In ancient times many people believed the sky was a solid dome which supported the heavenly bodies. It was thought to have windows and doors through which angels, gods, holy men, snow, and rain might ascend or descend as needed (Gen 7:11; Is 24:18; Mal 3:10). In Job, God is credited with the power to send snow down from His heavenly storehouses to either protect and water the soil or to hinder the efforts of soldiers in battle (Job 37:6; 38:22-23). The psalmist enjoined the snow to join the rest of creation in praising the Lord by "fulfilling His word" (Ps 148:8). The apocryphal Testament of Levi declares that there are seven heavens and that snow is kept in the second heaven along with fire, ice, and all the spirits of retribution. That writer believed that God has these elements and spirits stored in the second heaven for use on the day He punishes the wicked (The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, 3 - The Testament of Levi Concerning the Priesthood - Ante-Nicene Early Church Fathers v. 8).
Because of its whiteness and freshness, snow is a symbol of purity. Melted snow was considered more cleansing than ordinary water (Job 9:30-31). The forgiveness of sins left the repentant as "white" or pure as snow (Ps 51:7; Is 1:18). The life of the Virgin Mary was so exemplary that an apocryphal account of her death records that the apostles, seeing her soul leave her body, could not help but notice that it was whiter than snow (Apocrypha of the New Testament - The Passing of the Blessed Mary - Early Church Fathers, Ante-Nicene v. 8). Another apocryphal work surmises that at the end of time, the Lord will send four great winds to "sweep sin from off the earth," leaving it as flat as paper and as white as snow - pure enough to be the Lord's Virgin Bride (Apocrypha of the New Testament, Revelation of John - Ante-Nicene Early Church Fathers v. 8). Madame Swetchine taught we should "Let our lives be as pure as snow fields, where our footsteps leave a mark, but not a stain."
In Palestine, snowfall was rare except on the high mountains where it was seen year round. Normally, Israelites saw snow from a distance where it often appeared luminous because of the reflection of the sun's rays upon the snowcapped mountains. This, coupled with its white color, caused biblical writers to associate snow with heavenly beings. The Ancient of Days, the transfigured Christ, and the holy angels wore garments which were as white as snow (Dan 7:9; Mt 28:3; Mk 9:3). In John's vision, Christ's head and hair were as white as snow (Rev 1:14). E.H. Chapin wrote "An aged Christian with the snow of time on his head may remind us that those points of earth are whitest that are nearest heaven. " The brightness and whiteness of snow was also associated with the health and prosperity of Jerusalem's princes when God looked with favor upon them (Lam 4:7). During times of famine or siege, severe malnutrition caused their appearance to darken and lose its luster.
So far, it seems that snow has a fairly exalted place in the symbolism of the ancients, but the whiteness of snow was also associated with the most feared disease of the Bible. The white scales of the disease then known as leprosy led people to describe lepers as being as white as snow (Ex 4:6; Num 12:10; 2 Ki 5:27).
Psalm 68 compares the scattering of the Canaanite kings before the Israelites to the scattering of snowflakes upon a dark hill (Ps 68:14). Some commentators suppose that the snow in this verse refers to the scattered white bones of those slain in battle (Easton's Bible Dictionary).
The cooling properties of snow can be very refreshing. During biblical times, snow was brought down from the mountains as a luxury item to cool drinks on hot days (Prov 25:13). During the winter, snow storms were deadly to the unprepared (Prov 31:21; Ps 147:16-17). Unseasonal snow could be devastating to the crops (Prov 26:1). Snow and ice are also associated with frigidity and hard heartedness. According to Braden, love can melt the "snow of the most frozen regions."
In many areas, snowfall is an important source of moisture. Jeremiah writes that no farmer would trade a farm watered by the snow water of Lebanon for another field watered by a muddy or uncertain stream (Jer 18:14). God uses snow (which, having fallen to earth, never returns to the heavens, but instead waters the fields) as an example of the unfailing power of His word which, sent down to earth, accomplishes whatever He pleases (Is 55:10-11). The Jordan River, itself, was fed by the melting snows of Mt. Hermon. Snow also protects the roots of various plants from cold weather. Hannah Whithall Smith writes, "There is no frost hath power to blight the tree God shields; the roots are warm beneath soft snows, and when spring comes it surely knows, and every bud to blossom grows" (The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whithall Smith p. 73).
Because snow melts quickly in warm climates, sometimes causing floods, it is symbolic of people who seem to triumph at first but then quickly vanish when the heat is on. Job says that the wicked should be consumed by the grave just as snow water, stored in the public cisterns, was quickly depleted by heat and drought (Job 24:19). The Euphrates River, along the northeast border of ancient Israel, was rapidly flooded each spring by "the melting of the mountain snows along its length." (Marvin R. Vincent, NT Word Studies). These annual floods made the Euphrates an emblem of the sweeping punishments of God. Job compares his fickle friends to deceitful streams and brooks caused by melting snow. Their waters were abundant, cool, and refreshing until it got really hot and he desperately needed them. Then they vanished, leaving Job like a caravan in the desert, searching for the life-giving streams he thought he could count on (Job 6:14-20).
There is a legend called The Miracle of the Snow. According to this story, there was a rich man named Giovanni Patricio who sought advice from the Virgin Mary on how best to distribute his wealth. On the night of August 5, 352 A.D., the Virgin appeared to the man, his wife, and Pope Liberius and directed them to use Giovanni's riches to build a church. They should build it wherever they found the ground covered in snow the next day. In the morning, snow was found on Esquiline Hill - some say it was arranged in the shape of the church that would be built there.
The plenitude of snowflakes in a storm has been compared to the tortures rained upon the holy martyrs (Martyrdom of the Holy Confessors - Early Church Fathers, Ante-Nicene v.8). The uniqueness of each snowflake has long been an object lesson to youngsters of the singular nature of each human being and God's creative attention to the smallest details. The three stages of water can be used to illustrate the Trinity. Joseph Dare wrote, "Snow is water, and ice is water, and water is water; these three are one."
Except where otherwise indicated all scripture quotes are from the NKJV.
More information about snow is available at:
© 1999 by Suzetta Tucker
To cite this page:
Tucker, Suzetta. "ChristStory Christmas Symbols - Snow."
ChristStory Christian Bestiary. 1999. http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/snow.htm
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