Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 78:48
He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
48. And he gave over their beasts to the hail,
And their cattle to fiery lightnings.
As the text stands, the reference is to the destruction of the Egyptian cattle as well as the crops by the lightning which accompanied the hailstorm (Exo 9:28). But two Hebrew MSS., with which agrees the version of Symmachus, read Deber, ‘pestilence’ in place of Brd, ‘hail.’ Now Deber is the word used in Exo 9:3 ff. of the murrain which attacked the cattle. Resheph, the word rendered fiery lightnings, is also used of burning fever in Deu 32:24; Hab 3:5; in the latter passage in parallelism with Deber. It seems possible, therefore, that this verse originally referred to the fifth plague, the murrain on the cattle. The LXX, Syr., Jer., Targ. however support the Massoretic Text.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
He gave up their cattle also to the hail – Margin, he shut up. Exo 9:22-25.
And their flocks to hot thunderbolts – Margin, lightnings. The original word means flame; then, lightning. There is no allusion in the word to the idea of a bolt, or shaft, accompanying the lightning or the thunder, by which destruction is produced. The destruction is caused by the lightning, and not by the thunder, and it is hardly necessary to say that there is no shaft or bolt that accompanies it. Probably this notion was formerly entertained, and found its way into the common language used. The same idea is retained by us in the word thunderbolt. But this idea is not in the original; nor is there any foundation for it in fact.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 48. He gave up their cattle] See on Ex 9:23.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He gave up, Heb. he shut up, as in a prison, that they could not escape them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
48. gave . . . cattleliterally,”shut up” (compare Ps31:8).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
He gave up their cattle also to the hail,…. For the hail fell upon man and beast, as well as upon herbs and trees, Ex 9:22,
and their flocks to hot thunderbolts: which were killed by them: this is to be understood of the fire that was mingled with the hail, and ran upon the ground, and destroyed their flocks, Ex 9:23. Jarchi, out of the Midrash, interprets the words of fowls which devoured the sheep killed by the hail.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(48) Hail.Some copies read pestilence, which from its association with resheph, as in Hab. 3:5, a word there denoting some contagious malady (comp. Deu. 32:24; see Note Psa. 76:3), is probably to be preferred here though the authority of the LXX. is against it. If so, we must refer this verse to the murrain that came on the cattle.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
48. Hot thunderbolts The word indicates balls, or streams, of fire, like red hot coals, as in Hab 3:5; Son 8:6. It was an unparalleled electrical phenomenon, even for an Egyptian climate. The narrative says, “The fire ran along upon the ground.” Exo 9:23
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 78:48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.
Ver. 48. He gave up their cattle also to the hail ] Moses saith men also, who were brained and burned by it.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
hot thunderbolts: or lightnings (Exo 9:23).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
gave up: Heb. shut up
hot thunderbolts: or, lightnings, Exo 9:28
Reciprocal: Exo 9:6 – General Exo 9:23 – and hail Deu 4:34 – by signs Psa 18:13 – thundered Psa 105:32 – them hail for rain Psa 147:17 – casteth Rev 8:7 – hail