Bible Word Study
בָּרַד
bârad · to hail
בָּרַד
to hail
Definition
The Hebrew verb בָּרַד (bârad) means 'to hail,' specifically referring to the meteorological phenomenon of frozen precipitation falling from the sky. It is used in the Old Testament to describe a destructive weather event, often associated with divine judgment or intervention. In its sole biblical occurrence in Isaiah 32:19, the verb is used in a prophetic context, describing the downfall of a city or forest through hail. The word conveys not just a natural event but a sudden, impactful, and divinely-sourced calamity.
Biblical Usage
בָּרַד is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 32:19, where it appears in a prophetic oracle. The context is a promise of future security for God's people, contrasted with the destruction that will fall upon the arrogant. The verse states, 'And it shall hail, when the forest falls, and the city shall be utterly laid low.' Here, the hailing is part of a metaphorical depiction of divine judgment against pride and oppression, linking a natural disaster to a theological outcome.
Etymology
בָּרַד is a primitive root verb in Hebrew, meaning it is not derived from another Hebrew word. It is the verbal form of the noun בָּרָד (bārād, H1259), which means 'hail.' Cognates exist in other Semitic languages, such as Akkadian 'barādu,' also meaning 'to hail.' The root consistently relates to the concept of frozen precipitation, indicating its core meaning was stable in the ancient Near Eastern context.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, בָּרַד carries theological weight as an instrument of divine judgment. In Isaiah 32:19, hail is not a random weather event but a deliberate act within God's sovereign plan to humble the proud and protect the righteous. This aligns with other biblical passages where hail serves as a plague (Exodus 9:18-26) or a weapon in apocalyptic battle (Joshua 10:11, Revelation 16:21). Understanding this verb enriches reading by highlighting how natural phenomena in Scripture are often woven into God's acts of justice and salvation. In the ancient Near East, hail was a feared and destructive force that could devastate crops, livestock, and property in minutes. Unlike modern times with advanced warning systems, such events were seen as sudden, uncontrollable acts of the divine. The biblical association of hail with judgment (e.g., the plague in Egypt) reflects this cultural understanding of hail as a direct manifestation of divine power and displeasure, far beyond a mere natural occurrence. בָּרָד (bārād, H1259) — This is the noun form ('hail') from which the verb is derived, used more frequently to describe the substance itself or a hailstorm.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]