The Thunderstorm Blessing: A Reminder of God’s Power
Introduction
Nothing portrays the vast might of our Creator quite like a thunder and lightning storm. Though the bright flashes and piercing thunder may cause some to tremble, the extraordinary power that is displayed by thunderstorms sends an important message.
Thunder and Lightning in the Scriptures
The Scriptures often use thunder and lightning to describe God’s mighty voice, power, and judgment.
Psalms and Job describe God’s voice like thunder and call us to give God glory for His power and majesty:
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The LORD is over many waters. -Psalm 29:2-3
After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. -Job 37:4–5
Similarly, thunder and lightning preceded the LORD’s descent upon Mt. Sinai, evoking great awe in the hearts of the people of Israel:
Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. -Exodus 19:16
In 1 Samuel, God sent thunder to show His displeasure when the people of Israel asked for a king, and later on, to confuse the Philistines who were fighting against Israel:
Is today not the wheat harvest? I will call to the LORD, and He will send thunder and rain, that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking a king for yourselves. -1 Samuel 12:17
Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. -1 Samuel 7:10
Likewise, in the book of Revelation, thunder and lightning represent God’s judgment.
Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. -Revelation 8:5
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail. -Revelation 11:19
Thunderstorms in Jewish Tradition
There are many teachers in Judaism who have tried to speculate the reason why God created thunder and lightning as they do not have a very clear purpose. What possible use could these startling flashes of light and deafening crashes of thunder have?
Talmud Berakhot 59b suggests an answer to this question: “Thunder was created only in order to straighten the crookedness of the heart.” In other words, thunderstorms can serve as a reminder to us that God is in charge of our lives; they can be seen as a demonstration of His might.
Oftentimes, we can forget who is ultimately in control. We may think that we can anticipate and plan out the future, just like we try to forecast and predict the weather. Thunderstorms may remind us that this is not the case, serve as a display of God’s power and dominion over our lives, and cause us to correct our hearts.
Traditional Blessings upon Thunder and Lightning
The blessing upon seeing lightning is as follows:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, עוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, oseh ma‘aseh v’reisheet.
Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who reenacts the work of creation.
The blessing for hearing thunder:
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁכֹּחוֹ וּגְבוּרָתוֹ מָלֵא עוֹלָם.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, she-kocho u’gevurato maleh olam.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, whose strength and glory fills the universe.
Get Downloads
File Title
Add paragraph text. Click “Edit Text” to update the font, size and more. To change and reuse text themes, go to Site Styles.
Add paragraph text. Click “Edit Text” to update the font, size and more. To change and reuse text themes, go to Site Styles.
Netivyah Staff
Glossary
Adonai (אֲדֹנָי) means “Lord” and is commonly used in Jewish reading and prayer as a reverent way to refer to God.
Altar (mizbe'ach, מִזְבֵּחַ) refers to the sacred place where offerings were presented to God.
Ark (aron hakodesh, אֲרוֹן הַקֹּדֶש) often refers to the cabinet in a synagogue where the Torah scrolls are kept. Ark (tevat noach, תֵּבַת נֹחַ) can also refer to the large boat that Noah built in preparation for the global flood.
Covenant (brit, בְּרִית) means a sacred agreement or bond between parties, such as between God and His people.
Holiness (kedushah, קְדֻשָּׁה) means being pure, set apart, and living according to God's will as He instructed in His Word
Talmud (תַּלְמוּד) means “study” or “learning” and refers to a collection of rabbinic discussions, teachings, laws, stories, and interpretations of the Hebrew Scriptures and discussions of applying God’s commandments to daily life
More Topics
More For You
The Aaronic Blessing, and What God's Blessing Actually Means
Many people who recite the Aaronic Blessing have no idea what each phrase means. Learn about its meaning and the importance of fathers blessing their families.
Article
The Jewish Blessing for Sons and Daughters
Learn the Jewish tradition of blessing children on Shabbat, its biblical origins, meanings, and the special blessings for sons and daughters.
Article
