17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?
17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
17 He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold?
17 He broadcasts hail like birdseed - who can survive his winter?
17 He casts out His hail like morsels; Who can stand before His cold?
17 He hurls the hail like stones. Who can stand against his freezing cold?
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 147:17
Commentary on Psalm 147:12-20
(Read Psalm 147:12-20)
The church, like Jerusalem of old, built up and preserved by the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, is exhorted to praise him for all the benefits and blessings vouchsafed to her; and these are represented by his favours in the course of nature. The thawing word may represent the gospel of Christ, and the thawing wind the Spirit of Christ; for the Spirit is compared to the wind, John 3:8. Converting grace softens the heart that was hard frozen, and melts it into tears of repentance, and makes good reflections to flow, which before were chilled and stopped up. The change which the thaw makes is very evident, yet how it is done no one can say. Such is the change wrought in the conversion of a soul, when God's word and Spirit are sent to melt it and restore it to itself.