Frost

Frost (Hebrew kerah, from its smoothness or glassy appearance) occurs in the higher elevations of Palestine during winter, particularly in the hill country of Judah and the Transjordan plateau, where temperatures regularly drop below freezing. Genesis 31:40 records Jacob's complaint of enduring frost by night during his years of service for Laban in the elevated territory of Aram. Jeremiah 36:30 describes the dead body of Jehoiakim lying exposed "to the frost by night" as part of a divine curse.

Job 37:10 attributes the making of ice to God's breath: "By the breath of God frost is given" — part of Elihu's poetic catalog of divine meteorological power. Psalm 147:16–17 celebrates the LORD who "giveth snow like wool" and "scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes," presenting the cold as an expression of divine sovereignty over creation. In the agricultural calendar, winter frosts could damage olive and fruit harvests; Proverbs 25:13 uses "the cold of snow in the time of harvest" (possibly referring to cold water rather than actual snow) as a figure for refreshment. The frost thus served as a reminder of human dependence on God's governance of the seasons.