Psalm 78:47

Psalm 78:47, in plain English

The seventh plague: hail devastated vineyards and fig trees, destroying what little remained after the locust plague. These were ancient Israel's prized crops—losing them meant losing wealth and food security.

Why it's here

By this point in the plague cycle, Pharaoh's advisors are begging him to surrender. The hail is destroying everything—it's not just a natural disaster, it's the final blow to Egypt's economy. The psalmist emphasizes the totality of destruction: vines with hailstones, sycamore-figs with sleet. No crop escaped.

Who's speaking

Asaph, painting the picture of comprehensive devastation.

Where it sits in the story

The hail plague demonstrates that God uses nature—which Egypt revered in its gods—as His instrument. By the time we reach this point in the Exodus narrative, it's clear that Egyptian religion has no answer for what's happening. Only the God of Israel has such authority.

The scholarly reading

The seventh plague — hail (בָּרָד, barad) — destroys both vineyards and sycamore-fig trees, targeting the arboricultural wealth of Egypt and specifically the trees and vines that represented secure prosperity. This demonstrates divine judgment extending to natural growth and agricultural infrastructure.

Language and setting

Vines and fig trees, particularly sycamores, represented significant agricultural investment and wealth in ancient Egypt. Their destruction in a single catastrophic hailstorm symbolized the obliteration of human achievement and security — a theological statement about the fragility of civilization apart from divine blessing.

Voice

Asaph, narrating the plague of hail, emphasizes how God's judgment penetrates beyond human bodies to the very systems of security and prosperity that humans construct.

Significance

Exodus 9:22-26 depicts the seventh plague. Its specificity — distinguishing vineyards from sycamores — indicates the comprehensive nature of divine judgment across agricultural economy.

45He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them.

46He gave their crops to the grasshopper, the fruit of their labor to the locust.

47He killed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

48He abandoned their cattle to the hail and their livestock to bolts of lightning.

49He unleashed His fury against them, wrath, indignation, and calamity— a band of destroying angels.

Read all of Psalm 78 — The longest historical psalm — a retelling of Israel's journey from Egypt to David. Remember, so the next generation won't forget.