Bible Verses About Winter. While the Bible’s seasonal imagery frequently focuses on the wealth of summer and the vigorous life of spring, the portrayal of winter offers equally significant spiritual truths, highlighting themes of preparation, dormancy, and divine power over the elements. Winter in the ancient Near East was marked by frigid temperatures, torrential downpours, and a halt to external agricultural development.
This organic stop is a potent metaphor for the need for rest, introspection, and endurance tests. The passages associated with this period promote an emphasis on internal faith, reminding Christians that life continues under the surface, waiting for the right moment of divine timing, even while the outside world appears frozen or barren.
The biblical allusions to winter frequently emphasize God’s omnipotent authority over harsh circumstances like snow, ice, and bitter cold. This motif is used in Job, Psalms, and the prophetic literature to illustrate the amazing extent of God’s reign and show that He is in control of even the things that have the power to stop human activity.
The season turns into a theological declaration: God’s rule is absolute, and He both judges and purifies via the contrast of the seasons. For example, the promise that sins shall be made “as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18) is sometimes employed as a metaphor for divine purification.
In the end, studying Bible passages regarding winter encourages a greater comprehension of God’s wisdom in creating cycles of activity and rest. Winter is more than just a frigid season; it’s an important time for the soil to rest, absorb moisture, and get ready for new development. Spiritually, this time of year forces us to slow down, accumulate inner reserves, and put our faith in God’s invisible work, which guarantees that the silent, chilly period of waiting will eventually give way to the promise of spring.
40 Inspiring Bible Verses About Winter (2025)
1. Genesis 8:22
“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”
This foundational covenant verse establishes winter as an integral and perpetual part of God’s reliable creation cycle. The inclusion of “winter” assures us that the seasons of cold, rest, and dormancy are divinely ordered and necessary for the earth’s overall functioning.
2. Job 37:10
“The breath of God produces ice, and the broad waters become frozen.”
This verse dramatically attributes the creation of ice and frozen water to the very “breath of God.” It emphasizes God’s majestic, direct, and intimate control over the most intense elements of the winter season, asserting His sovereignty over all natural forces.
3. Psalm 147:16-17
“He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes. He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?”
This passage uses rich, visual language to describe God’s complete command over winter weather. The imagery of snow like “wool” and frost like “ashes” underscores both the gentle beauty and the irresistible, overwhelming power of the cold season directed by God.
4. Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
This powerful promise uses the purifying, brilliant white of winter snow as the ultimate metaphor for divine forgiveness and cleansing. It assures believers that God can make the deepest stain of sin completely pure and spotless.
5. Song of Songs 2:11
“See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.”
While focused on the transition to spring, this verse defines winter as the season of trials, rains, and temporary absence of joy. It provides a clear scriptural marker for the end of a hard period and the anticipation of new life.
6. Job 6:15-17
“But my brothers are as undependable as intermittent streams, as torrents that overflow with ice. When the ice thaws, they disappear; when it is hot, they vanish from their channels.”
This passage uses the unpredictable, freezing, and thawing of winter streams to illustrate the unreliability of false friends. The suddenness of the deep cold and the thaw serve as a metaphor for inconsistent support in times of trouble.
7. Psalm 74:17
“It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.”
This verse confirms that God established the parameters for all seasons, including winter. It is a powerful affirmation that the cold, dark season is not accidental, but an intentional boundary set by the Creator for the earth’s order.
8. Jeremiah 36:22
“It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him.”
This historical note places the event of King Jehoiakim burning Jeremiah’s scroll explicitly in the time of deep cold (the ninth month, Kislev/December). It highlights the natural reality of winter as a time of seeking warmth, rest, and shelter from the elements.
9. Proverbs 20:4
“Sluggards do not plow in winter; because of the cold, they would not beg during harvest.”
This proverb teaches a lesson about spiritual and physical diligence by referencing the winter pause. It implies that while the severity of the cold stops outward work (plowing), the wise use that time for internal preparation, not laziness, to ensure a good future harvest.
