Psalms 147:17 — Word Study
WLCמַשְׁלִ֣יךְ קַֽרְח֣וֹ כְפִתִּ֑ים לִפְנֵ֥י קָ֝רָת֗וֹ מִ֣י יַעֲמֹֽד׃
BSAHe casts forthshâlak [sends down, hurls] His hailqerach [ice, frost] like pebblespath [morsels, small stones] Whomîy [what person, anyone] can withstandpânîym [stand before, endure] His icy blastqârâh [cold, frost, extreme chill]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מַשְׁלִ֣יךְ | [the one who] throws | Verb, Hiphil, participle (active) masculine singular |
| קַֽרְח֣וֹ | ice his | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| כְפִתִּ֑ים | like crumbs | Preposition, noun common masculine plural absolute |
| לִפְנֵ֥י | before | Preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| קָ֝רָת֗וֹ | coldness his | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| מִ֣י | who? | Pronoun |
| יַעֲמֹֽד׃ | will he stand | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He casts forth His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand His icy blast? |
| KJV | He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold? |
| ASV | He casteth forth his ice like morsels: Who can stand before his cold? |
| YLT | Casting forth His ice like morsels, Before His cold who doth stand? |
| WEB | He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold? |
| BBE | He sends down ice like raindrops: water is made hard by his cold. |
Translations agree in their rendering of the verse, maintaining the imagery of hail being cast forth.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a simile and concludes with a rhetorical question, emphasizing God's power.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
subjectמִי
verbשָׁלַךְ
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 147:17
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 Sovereignty in Naturegenerated
Psalms 147:17 illustrates God's command over the weather, emphasizing His ability to control natural phenomena like hail. This verse follows a description of how He spreads snow and scatters frost, showcasing His power in creation. The psalmist invites reflection on God's might and the futility of opposing His will, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 78:47–48 | He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet. |
| 2 | Exodus 9:23–25 | So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. |
| 3 | Joshua 10:11 | As they fled before Israel along the descent from Beth-horon to Azekah, the LORD cast down on them large hailstones from the sky, and more of them were killed by the hailstones than by the swords of the Israelites. |
| 4 | Job 38:22–23 | Have you entered the storehouses of snow or observed the storehouses of hail, |
| 5 | Job 38:29–30 | From whose womb does the ice emerge? Who gives birth to the frost from heaven, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מַשְׁלִ֣יךְ, mash.Likhgenerated
The word שָׁלַךְ (shalak) is a Hiphil participle meaning 'the one who throws.' It conveys the action of casting or hurling, suggesting a forceful and deliberate action. In this context, it describes God sending hail, emphasizing His authority and control over nature.
This verb is used in various contexts, often indicating the act of throwing something away or casting lots. The Hiphil form here suggests that God actively sends forth the hail, highlighting His power in the natural world.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb מַשְׁלִ֣יךְ governs the sentence, indicating the action of throwing. The structure includes a noun phrase that serves as the object, followed by a prepositional phrase that describes how the hail is cast, and concludes with a rhetorical question.
The use of the interrogative מִי introduces a question about who can withstand God's power, emphasizing the theme of human inability to resist divine authority.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מַשְׁלִ֣יךְ as βάλλοντος (ballontos), meaning 'throwing' or 'casting.' This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew, maintaining the sense of active agency in God's actions.
The LXX also captures the imagery of hail being sent forth, reinforcing the theme of God's dominion over the elements.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 147:17 describes how God sends hail like small stones, emphasizing His power over nature. The verse asks who can stand against such might, highlighting the futility of opposing God's will.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This imagery illustrates God's power and control over nature, showing that He can send down destructive weather at will.
This rhetorical question emphasizes human vulnerability in the face of God's overwhelming power and authority over creation.
The themes of God's sovereignty, power over nature, and human inability to resist divine will are central to this verse.
It follows descriptions of God's control over snow and frost, reinforcing the overarching theme of His authority in nature.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's power displayed in nature around me?
- How can I better acknowledge God's authority in my life?
- What does it mean for me to stand before God, and how can I prepare for that?
- How do I respond to the power of nature as a reflection of God's might?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers, such as Augustine of Hippo, reference this verse to discuss God's power in creation, illustrating the imagery of hail as crystal-like morsels.
"Who sends His crystal like morsels of bread" [Psalms 147:17]. We need not spend our toil again in saying what crystal is.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 147 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 147:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHe casteth forth his ice like morsels,.... Divided like morsels, as the Targum; cut into pieces, like morsels of bread.
