Psalms 147:17He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold?
The setting
Jerusalem, ~500 BC. Dark clouds gather over the Temple Mount. Suddenly, ice chunks the size of stones pummel the city. People flee for cover as God's power displays itself...
The emotion here: trembling at nature's violence yet worshiping
The original word
barad (בָּרָד) — hail, from root meaning 'to be spotty' - scattered destruction
Why it matters
Middle Eastern hailstorms can produce ice chunks larger than golf balls
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 147:17
The question 'Who can stand?' isn't rhetorical - it's the psalmist trembling in real fear
Common misconceptionThis isn't celebrating destruction - the psalmist is in awe of power that could destroy but chooses restraint. The fear leads to worship, not terror.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 147:17
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 147:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 147:17 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include God's awesome power, divine majesty, human weakness before God. Notable phrases: He hurls down his hail like pebbles; Who can stand before his cold.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same worship
“Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is one:”
— Deuteronomy 6:4
“and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”
— Deuteronomy 6:5
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven:”
— Ecclesiastes 3:1
“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.”
— John 14:6
“Jesus said to them, "Most certainly, I tell you, before Abraham came into existence, I AM."”
— John 8:58
Your reflection
What does Psalms 147:17 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "worship"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.