Psalms 78:48
“He gave over their livestock also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.”
What does Psalms 78:48 mean?
God allowed devastating hail and lightning to strike the herds and flocks that sustained Egypt during the plagues described in Exodus. This was catastrophic economically and spiritually, since livestock represented wealth, food, and sacrifice—everything a community depended on for survival. The psalmist is recounting how God responded to Pharaoh's refusal to let the Israelites go, using nature itself as an instrument of judgment. For readers today, this reminds us that God takes seriously the hardening of hearts against His people and His purposes, and that sometimes He permits loss to break through human stubbornness in ways words alone cannot.