Read John Gill on Psalms 147 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHe giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes. He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes. He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 147 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleHis ice; either, 1. Pieces of ice, which God may be said to cast forth, or to cast down, because he sendeth it, and ofttimes suddenly; or, 2. Great hailstones, which are of an icy nature and substance, and which are very properly cast forth or cast down out of the clouds, and that like morsels or fragments, the particles being congealed in them. His cold; the cold which he sometimes sends into the air is so sharp, that it would be intolerable, if men did not defend themselves from it by houses, clothes, fire, &c.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 147 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 147:17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?Ver. 17. He casteth forth his ice like morsels] Or, shivers of bread. It is a witty saying of one from this text: The ice is bread, the rain is drink, the snow is wool, the frost a fire to the earth, causing it inwardly to glow with heat; teaching us what to do for God’ s poor. Who can stand before his cold] Who can endure it, when and where it is extreme especially; as in Russia, Friezeland, &c.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 147 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17) Morsels.—Or, crumbs. (Genesis 18:5; Judges 19:5.) Doubtless the allusion is to hail.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 147 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 17. He casteth forth his ice] קרחו korcho, (probably hailstones,) like crumbs. Who can stand before his cold?] At particular times the cold in the east is so very intense as to kill man and beast. Jacobus de Vitriaco, one of the writers in the Gesta Dei per Francos, says, that in an expedition in which he was engaged against Mount Tabor, on the 24th of December, the cold was so intense that many of the poor people, and the beasts of burden, died by it. And Albertus Aquensis, another of these writers, speaking of the cold in Judea, says, that thirty of the people who attended Baldwin I. in the mountainous districts near the Dead Sea, were killed by it; and that in that expedition they…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 147 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges17. his ice like morsels] Hail, like fragments or crumbs of bread.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 147 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHe casteth forth his ice like morsels - The word rendered morsels means properly a bit, a crumb, as of bread, Genesis 18:5; Judges 19:5.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 147 →The verse in English, compared — 16 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 casts forth His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand His icy blast?
He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold?
He casts forth His hail like pebbles. Who can withstand His icy blast?
He throws his hailstones like crumbs. Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?
Tyndale line
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: Who can stand before his cold?
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
He casteth foorth his yce like morsels: who can abide the colde thereof?
Strictly literal
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
Casting forth His ice like morsels, Before His cold who doth stand?
Casting forth His ice like morsels, || Who stands before His cold?
He who casteth down his ice like pieces: before his cold who can stand?
He dispenses the hail like crumbs, who can withstand the cold he sends?
Simplified
He throws hail like stones. Who can stand the cold he sends?
He sends down ice like raindrops: water is made hard by his cold.
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 align closely, with all seven Hebrew words matched in the Greek translation. The Dead Sea Scrolls show some restoration, but the essential content agrees with the Masoretic Text.
מַשְׁלִ֣יךְ קַֽרְח֣וֹ כְפִתִּ֑ים לִפְנֵ֥י קָ֝רָת֗וֹ מִ֣י יַעֲמֹֽד׃
7 of the 7 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.
משליך [קרח׳ו] [כפתים] [לפני] [קרת׳ו] [מי] [יעמד]
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 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 147:17
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.
שָׁלַךְ (shalak) is a Hebrew verb meaning to throw, cast, or fling. It can be used literally or figuratively, covering actions like throwing away or casting lots. The Hiphil form indicates an active throwing, while the Hophal form suggests being thrown or cast. The entries collectively emphasize various nuances of throwing and casting.
[שָׁלַךְ] 125 vb. Hiph. 112 throw, fling, cast
Hoph.
be thrown, cast
be cast forth, out
be cast down
metaph., be cast
base
H7993 שָׁלַךְ Hiph. throw, fling, cast
7993 shalak shaw-lak
a primitive root; to throw out, down or away (literally or
figuratively):--adventure, cast (away, down, forth, off,
out), hurl, pluck, throw.
שָׁלַךְ (sha.lakh) — to throw.
1) to throw, cast, hurl, fling
1a) (Hiphil)
1a1) to throw, cast, throw away, cast off, shed, cast down
1a2) to cast (lots) (fig)
1b) (Hophal)
1b1) to be thrown, be cast
1b2) to be cast forth or out
1b3) to be cast down
1b4) to be cast (metaph)
V-Hiphil — Verb · Hiphil · participle (active) masculine singularHVhrmsa
קֶ֫רַח (qerach) refers to ice and frost, describing smooth, cold forms like ice crystals. It is derived from the root meaning 'bald' or 'smooth.' The term encompasses frost, ice, and by extension, rock crystal. It appears in contexts relating to cold weather phenomena.
