Psalms 105:32

Psa 105:32 He gave them hail for rain, [and] flaming fire in their land.

Ver. 32. He gave them hail for rain] Rain was rare in Egypt; but now they had hail for rain, a giftless gift. Heb. he gave their rain hail, Exo 9:23.

And flaming fire in their land] That they might see that he was Lord of all the four elements.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

32. (Psa 105:32) He gave them hail for rain (and) flaming fire in their land. This, which is the common version, represents the sense correctly, but with a deviation from the form of the original, which is highly idiomatic. A bald translation is, he gave their rains hail, fire of flames in their land. The terms are chosen for the sake of an allusion to the promise in Lev 26:4, I will give your rains in their season. Instead of these he gave the Egyptians a destructive hail-storm. Compare Psa 78:48.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

It was strange to see rain in Egypt, much more it was fearful to see hail.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

32, 33. The seventh plague, of hail accompanied by thunder and lightning, Exo_9:13 ff., Exo_9:25-26; cp. Psa_78:47-48.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He gave them hail for rain,.... Egypt, at least part of it, was not used to rain, but was watered by the overflowings of the Nile; but now it had hail for rain, and a grievous hail storm it was, such as was never seen in the land of Egypt before; hail being rare, if ever there, and so frost and snow (a); this was the seventh plague, Exo 9:18, compare with this the terrible storm of hail which will fall on men at the pouring out of the seventh vial on spiritual Egypt, Rev 16:21.

And flaming fire in their land; for a storm of thunder and lightning went along with the hail; fire was mingled with it, and ran upon the ground, Exo 9:23.

(a) Horat. Carmin. l. 3. Ode 26.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Ver. 32. He gave them hail for rain. They seldom had rain, but now the showers assumed the form of heavy, destructive hail storms, and being accompanied with a hurricane and thunderstorm, they were overwhelming, terrible, and destructive.

And flaming fire in their land. The lightning was peculiarly vivid, and seemed to run along upon the ground, or fall in fiery flakes. Thus all the fruit of the trees and the harvests of the fields were either broken to pieces or burned on the spot, and universal fear bowed the hearts of men to the dust. No phenomena are more appalling to the most of mankind than those which attend a thunderstorm; even the most audacious blasphemers quail when the dread artillery of heaven opens fire upon the earth.

Ver. 32. He gave them hail for rain. I had ridden out to the excavations at Gizeh, when seeing a large black cloud approaching, I sent a servant to the tents to take care of them, but as it began to rain slightly I soon rode after him myself. Shortly after my arrival a storm of wind began; I therefore ordered the cords of the tents to be secured, but soon a violent shower of rain came in addition, which alarmed all our Arabs, and drove them into the rock tomb, in which is our kitchen... Suddenly the storm became a regular hurricane, such as, I had never witnessed in Europe, and a hailstorm came down on us, which almost turned the day into night... It was not long before first our common tent fell down, and when I had hastened from that into my own, in order to hold it from the inside, this also broke down above me. Carl Richard Lepsius, in "Letters from Egypt, Ethiopia, and the Peninsula of Sinai". 1853.

Ver. 32. Hail. Extraordinary reports of the magnitude of hailstones, which have fallen during storms so memorable as to find a place in general history, have come down from periods of antiquity more or less remote. According to the "Chronicles, "a hailstorm occurred in the reign of Charlemagne, in which hailstones fell which measured fifteen feet in length by six feet in breadth, and eleven feet in thickness; and under the reign of Tippoo Saib, hailstones equal in magnitude to elephants are said to have fallen. Setting aside these and like recitals as partaking rather of the character of fable than of history, we shall find sufficient to create astonishment in well authenticated observations on this subject.

In a hailstorm which took place in Flintshire on the 9th of April, 1672, Halley saw hailstones which weighed five ounces.

On the 4th of May, 1697, Robert Taylor saw fall hailstones measuring fourteen inches in circumference.

In the storm which ravaged Como on 20th August, 1787, Volta saw hailstones which weighed nine ounces.

On 22nd May, 1822, Dr. Noggerath saw fall at Bonn hailstones which weighed from twelve to thirteen ounces.

It appears, therefore, certain that in different countries hailstorms have occurred in which stones weighing from half to three quarters of a pound have fallen. Dionysius Lardner, in "The Museum of Science and Art, "1854.

Ver. 32. He gave them hail for rain. Judgment substituted for mercy.

Psalms 105:33*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

He gave them hail for rain. (see Exo_9:23) And flaming fire in their land; i.e. lightning, described in Exo_9:23 as "fire that ran along upon the ground."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.