10. Ezra 10:9
“Within three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. The date was the twentieth day of the ninth month. All the people were sitting in the open square before the house of God, shivering because of the rain and the seriousness of the matter.”
This historical account explicitly links the ninth month (winter) with severe cold, rain, and public discomfort. It shows the reality of winter’s severity, which added to the seriousness and immediacy of the religious assembly.
11. Job 38:22-23
“Have you entered the storehouses of the snow or seen the treasuries of the hail, which I reserve for times of trouble, for days of war and battle?”
God challenges Job by referencing His secret “storehouses of the snow and hail,” emphasizing His sovereign control over the powerful winter elements. This imagery portrays winter conditions as tools God holds in reserve, often used to fulfill His divine purpose or judgment.
12. Psalm 147:18
“He sends out his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.”
This verse provides the perfect counterbalance to the cold, highlighting God’s power to transition out of winter. The melting of ice and the flowing of water at God’s command demonstrate that the cold season is temporary and subject to the warming power of His word.
13. Proverbs 31:21
“When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.”
This verse, describing the excellent wife, uses the arrival of snow (winter’s cold) to highlight her preparedness and foresight. Her household is adequately clothed and protected, showing that wisdom involves preparing during times of plenty for the inevitable hardships of the cold season.
14. Matthew 24:20
“Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.”
Jesus warns His disciples about the difficulty of fleeing during times of tribulation, specifically mentioning the severe hardship of fleeing during winter. This acknowledges the extreme, travel-hindering conditions—cold, rain, and mud—that the season brings to daily life.
15. Job 37:6
“He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the downpour, ‘Be overwhelming.’”
This verse simply yet profoundly states that God issues commands to the winter weather itself. The snow and heavy downpour (winter rain) are not random occurrences but obedient agents carrying out the explicit instructions of the Creator.
16. 2 Timothy 4:21
“Do your best to come before winter, for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.”
Paul urges Timothy to travel quickly before the onset of winter, recognizing the physical impossibility and danger of sea travel and long journeys during the season of storms and harsh weather. This highlights the practical limitations imposed by winter.
17. Psalm 104:22
“When you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust.”
This verse refers to the cycle of life and death, implicitly connected to the stillness and seeming “death” of nature in winter. The cold season visually mirrors the fate of all created things, dependent on the breath of God for life and renewal.
18. Proverbs 25:20
“Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on a wound, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.”
This proverb uses the painful shock of losing warmth on a cold day (winter) to describe the insensitivity of offering trivial comfort to someone suffering. It evokes the powerful discomfort associated with the bitter cold.
19. Revelation 6:14
“The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.”
This apocalyptic image, while not directly mentioning winter, uses the cessation and undoing of the established physical order. This mirrors the spiritual function of winter, where the visible, outward order of nature temporarily ceases before renewal.
20. Isaiah 25:4
“For you have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”
This promise emphasizes God’s role as a shelter from the harsh “storm” (often heavy winter rain or snow). It portrays God as the source of protection and provision against the extreme discomforts and dangers of the cold season.
21. Job 37:9
“The tempest comes out from its chamber, and the cold from the scattering winds.”
This verse describes the origins of the harsh winter elements, linking the fierce, cold weather directly to powerful natural forces, all of which are ultimately directed by God’s providence. The “tempest” refers to the severe storms and chilling winds common in the cold season.
22. Psalm 148:7-8
“Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding.”
This hymn of praise explicitly lists the core winter elements (hail, snow, and stormy winds) as entities created by God and commanded to praise Him. This emphasizes that even the most destructive or chilling forces are subject to divine will.
23. Psalm 31:20
“In the shelter of your presence you hide them from all human scheming; you keep them safe in your dwelling from the strife of tongues.”
This verse, while not directly about winter, speaks of God’s refuge and shelter, which is often physically sought against the cold and storms of winter. It uses the physical need for warmth and protection as a metaphor for spiritual safety in God.
