בָּרַד
𐤁𐤓𐤃
bârad
H1258 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To rain down hail; to send or produce hail as a meteorological phenomenon. In biblical usage, בָּרַד refers specifically to the act or occurrence of hail falling from the sky, most often as an expression of extraordinary or destructive weather. Although used as a verb primarily in its finite forms, it can also function as a nominal form ("hail stones"). The word is not used metaphorically in the Hebrew Bible and consistently refers to literal hail.
Semantic Range
to send down hail, to rain hail, to produce hail (as weather event), (as noun) hailstones
Root / Etymology
Root/etymology: From the root בָּרַד, which appears to be onomatopoeic or descriptive in nature, possibly imitative of the harsh sound of hailstones falling. No related Semitic cognates are securely attested, and thus the root is of uncertain etymology beyond biblical Hebrew. The verb form derives directly from the root, indicating the occurrence or falling of hail.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בָּרַד is rare and only occurs a handful of times in the Hebrew Bible, chiefly in Exodus during the narrative of the plagues on Egypt, where hail appears as a divine act of judgment (Exodus 9). The term does not develop any extended or figurative senses in biblical usage, unlike other weather-related verbs which may be used metaphorically. In later periods (Second Temple and Rabbinic), the noun form remains the standard term for hail, but its use as a verb is extremely rare or absent. English translations render the word as "hail" or "to hail," but the ancient Hebrew word is used exclusively for the physical weather phenomenon, not in any transferred or figurative sense. It is distinct from terms for "rain" (מָטָר) or "snow" (שָׁלֶג), highlighting a specific type of precipitation considered destructive or unusual in the climate of ancient Israel and Egypt.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root,; to hail; hail.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ברד (b-r-d) — to hail, to send hail, hailstones
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1259 | בָּרָד | in the hail |
| H1260 | בֶּרֶד | Hail-place |
| H1261 | בָּרֹד | hail-dappled ones |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1258-01 |
וּ/בָרַ֖ד | uvarad | HC/Vqq3ms |
and-it-hails | hail | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1258-01 |
Isaiah 32:19 | וּ/בָרַ֖ד | uvarad | HC/Vqq3ms |
and-it-hails | hail |