greater than ourselves.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God can turn rain into hail, does that mean every natural disaster is a direct judgment from Him?
- How can we reconcile God's goodness with His use of destructive power?
- What does this plague teach us about how God fights for His people today?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 105:32 is a brief but potent reminder that God is Lord over creation. As you discuss this verse, consider how the same God who turned rain into hail now works in your own life. The verse invites us to trust His sovereignty and to remember that His power serves His covenant purposes.
Discussion questions
- What does this verse reveal about God's character? How does it challenge or affirm what you already believe?
- How does the plague of hail fit into the larger story of the Exodus? Why do you think the psalmist includes it in this summary?
- The Hebrew verb nathan ('gave') is often used for gifts. Why is it striking here, where God 'gives' hail instead of rain?
- Read Exodus 9:13-35 alongside this verse. What details does the psalm leave out? Why might the psalmist compress the narrative?
- How does the pairing of hail and fire (or lightning) echo other places in Scripture where God appears in judgment?
- In what ways do Christians today experience God's power as both a blessing and a challenge? How can we hold those two together?
- How does remembering God's past judgments and deliverances shape your faith and hope for the future?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 9:18 | Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. |
| Exodus 9:28 | Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” |
| Psalms 78:47 | He destroyed their vines with hail, their sycamore fig trees with frost. |
| Psalms 78:48 | He also gave over their livestock to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. |
| Revelation of John 8:7 | The first sounded, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. One third of the earth was burned up, and one third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. |
| Revelation of John 11:19 | God’s temple that is in heaven was opened, and the ark of the Lord’s covenant was seen in his temple. Lightnings, sounds, thunders, an earthquake, and great hail followed. |
| Revelation of John 16:21 | Great hailstones, about the weight of a talent, came down out of the sky on people. People blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for this plague was exceedingly severe. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that this passage simply lists the plagues in the order they happened, without adding any new details or explanations. He finds no special circumstances here that call for further comment.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin emphasizes that God's countless benefits after delivering Israel from Egypt were not random favors; they were designed to draw faithful covenant keeping and wholehearted service from the chosen people. The psalm celebrates this deliberate purpose, showing the covenant was more than mere words.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools commentary connects the Egyptians' hostility toward Israel with the display of God's power in the plagues. The seventh plague of hail, accompanied by thunder and lightning, is highlighted as the decisive demonstration that cleared the path for the Exodus, echoing the same pattern in Psalm 78.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note highlights a deliberate substitution: God gave hail in place of the rain the land normally received, and added flames of fire. The point is that the judgment was not merely a natural storm but a supernatural reversal of the ordinary provision of water.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses how unnatural hail was for Egypt, a land watered by the Nile rather than rain, making this plague especially devastating. He connects the hail and fire both to the seventh plague in Exodus and to a future storm of judgment on spiritual Egypt in Revelation.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB emphasizes the deliberate contrast in God's gifts: to Israel He gives fertilizing rain, but to their enemies He gives destructive hail instead of rain. This shift from the animal to the vegetable kingdom mirrors the locusts later, both serving as instruments of judgment.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry focuses on God's direct sovereignty over every detail of Israel's suffering and rescue. He notes that God himself turned the Egyptians' hearts to hate his people, then sent each plague by his own word, and finally brought Israel out with joy so they would keep his laws.