Reference: Snow
American
Is often alluded to in Scripture, for its whiteness, Ex 4:6; Nu 12:10; 2Ki 5:27; Ps 51:7; Isa 1:18, and for its cleansing qualities, Job 9:30. The expression in Pr 25:13, "as the cold of snow in the time of harvest," alludes to its use in preparing cool drinks for the reapers; while on the other hand, in Pr 26:1, "snow in summer," that is, a fall of snow, being unseasonable and unnatural, is compared to honors inappropriately lavished on a fool. Snow from Anti-Lebanon is still sold at Damascus and Beyroot in the simmer, and even conveyed to Egypt. It rarely fell of any great depth in the latitude of Palestine, or remained long on the ground except in elevated spots, 2Sa 23:20. Like every other wonder of nature, it is ascribed to the hand of God, Ps 147:16-17.
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Easton
Common in Palestine in winter (Ps 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; Ps 51:7; 68:14; Isa 1:18). It is mentioned only once in the historical books (2Sa 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 (Pr 25:13; Jer 18:14). No doubt Herod Antipas, at his feasts in Tiberias, enjoyed also from this very source the modern luxury of ice-water."
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Fausets
(See PALESTINE.) Climate, at the end.
Hastings
Every winter snow falls occasionally in the mountainous districts of Palestine, but seldom lies for more than a few hours
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Morish
This is taken in scripture as a symbol of 'whiteness.' The sins as scarlet become as white as snow; the raiment of the Lord in the transfiguration was as white as snow, etc. Ps 51:7; Isa 1:18; La 4:7; Da 7:9; Mt 28:3; Re 1:14.
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Smith
Snow.
This historical books of the Bible contain only two notices of snow actually falling --
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.
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.
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.