Hail

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(χάλαζα)

The invariable biblical conception of hail is correctly represented in  Wisdom of Solomon 5:22 : ‘As from an engine of war shall be hurled hailstones full of wrath.’ Typical instances of the use of hail as a weapon of Divine judgment and warfare are found in  Exodus 9:18 f.,  Joshua 10:11. Like other destructive natural forces, it is a familiar category in apocalyptic prophecy. It is always regarded as a ‘plague’ (πληγή,  Revelation 16:21). ‘Hail and fire,’ ‘lightnings … and great hail,’ occur together ( Revelation 8:7,  Revelation 11:19), as in  Exodus 9:24 : ‘hail, and fire mingling with (flashing continually amidst) the hail.’ Thunderstorms often arise ‘under the conditions that are favourable to the formation of hail, i.e. great heat, a still atmosphere, the production of strong local convection currents in consequence, and the passage of a cold upper drift’ ( Encyclopaedia Britannica 11 xii. 820), True hail, which is to be distinguished from so-called ‘soft hail,’ is formed of clear or granular ice. Impinging hailstones are often frozen together, and sometimes great ragged masses of ice fall with disastrous results to life and property. The seventh angel having poured his bowl upon the air, ‘great hail, every stone about a talent in weight, cometh down out of heaven upon men’ ( Revelation 16:21). Diodorus Siculus (xix. 45) writes of storms in which ‘the size of the hail was incredible, for the stones fell a mina in weight, sometimes even more, so that many houses fell under their weight and not a few men were killed.’ The mina was about 2 lbs.-the sixtieth part of a talent.

James Strahan.

Webster's Dictionary

(1): ( n.) Small roundish masses of ice precipitated from the clouds, where they are formed by the congelation of vapor. The separate masses or grains are called hailstones.

(2): ( v. t.) To call loudly to, or after; to accost; to salute; to address.

(3): ( v. t.) To name; to designate; to call.

(4): ( n.) A wish of health; a salutation; a loud call.

(5): ( v. t.) An exclamation of respectful or reverent salutation, or, occasionally, of familiar greeting.

(6): ( v. i.) To report as one's home or the place from whence one comes; to come; - with from.

(7): ( v. i.) To declare, by hailing, the port from which a vessel sails or where she is registered; hence, to sail; to come; - used with from; as, the steamer hails from New York.

(8): ( a.) Healthy. See Hale (the preferable spelling).

(9): ( v. t.) To pour forcibly down, as hail.

(10): ( v. i.) To pour down particles of ice, or frozen vapors.

King James Dictionary

HAIL, n. Masses of ice or frozen vapor, falling from the clouds in showers or storms. These masses consist of little spherules united, but not all of the same consistence some being as hard and solid as perfect ice others soft, like frozen snow. Hailstones assume various figures some are round, others angular, others pyramidical, others flat, and sometimes they are stellated with six radii, like crystals of snow.

HAIL, To pour down masses of ice or frozen vapors.

HAIL, To pour.

HAIL, a. Gr. whole. Sound whole healthy not impaired by disease as a hail body hail corn. In this sense, it is usually written hale.

HAIL, an exclamation, or rather a verb in the imperative mode, being the adjective hail, used as a verb. Hail, be well be in health health to you a term of salutation, equivalent to L. salve, salvete.

Hail, hail, brave friend.

HAIL, n. A wish of health a salutation. This word is sometimes used as a noun as, the angel hail bestowed.

HAIL, L. calo. See Call and Heal. To call to call to a person at a distance, to arrest his attention. It is properly used in any case where the person accosted is distant, but is appropriately used by seamen. Hoa or hoi, the ship ahoay, is the usual manner of hailing to which the answer is holloa, or hollo. Then follow the usual questions, whence came ye? where are you bound? &c.

Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types

 Job 38:22 (c) This scourge represents the wisdom and the power of GOD in judging His enemies and punishing those who refuse His Presence, and His Word.

 Isaiah 28:2 (a) By this type we are taught that the judgment of GOD which man cannot hinder nor prevent will whip His enemies, and spoil their labor. GOD is a righteous GOD and will judge His foes with dire punishment.

 Isaiah 32:19 (a) The Lord is informing us by this type that when He judges and punishes His enemies, His own people will be safe and secure. This condition existed in Egypt when the hail destroyed the crops of the Egyptians, but did not spoil the crops of the Israelites.

 Revelation 8:7 (a) Here is described another of GOD's judgments on men, and it probably is a literal judgment, with literal ice falling with tremendous force to destroy the works of men. (See also  Revelation 11:19;  Revelation 16:21.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

Particles of ice falling from the clouds. Though hail is usually formed by natural causes not yet perhaps well understood, it is often referred to in scripture as one of the judgements of God. It formed one of the plagues in Egypt.  Exodus 9:18-34;  Psalm 78:47,48;  Psalm 105:32; and is at times connected with fire or lightning. God smote the Amalekites by 'great stones' from heaven.  Joshua 10:11 . The hail is called upon to praise Jehovah, because it fulfils His word.  Psalm 148:8;  Isaiah 28:2,17;  Haggai 2:17 . It will also form a notable part of the judgements of God in His future dealings with this guilty world.  Revelation 8:7;  Revelation 11:19;  Revelation 16:21 .

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

1: χάλαζα (Strong'S #5464 — Noun Feminine — chalaza — khal'-ad-zah )

akin to chalao, "to let loose, let fall," is always used as an instrument of Divine judgment, and is found in the NT in  Revelation 8:7;  11:19;  16:21 .

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Exodus 9:23 Haggai 2:17 Joshua 10:11 Ezekiel 13:11 Revelation 8:7 11:19 16:21

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

HAIL . See Plagues of Egypt.