Psalms 105:32 — Word Study
WLCנָתַ֣ן גִּשְׁמֵיהֶ֣ם בָּרָ֑ד אֵ֖שׁ לֶהָב֣וֹת בְּאַרְצָֽם׃
BSAHe gave themnâthan■ [bestowed, granted] hailbârâd [ice, frozen balls] for raingeshem [showers, refreshing downpour] with lightningʼêsh [flaming fire, flashes of light] throughout their landʼerets [country, territory, region]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| נָתַ֣ן | he made | Verb, Qal, perfect third person masculine singular |
| גִּשְׁמֵיהֶ֣ם | rains their | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| בָּרָ֑ד | hail | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| אֵ֖שׁ | a fire of | Noun common, both singular construct |
| לֶהָב֣וֹת | flames | Noun common, feminine plural absolute |
| בְּאַרְצָֽם׃ | [was] in land their | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He gave them hail for rain, with lightning throughout their land. |
| KJV | He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land. |
| ASV | He gave them hail for rain, And flaming fire in their land. |
| YLT | He hath made their showers hail, A flaming fire [is] in their land. |
| WEB | He gave them hail for rain, with lightning in their land. |
| BBE | He gave them ice for rain, and flaming fire in their land. |
Translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse, using similar terms for hail and lightning.
The sentence has a main clause followed by several prepositional phrases that provide additional information about the action.
5 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
verbנָתַן
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 105:32
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Judgment in Egyptgenerated
Psalm 105:32 describes how God exercised His power over nature during the plagues in Egypt. This verse highlights His ability to control the weather, transforming what should have been rain into destructive hail. The psalmist recalls these events to remind the people of God's might and His judgment against those who opposed Him, similar to other accounts in Exodus 9:18-28.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 78:47–48 | He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet. |
| 2 | Exodus 9:18–28 | 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. |
| 3 | Revelation 8:7 | 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. |
| 4 | Revelation 11:19 | Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. |
| 5 | Revelation 16:21 | And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — נָתַן, na.Tangenerated
The verb נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and is used here in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action. It conveys the idea of bestowing something, in this case, hail instead of rain.
This word appears frequently throughout the Old Testament, often describing God's actions, such as giving commands or blessings. Its usage here emphasizes God's sovereign control over the natural elements as an expression of His judgment.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse, consistently using terms like hail and lightning.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb נָתַן governs the sentence, with two noun phrases acting as objects: בָּרָד (hail) and אֵשׁ (fire). The structure emphasizes God's direct action in sending hail and fire.
The sentence follows a straightforward order, with the verb leading and the objects following, which highlights the immediacy of God's judgment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates נָתַן as ἔθετο (ethetto), meaning 'to place' or 'to set.' This choice reflects a similar idea of God actively placing hail in place of rain.
The use of ξάλαζαν for hail indicates a direct correspondence to the Hebrew term, maintaining the imagery of destructive weather.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 105:32 tells us that God sent hail instead of rain, along with lightning across the land. This verse is part of a larger narrative about God's power during the plagues in Egypt, demonstrating His control over nature.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The hail signifies God's judgment and power, showcasing His ability to control the elements as a form of punishment.
Lightning emphasizes the severity and drama of the storm, illustrating the might of God's actions.
This verse is part of the recounting of the plagues in Egypt, where God demonstrated His sovereignty over nature to deliver His people.
We learn that God has authority over creation and can use natural phenomena to fulfill His purposes.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's power displayed in my own life?
- How does understanding God's control over nature affect my faith?
- What does this verse teach me about the consequences of opposing God?
- How can I reflect on God's past actions to strengthen my trust in Him today?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentary on this verse highlights God's judgment through nature, as seen in the writings of Augustine of Hippo.
He made their rains hail [Psalms 105:32]. It is a similar expression to the former, "He made their land frogs;" except that the whole land was not actually turned into frogs,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 105 →
Commentators on this verse — 5 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 105:32 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe 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
Read John Gill on Psalms 105 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish. -The three plagues omitted out of the ten are the murrain of the cattle and the boils, the fifth and the sixth, and the darkness, the ninth;
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 105 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 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, Exodus 9:23. And flaming fire in their land] That they might see that he was Lord of all the four elements.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 105 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges25–36. The enmity of the Egyptians to Israel, and the display of Jehovah’s power which prepared the way for the Exodus.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 105 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible29-36. For an explanation of these verses see notes on Psalms 78:44-51
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 105 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He gave them hail for rain, with lightning throughout their land.
He gave them hail for rain, with lightning in their land.
He gave them hail for rain, with lightning throughout their land.
He sent hail along with the rain; there was lightning in their land.
Tyndale line
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
He gave them hail for rain, And flaming fire in their land.
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
He gave them hail for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
He gaue them haile for raine, and flames of fire in their land.
Strictly literal
He gave them hail for rain, [and] flaming fire in their land;
He hath made their showers hail, A flaming fire [is] in their land.
He has made their showers hail, || A flaming fire [is] in their land.
He gave them as their rain hail, and flames of fire in their land.
He turned their rain into hail, with fire flaming on their land.
From the Latin
They provoked him also at the waters of contradiction: and Moses was afflicted for their sakes:
Simplified
He rained down hail on them, and lightning flashed across their land.
He gave them ice for rain, and flaming fire in their land.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint largely agree on the wording of this verse, with five out of six words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some editorial restoration, but the core message remains consistent across these witnesses.
