The Hebrew word elgabish appears only twice in the Old Testament, both in the book of Ezekiel (13:11, 13; 38:22). It refers to great hailstones or crystal. The root likely combines el (God) and gabish (ice crystal), suggesting something of divine, overwhelming magnitude. Translators render it as "hailstones," "great hailstones," or "crystal."
In Ezekiel 13:11–13, God promises to send elgabish hailstones to destroy the false prophets' whitewashed walls — a picture of divine judgment dismantling deceptive spiritual structures. In Ezekiel 38:22, hailstones appear among the weapons God uses against Gog, recalling the plagues of Egypt (Exodus 9:18–25) and the battle of Joshua (Joshua 10:11). The image communicates that God wields the forces of nature as instruments of justice. No wall built on lies can withstand the hailstorm of heaven.