אֶלְגָּבִישׁ
hail (as if a great pearl)
Definition
The Hebrew noun אֶלְגָּבִישׁ refers to a severe, destructive form of hail, often translated as 'great hailstones' or 'hailstones of great size.' It is not ordinary hail but is depicted as divinely-sent, catastrophic ice, like enormous pearls or stones of ice. In Ezekiel, it is a specific instrument of God's judgment against false prophets (Ezekiel 13:11, 13) and against the armies of Gog (Ezekiel 38:22). The term emphasizes both the physical magnitude and the supernatural, punitive origin of the phenomenon.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the book of Ezekiel, in three prophetic judgment oracles. It describes a specific meteorological weapon in God's arsenal. In Ezekiel 13:11 and 13:13, it is part of the metaphorical storm God unleashes against the false prophets who whitewash a flimsy wall. In Ezekiel 38:22, it is listed among the plagues (along with rain, fire, and sulfur) that God will use to judge Gog and his hordes. The usage is consistently tied to divine wrath and the execution of judgment.
Etymology
The word is a compound, derived from אֵל (ʼēl, H410), meaning 'God' or denoting power/might, and גָּבִישׁ (gāḇîš, H1378), meaning 'crystal' or 'ice.' Thus, it literally means something like 'God-crystal' or 'mighty ice.' This construction poetically signifies hail of extraordinary, divinely-powered force, not merely frozen rain but ice sent from God.
Semantic Range
אֶלְגָּבִישׁ is theologically significant as a symbol of God's sovereign power over nature and His use of creation to execute judgment. It underscores that God's word, proclaimed by true prophets, is as unstoppable and destructive to falsehood as a storm of giant hailstones. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by highlighting the intentional, fearsome imagery Ezekiel uses to communicate the certainty and severity of God's judgment against rebellion and deception.
In the ancient Near East, severe weather like hail was often viewed as a manifestation of divine displeasure or warfare among gods. For Israel, hail had precedent as a plague in Egypt (Exodus 9:18-26). The term 'great hailstones' would evoke memories of that decisive act of God's power, framing Ezekiel's prophecies within the tradition of God fighting for His people and against His enemies through control of the elements.
בָּרָד (bārād, H1259) — the common, general term for hail. אֶלְגָּבִישׁ specifies a divinely-powered, catastrophic form of it.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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