hail Summary and Overview

frozen rain-drops; one of the plagues of Egypt (Ex. 9:23). It is mentioned by Haggai as a divine judgment (Hag. 2:17). A hail-storm destroyed the army of the Amorites when they fought against Joshua (Josh. 10:11). Ezekiel represents the wall daubed with untempered mortar as destroyed by great hail-stones (Ezek. 13:11). (See also 38:22; Rev. 8:7; 11:19; 16:21.)

HAIL . When a very cold current of air encounters a hot and humid one, the vapor of the latter is suddenly condensed into drops, and sometimes these are frozen into irregular spheroids of porous ice, which fall to the earth as hail. This phenomenon is more frequent in temperate than in tropical regions, and usually occurs in summer and at the hottest hour of the day. Hail rarely falls except during thunderstorms; and hence the Bible commonly mentions it in connection with fire (lightning), as in Ps 148:8. As rain was always rare in Egypt, the fall of hail mentioned as the seventh plague, Ex 9, must have been singularly frightful, as it was greatly destructive to man, beast, and herb. God used a storm of hailstones to utterly rout and destroy the Amorites who fought with Joshua at Gibeon, Josh 10. In modern times stones of ice have been known to fall of half a pound in weight, and even eighteen ounces; and were it not that hail-storms are exceedingly local and rarely continue more than five or ten minutes, incalculable destruction would result. The largest hail falls in hot countries, where hail is less frequent. Inspiration often uses this agency figuratively to picture the awful judgments of God. In Rev 16:21 hail-stones are mentioned of a talent in weight, or, if the language were literal, of 55, and perhaps 11 1/2, pounds, according as the Attic or Jewish talent be intended; in all probability the former.