Psalms 78:48

48 He killed their cattle with hail and their flocks with lightning.

Psalms 78:48 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 78:48

He gave up their cattle also to the hail
For the hail fell upon man and beast, as well as upon herbs and trees, ( Exodus 9:22 Exodus 9:25 ) ,

and their flocks to hot thunderbolts:
which were killed by them: this is to be understood of the fire that was mingled with the hail, and ran upon the ground, and destroyed their flocks, ( Exodus 9:23 Exodus 9:24 ) . Jarchi, out of the Midrash, interprets the words of fowls which devoured the sheep killed by the hail.

Psalms 78:48 In-Context

46 He sent locusts to eat their crops and to destroy their fields.
47 He killed their grapevines with hail and their fig trees with frost.
48 He killed their cattle with hail and their flocks with lightning.
49 He caused them great distress by pouring out his anger and fierce rage, which came as messengers of death.
50 He did not restrain his anger or spare their lives, but killed them with a plague.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. hail . . . lightning; [or] terrible disease . . . deadly plague.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.