He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold?
English Standard Version (ESV)
The comparison of ice to "morsels" or "crumbs" isn't about smallness, but about abundance and distribution. God doesn't just send a few ice pieces; he scatters them like food, highlighting the sheer overwhelming force and totality of his control over the elements, a power no human can withstand.
He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold?
English Standard Version (ESV)
This Psalm is celebrating God's power and goodness, particularly in restoring Jerusalem and providing for its people. The verses preceding this one have spoken of God sending snow, scattering frost, and His word bringing swift renewal. This verse continues that theme by describing God's command over icy weather and its raw power.
God hurls down ice like crumbs. What does this strange image tell us about His power over the weather?
The Power in Tiny Pieces
The verse paints a vivid picture: "He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs." This isn't just a description of weather; it's a declaration of God's sovereignty.
Who can stand against the intense cold God brings? This question challenges our own perceived strength.
The Limits of Human Endurance
The psalm doesn't just describe the ice; it asks a powerful rhetorical question: "who can stand before his cold?"
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This passage from Job graphically illustrates God's sovereign control over the elements, asking rhetorical questions about who stores up snow and hail, directly paralleling the awe-inspiring power described in Psalms 147:17.
Exodus 9:22-26The plague of hail in Egypt is a powerful Old Testament example of God unleashing destructive icy elements upon humanity, demonstrating the terrifying reality of 'who can stand before his cold?' when God wields such power.
Matthew 8:23-27Jesus calming the storm reveals His authority over the natural world, including winds and waves, showing that the Creator who hurls ice can also bring peace to the tempest.
Revelation 16:17-21This apocalyptic vision describes a final, devastating hailstorm of immense size, echoing the imagery of God's ice being hurled down and emphasizing the ultimate inability of humanity to withstand His judgment.
jfbPsalms 147:17: "He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?"
- morsels—used as to food (Ge 18:5), perhaps here denotes hail.
poolePsalms 147:17: "He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?"
His 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…
The comparison of ice to "morsels" or "crumbs" isn't about smallness, but about abundance and distribution. God doesn't just send a few ice pieces; he scatters them like food, highlighting the sheer overwhelming force and totality of his control over the elements, a power no human can withstand.
This Psalm is celebrating God's power and goodness, particularly in restoring Jerusalem and providing for its people. The verses preceding this one have spoken of God sending snow, scattering frost, and His word bringing swift renewal. This verse continues that theme by describing God's command over icy weather and its raw power.
This Psalm is celebrating God's power and goodness, particularly in restoring Jerusalem and providing for its people. The verses preceding this one have spoken of God sending snow, scattering frost, and His word bringing swift renewal. This verse continues that theme by describing God's command over icy weather and its raw power.
"He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold?" — The comparison of ice to "morsels" or "crumbs" isn't about smallness, but about abundance and distribution. God doesn't just send a few ice pieces; he scatters them like food, highlighting the sheer…
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Last reviewed October 2026