נָתַ֣ן גִּשְׁמֵיהֶ֣ם בָּרָ֑ד אֵ֖שׁ לֶהָב֣וֹת בְּאַרְצָֽם׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[נתן] [גשמי׳הם] [ברד] [אש] [להבות] [בארצ׳ם]
nothing on the leather here — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 105:32
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
V-Qal-Perf-3ms — Verb · Qal · perfect third person masculine singularHVqp3ms
גֶּ֫שֶׁם (geshem) refers to rain or a shower. It is derived from a related word and is consistently defined across sources. The entries indicate its use in contexts involving precipitation.
גֶּ֫שֶׁם n.m. rain, shower
base
H1653 גֶּ֫שֶׁם rain, shower
1653 geshem gheh'-shem
from 1652; a shower:--rain, shower.
see HEBREW for 01652
גֶּ֫שֶׁם (ge.shem) — rain.
rain, shower
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3mp
בָּרָד (barad) means hail, specifically referring to hailstones. It is derived from the root word associated with H1258. The term is noted in the context of God's judgment in a figurative sense.
בָּרָד n.m. hail
base
H1259 בָּרָד hail
1259 barad baw-rawd'
from 1258; hail -hail ((stones)).
see HEBREW for 01258
בָּרָד (ba.rad) — hail.
1) hail
1a) of God's judgment (fig.)
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
Hail!
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 Matt. 27:29.
A salutation, importing a wish for the welfare of the person addressed. It is now seldom used among us; but was customary among our Saxon ancestors, and imported "joy to you," or "health to you," including in the term health all kind of prosperity.
אֵשׁ (esh) means 'fire' and encompasses various types, including natural fire, supernatural fire associated with divine appearances, and fire used for cooking or on altars. It can also figuratively represent God's anger. The entries consistently highlight its literal and metaphorical uses, with no significant disagreement among lexicons.
אֵשׁ 377 n.f. fire
fire, of conflagration
of supernatural fire
fire for cooking, roasting, parching
esp. of altar fire
fig. of Yahweh's anger
in various combinations
base
H784 אֵשׁ fire . fire, of conflagration
. of supernatural fire
. fire for cooking, roasting, parching
. esp. of altar fire
. fig. of Yahweh's anger
. in various combinations
784 'esh aysh
a primitive word; fire (literally or figuratively):--
burning, fiery, fire, flaming, hot.
אֵשׁ (esh) — fire.
1) fire
1a) fire, flames
1b) supernatural fire (accompanying theophany)
1c) fire (for cooking, roasting, parching)
1d) altar-fire
1e) God's anger (fig.)
Aramaic equivalent: esh (אֶשָּׁא "fire" H0785)
N-cs — Noun common · both singular constructHNcbsc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word לֶהָבָה (*lehabah*) means 'flame' and can also refer to the 'tip' or 'head of a spear.' It is a feminine form of the related word לַ֫הַב (*lahav*). The entries consistently highlight these meanings without significant disagreement.
לֶהָבָה n.f. id. [לַ֫הַב]
flame, poet.
point, head of spear
base
H3852 לֶהָבָה id. [לַ֫הַב] . flame, poet.
. point, head of spear
3852 lehabah leh-aw-baw'
or lahebeth {lah-eh'-beth}; feminine of 3851, and meaning the
same:--flame(-ming), head (of a spear).
see HEBREW for 03851
לֶהָבָה (le.ha.vah) — flame.
1) flame
2) tip of weapon, point, head of spear
HNcfpa — Noun common · feminine plural absoluteHNcfpa
אֶ֫רֶץ (erets) is a feminine noun meaning 'earth' or 'land.' It encompasses various meanings, including the whole earth, specific territories like Canaan, and even inhabitants of the land. It can refer to soil, ground, or regions, and is used in phrases related to distance and the living. There is a note on the plural form אֲרָצוֹת, which mainly appears in later texts to denote multiple lands.
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
earth, opp. to heaven, sky
earth = inhabitants of earth
land =
country, territory
district, region
trial territory
piece of ground
specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
= inhabitants of land
used even of Shᵉʼôl
ground, surface of ground
soil, as productive
אֶרֶץ in phrases
people of the land
in measurements of distance
the country of the plain, level or plain country
land of the living
end(s) of the earth
pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
base
H776 אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land . . earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
. earth = inhabitants of earth
. land = . country, territory
. district, region
. trial territory
. piece of ground
. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
. = inhabitants of land
. used even of Shᵉʼôl
. . ground, surface of ground
. soil, as productive
. אֶרֶץ in phrases . people of the land
. in measurements of distance
. the country of the plain, level or plain country
. land of the living
. end(s) of the earth
. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
776 'erets eh'-rets
from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth
(at large, or partitively a land):--X common, country, earth,
field, ground, land, X natins, way, + wilderness, world.
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: country/planet.
: country/field
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
1b2) district, region
1b3) tribal territory
1b4) piece of ground
1b5) land of Canaan, Israel
1b6) inhabitants of land
1b7) Sheol, land without return, (under) world
1b8) city (-state)
1c) ground, surface of the earth
1c1) ground
1c2) soil
1d) (in phrases)
1d1) people of the land
1d2) space or distance of country (in measurements of distance)
1d3) level or plain country
1d4) land of the living
1d5) end(s) of the earth
1e) (almost wholly late in usage)
1e1) lands, countries
1e1a) often in contrast to Canaan
אֶ֫רֶץ (e.rets) — land: soil.
: soil
1) land, earth
1a) earth
1a1) whole earth (as opposed to a part)
1a2) earth (as opposed to heaven)
1a3) earth (inhabitants)
1b) land
1b1) country, territory
Prep | N-cs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp3mp