קֶ֫רַח n.m. frost, ice
base
H7140 קֶ֫רַח
7140 qerach keh'-rakh
or qorach {ko'-rakh}; from 7139; ice (as if bald, i.e.
smooth); hence, hail; by resemblance, rock crystal:--crystal,
frost, ice.
see HEBREW for 07139
קֶ֫רַח (qe.rach) — ice.
1) frost, ice, ice crystal
1a) frost (of night)
1b) ice
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3ms
פַּת (pat) refers to a fragment or morsel, particularly of bread. It encompasses meanings like bit and piece, and is related to the variant פָּתוֹת (patot), which shares similar definitions. The term appears in contexts such as Ezekiel 13:19.
ref
H6595a פַּת fragment, bit, morsel of bread H6595b פָּתוֹת id. [6595a]
6595 path path
from 6626; a bit:--meat, morsel, piece.
see HEBREW for 06626
פַּת (pat) — morsel.
fragment, bit, morsel (of bread), piece
Also means: pa.tot (פָּתוֹת "morsel" H6595B)
פָּתוֹת (pa.tot) — morsel.
fragment, bit, morsel (of bread), piece
Another spelling of pat (פַּת "morsel" H6595A)
Prep | N-fp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural absoluteHR/Ncmpa
The Hebrew word פָּנֶה (*pāneh*) is a noun meaning 'face' or 'presence,' and it appears in various contexts, including the faces of seraphim and animals, as well as the surface of the ground. It can also function as an adverb meaning 'before' or 'in front of.' The word is built from a root that suggests turning or facing, and it encompasses a wide range of applications, both literal and figurative.
[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces
face, faces
presence, person
technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
face of seraphim
face of animals
face (= surface) of ground
as adv.loc. before
for other phrases
with prepositions
base
H6440 פָּנֶה, pl. פָּנִים face, also faces . . face, faces
. . presence, person
. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence
. face of seraphim
. face of animals
. face (= surface) of ground
. as adv. loc. before
. for other phrases
. with prepositions
6440 paniym paw-neem'
plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun (paneh
{paw-neh'}; from 6437); the face (as the part that turns);
used in a great variety of applications (literally and
figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a
preposition (before, etc.):--+ accept, a-(be- )fore(-time),
against, anger, X as (long as), at, + battle, + because (of),
+ beseech, countenance, edge, + employ, endure, + enquire,
face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er
time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, X him(-self), +
honourable, + impudent, + in, it, look(-eth) (- s), X me, +
meet, X more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), X on,
open, + out of, over against, the partial, person, + please,
presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, + regard, right
forth, + serve, X shewbread, sight, state, straight, + street,
X thee, X them(-selves), through (+ - out), till, time(-s)
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face: before.
: before/to/front
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from before the face of
פָּנֶה (pa.neh) — face.
: face
1) face
1a) face, faces
1b) presence, person
1c) face (of seraphim or cherubim)
1d) face (of animals)
1e) face, surface (of ground)
1f) as adv of loc/temp
1f1) before and behind, toward, in front of, forward, formerly, from beforetime, before
1g) with prep
1g1) in front of, before, to the front of, in the presence of, in the face of, at the face or front of, from the presence of, from before, from…
Prep | N-cp — Preposition · noun common masculine plural constructHR/Ncmpc
be-for': The translation of a great variety of Hebrew and Greek words. "Haran died before (the English Revised Version "in the presence of," literally "before the face of") his father Terah" (Ge 11:28). To be "before" God is to enjoy His favor (Ps 31:22). "The Syrians before" (Isa 9:12 the Revised Version, margin "on the east," as "behind," owing to the position of Canaan, relative to Syria, implies the west).
קָרָה (qarah) is a feminine noun meaning 'cold' or 'coolness.' It is derived from a related root, קָרָה (H7119), which also pertains to coolness. The entries consistently define it in this way, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
קָרָה n.f. id. [s.dk.ac]
base
H7135 קָרָה
7135 qarah kaw-raw'
feminine of 7119; coolness:--cold.
see HEBREW for 07119
קָרָה (qa.rah) — cold.
cold
N-fs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3ms
מִי (mi) is an interrogative pronoun primarily used to ask about persons, meaning 'who?' or 'whose?'. It can also appear in rhetorical questions and has some idiomatic uses, such as 'who among...?' or 'whosoever'. The word is rarely applied to things, and its forms can vary in emphasis.
