The Meaning of Psalms 148:8 Explained

Psalms 148:8

KJV: Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

YLT: Fire and hail, snow and vapour, Whirlwind doing His word;

Darby: Fire and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind fulfilling his word;

ASV: Fire and hail, snow and vapor; Stormy wind, fulfilling his word;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Fire,  and hail;  snow,  and vapour;  stormy  wind  fulfilling  his word: 

What does Psalms 148:8 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 148:1-14 - Creation's Song Of Praise
The "Benedicite" in the Book of Common Prayer is based on this psalm. The sacred minstrel is not content that he or his people should have a monopoly of praise. He calls to nature, with her myriad voices, to take up the strain. It is interesting to turn these words from the imperative to the indicative mood, for already the heights and depths around us are vocal. The sun leads the chorus, and the moon plays upon her silver harp. The stars "quire to the young-eyed cherubim." The deeps praise for depths of love, the mountains for its height, the fruit trees for its sweetness, while the great forest monarchs, their branches swaying in the wind, "clap their hands." Surely the children of God should awake from their lethargy! Can we be redeemed and dumb? Saved and silent? Delivered and made "near," and no word of gratitude? Let us, as we read this psalm, remember also that there is a praise note for the fire of tribulation and the hail of abusive scorn. The saints have long ago praised God in the fires. The stormy wind or adversity, no less than the zephyrs of prosperity, fulfills His purpose and deserves our trust. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 148

1  The psalmist exhorts the celestial
7  The terrestrial
11  And the rational creatures to praise God

What do the individual words in Psalms 148:8 mean?

Fire and hail snow and clouds wind Stormy fulfilling His word
אֵ֣שׁ וּ֭בָרָד שֶׁ֣לֶג וְקִיט֑וֹר ר֥וּחַ סְ֝עָרָ֗ה עֹשָׂ֥ה דְבָרֽוֹ

אֵ֣שׁ  Fire 
Parse: Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
וּ֭בָרָד  and  hail 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּרָד  
Sense: hail.
שֶׁ֣לֶג  snow 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁלֶג 
Sense: snow.
וְקִיט֑וֹר  and  clouds 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קִיטֹור  
Sense: thick smoke, smoke.
ר֥וּחַ  wind 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
סְ֝עָרָ֗ה  Stormy 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סַעַר 
Sense: tempest, storm, whirlwind.
עֹשָׂ֥ה  fulfilling 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
דְבָרֽוֹ  His  word 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.