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Storm, hail, and fire serve the judgment against the ungodly
This passage speaks directly to God about judgement. It says no-one can escape God’s hand, and it describes storm, hail, and fire as serving God’s judgement against the ungodly.
Understanding the passage
Listening in context
These verses come from the Wisdom of Solomon, a book in the Catholic additional books. In this short passage, the speaker addresses God as “you” and reflects on how ungodly people were judged, while the righteous are mentioned as those for whom the world fights.
Wisdom of Solomon 16:15–19Main takeaway
This passage teaches that God’s judgement cannot be escaped, and even powerful parts of creation can serve his purpose against unrighteousness.
Look closely at the words
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01No escape from God’s handThe passage begins with a direct statement to God: “it is not possible to escape your hand”.
Explanation
The passage begins with a direct statement to God: “it is not possible to escape your hand”. “Your hand” points to God’s power and rule. The line is short, but it sets the whole message. Human strength or resistance cannot place anyone outside God’s reach.
02The ungodly are judgedThe next verse explains who is being judged and why. It speaks of “ungodly men” who were “refusing to know you”.
Explanation
The next verse explains who is being judged and why. It speaks of “ungodly men” who were “refusing to know you”. The passage connects their suffering with that refusal. Strange rains, hail, storms, and fire are listed as instruments of judgement, showing force from several directions at once.
03Fire acts in an unusual wayVerse 17 highlights something “most marvellous”. Fire burns even in water, though water usually quenches it.
Explanation
Verse 17 highlights something “most marvellous”. Fire burns even in water, though water usually quenches it. The point is not to explain how this works, but to show that ordinary expectations do not limit God’s judgement. The verse also adds that “the world fights for the righteous”.
04Judgement is seen clearlyVerse 18 says the flame was at one time restrained. It did not burn up the creatures sent against the ungodly.
Explanation
Verse 18 says the flame was at one time restrained. It did not burn up the creatures sent against the ungodly. Instead, the ungodly were able to see that they were being pursued by God’s judgement. The passage presents this as a visible warning, not a random disaster.
05Judgement reaches the land’s produceThe last verse says that at another time fire burned intensely “in the midst of water” and destroyed “the produce of an unrighteous land”.
Explanation
The last verse says that at another time fire burned intensely “in the midst of water” and destroyed “the produce of an unrighteous land”. The judgement is not described as touching only people, but also the land’s outcome. The passage closes by stressing the seriousness of unrighteousness.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What reason does the passage give for the judgement on the ungodly?
Look for the description of their response to God, not just the punishments named in the verse.
02What is called “most marvellous” in this passage, and why does that matter to its message?
Notice what water normally does to fire, and how the verse uses that surprise to show God’s rule.
03Why was the flame restrained at one time according to the passage?
The verse explains that this restraint let the ungodly see something about the judgement they faced.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Wisdom of Solomon 16:15–19
15But it is not possible to escape your hand;
16for ungodly men, refusing to know you, were scourged in the strength of your arm, pursued with strange rains and hails and relentless storms, and utterly consumed with fire.
17For, what was most marvelous, in the water which quenches all things, the fire burned hotter; for the world fights for the righteous.
18For at one time the flame was restrained, that it might not burn up the creatures sent against the ungodly, but that these themselves as they looked might see that they were chased by the judgment of God.
19At another time even in the midst of water it burns more intensely than fire, that it may destroy the produce of an unrighteous land.