מִי 423 pron.interrog. who? of persons
מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
in the gen. whose
in an indirect qu.
מִי ב׳ who among … ?
strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
various rhetorical uses whose
מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
once, following a verb, any one
base
H4310 מִי who? of persons . מִי is rarely used of things, and usually where persons are understood or implied
. in the gen. whose
. in an indirect qu.
. מִי ב׳ who among … ?
. strengthened and emph. forms of interrog.
. various rhetorical uses whose
. מִי may sometimes be rendered whosoever, though, as the examples will shew, it does not really mean it
. once, following a verb, any one
4310 miy me
an interrogative pronoun of persons, as 4100 is of things,
who? (occasionally, by a peculiar idiom, of things); also
(indefinitely) whoever; often used in oblique construction
with prefix or suffix:--any (man), X he, X him, + O that!
what, which, who(-m, -se, -soever), + would to God.
see HEBREW for 04100
מִי (mi) — who?.
who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever
Part — PronounHPi
The Hebrew word עָמַד (amad) means to stand and encompasses a variety of related actions such as remaining, enduring, and taking a stand. It can refer to both literal and figurative stances, including presenting oneself or being appointed. The word appears in various contexts, including standing still, ceasing movement, and even serving. There are different forms of the verb, such as Qal, Hiphil, and Hophal, each with specific nuances.
עָמַד 620 take one's stand, stand
Qal 435
take one's stand, and (esp. pt.) stand, be in a standing attitude
stand forth
take a stand against, in opposition to
present oneself before
attend upon, be(come) servant of
stand afar
stand (silent)
stand (appealingly)
stand, subj. רֶגֶל
stand, of water
stand still, stop, cease moving
= be inactive
= be attentive
stop, cease doing a thing
tarry, delay
remain
continue, abide
endure
be steadfast
persist
make a stand, hold one's ground
stand upright
arise, appear, come on the scene
stand forth, appear = come into being
rise up as foe
rare usages
Hiph.
83station, set
cause to stand firm
cause to stand up, set up, erect
present one before king
appoint
other meanings
Hoph. be presented
base
H5975 עָמַד take one's stand, stand .. . take one's stand, and (esp. pt.) stand, be in a standing attitude
. stand forth
. take a stand against, in opposition to
. present oneself before
. attend upon, be(come) servant of
. stand afar
. stand (silent)
. stand (appealingly)
. stand, subj. רֶגֶל
. stand, of water
. . stand still, stop, cease moving
. = be inactive
. = be attentive
. stop, cease doing a thing
. . tarry, delay
. remain
. continue, abide
. endure
. be steadfast
. persist
. make a stand, hold one's ground
. stand upright
. . arise, appear, come on the scene
. stand forth, appear = come into being
. rise up as foe
. rare usages
. . station, set
. cause to stand firm
. cause to stand up, set up, erect
. present one before king
. appoint
. other meanings
. be presented
5975 `amad aw-mad'
a primitive root; to stand, in various relations (literal and
figurative, intransitive and transitive):--abide (behind),
appoint, arise, cease, confirm, continue, dwell, be employed,
endure, establish, leave, make, ordain, be (over), place, (be)
present (self), raise up, remain, repair, + serve, set (forth,
over, -tle, up), (make to, make to be at a, with-)stand (by,
fast, firm, still, up), (be at a) stay (up), tarry.
עָמַד (a.mad) — to stand: stand.
: stand/stop/establish
1) to stand, remain, endure, take one's stand
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to stand, take one's stand, be in a standing attitude, stand forth, take a stand, present oneself, attend upon, be or become servant of
1a2) to stand still, stop (moving or doing), cease
1a3) to tarry, delay, remain, continue, abide, endure, persist, be steadfast
1a4) to make a stand, hold one's ground
1a5) to stand upright, remain standing, stand up, rise, be erect, be upright
1a6) to arise, appear, come on the scene, stand forth, appear, rise up or against
1a7) to stand with, take one's stand, be appointed, grow flat, grow insipid
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to station, set
1b2) to cause to stand firm, maintain
1b3) to cause to stand up, cause to set up, erect
1b4) to present (one) before (king)
1b5) to appoint, ordain, establish
HVqi3ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine singularHVqi3ms