King James Bible Dictionary

Common in Palestine in winter (Psalms 147:16). The snow on the tops of the Lebanon range is almost always within view throughout the whole year. The word is frequently used figuratively by the sacred writers (Job 24:19; Psalms 51:7; 68:14; Isaiah 1:18). It is mentioned only once in the historical books (2 Samuel 23:20). It was "carried to Tyre, Sidon, and Damascus as a luxury, and labourers sweltering in the hot harvest-fields used it for the purpose of cooling the water which they drank (Proverbs 25:13; Jeremiah 18:14). No doubt Herod Antipas, at his feasts in Tiberias, enjoyed also from this very source the modern luxury of ice-water."

In Palestine
2 Samuel 23:20

In Uz
Job 6:16; Job 9:30; Job 37:6

On Mount Lebanon
Jeremiah 18:14

Figurative of purity
Psalms 51:7; Isaiah 1:18; Lamentations 4:7

This historical books of the Bible contain only two notices of snow actually falling

(2 Samuel 23:20) 1Macc 13.22; but the allusions in the poetical books are so numerous that there can be no doubt as to its being an ordinary occurrence in the winter months. (Psalms 147:16; 148:8) The snow lies deep in the ravines of the highest ridge of Lebanon until the summer is far advanced and indeed never wholly disappears; the summit of Hermon also perpetually glistens with frozen snow. From these sources probably the Jews obtained their supplies of ice for the purpose of cooling their beverages in summer. (Proverbs 25:13) The liability to snow must of course vary considerably in a country of such varying altitude as Palestine. At Jerusalem snow often falls to the depth of a foot or more in january or February, but it seldom lies. At Nazareth it falls more frequently and deeply,a nd it has been observed to fall even in the maritime plain of Joppa and about Carmel.

SNOW, noun [Latin nix, nivis; The Latin nivis, is contracted from nigis, like Eng. bow.]

1. Frozen vapor; watery particles congealed into white crystals in the air, and falling to the earth. When there is no wind, these crystals fall in flakes or unbroken collections, sometimes extremely beautiful.

2. A vessel equipped with two masts, resembling the main and fore-masts of a ship, and a third small mast just abaft the mainmast, carrying a try-sail.

SNOW, verb intransitive To fall in snow; as, it snows; it snowed yesterday.

SNOW, verb transitive To scatter like snow

SNOWBALL, noun [snow and ball.] A round mass of snow, pressed or rolled together.

SNOWBALL TREE, noun A flowering shrub of the genus Virburnum; gelder rose.

SNOW-BIRD, noun A small bird whcih appears in the time of snow, of the genus Emberiza; called also snow-bunting. In the U. States, the snow-bird is the Fringilla nivalis.

SNOWBROTH, noun [snow and broth.] Snow and water mixed; very cold liquor.

SNOW-CROWNED, adjective [snow and crown.] Crowned or having the top covered with snow.

SNOWDEEP, noun [snow and deep.] A plant.

SNOW-DRIFT, noun [snow and drift.] A bank of snow driven together by the wind.

SNOW-DROP, noun [snow and drop.] A plant bearing a white flower, cultivated in gardens for its beauty; the Galanthus nivalis.

SNOWLESS, adjective Destitute of snow.

SNOWLIKE, adjective Resembling snow.

SNOW-SHOE, noun [snow and shoe.] A shoe or racket worn by men traveling on snow, to prevent their feet from sinking into the snow.

SNOW-SLIP, noun [snow and slip.] A large mass of snow which slips down the side of a mountain, and sometimes buries houses.

SNOW-WHITE, adjective [snow and white.] White as snow; very white.

SNOWY, adjective

1. White like snow.

2. Abounding with snow; covered with snow. The snowy top of cold Olympus.

3. White; pure; unblemished.