24. Jeremiah 14:14
“But the Lord said to me, ‘The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, lying omens and the delusions of their own minds.’”
This prophetic warning, often related to the failure of seasonal rains, implies a consequence of failed winter rains that leads to drought. Lying prophets offer false comfort when the natural (and spiritual) signs point to scarcity and impending hardship.
25. Psalm 104:13
“He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of his work.”
This verse focuses on the necessary watering process, often carried out by heavy winter rains and snowmelt. God ensures that the cold season provides the vital moisture that ultimately satisfies the earth and enables future growth.
26. Job 24:19
“Drought and heat snatch away the melted snow; even so the grave snatches away those who have sinned.”
This dark verse uses the swift disappearance of melted winter snow in the heat to symbolize the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death for the wicked. The melted snow is a temporary source of life that quickly vanishes.
27. Matthew 5:45
“He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”
This verse speaks to God’s universal provision of rain (often the heavy winter rain) and sunlight. It emphasizes that the essential elements for life, including the cold season’s moisture, are given impartially as a testimony to God’s common grace.
28. Psalm 29:10
“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as King forever.”
The “flood” can often refer to the massive torrents of water and overflowing rivers caused by heavy winter rains. God’s enthronement over the chaos and power of winter weather asserts His supreme, calm control over all natural forces.
29. Isaiah 55:10
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater…”
This powerful analogy uses the essential winter elements of rain and snow to guarantee the effectiveness of God’s spoken word. Just as the moisture sustains the earth through winter to bring forth life, God’s Word will surely accomplish His purposes.
30. Job 30:3
“Haggard from want and hunger, they gnaw the dry ground in the gloom of the wilderness at night.”
This verse portrays a time of extreme scarcity and suffering, often related to the harsh conditions of a failed harvest or the depth of winter. The “gloom” evokes the cold, dark reality of destitution when natural resources are exhausted.
31. Psalm 107:33-34
“He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, a fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who live there.”
This passage describes divine judgment that mimics the devastation of a severe drought or failed winter season. It shows that God can withhold the life-giving moisture and provision necessary for the earth to flourish, mirroring the barrenness of a punishing winter.
32. Haggai 1:11
“I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil, and on whatever the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
God’s judgment here is delivered through a drought (lack of necessary winter rain), leading to a massive loss of crops. This demonstrates God’s control over the season’s moisture, linking obedience to agricultural success.
33. Luke 12:54
“He said to the crowd: ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, “It’s going to rain,” and it does.’”
This verse refers to the natural indicators of rain, particularly the heavy rains needed in the winter season. Jesus uses the common knowledge of weather patterns to illustrate that people should be equally aware of spiritual signs.
34. Isaiah 41:18
“I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched earth into flowing streams.”
This promise of restoration contrasts with the dry, cold, and often barren conditions of winter. God promises to reverse the conditions of drought and scarcity by providing abundant water, ensuring a future time of warmth and life.
35. Matthew 7:25
“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
This parable uses the fierce winter storm (rain, rising streams, and strong winds) as a metaphor for the tribulations and spiritual testing of life. The strong house, built on the rock, represents a faith that endures the worst of the “winter” seasons.
36. Ezekiel 13:11
“Therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. A torrent of rain will come, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and a violent wind will break it down.”
This prophetic warning uses the violent, destructive power of winter elements (torrential rain, hail, and wind) to symbolize God’s coming judgment against false security. The true severity of the season exposes inadequacy.
37. Psalm 18:13
“The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded, hailstones and coals of fire.”
This psalm describes the powerful intervention of God using elements like hailstones (a common feature of winter storms or severe weather). This imagery emphasizes the terrifying might of God’s presence and action.
38. Isaiah 30:30
“The Lord will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm descending with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, storm and hail.”
Again, the manifestation of God’s power and judgment is intrinsically linked to the extreme weather of winter (cloudburst, storm, and hail), underscoring the severity of divine wrath.
39. John 10:22
“Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter.”
This simple historical note in the New Testament grounds the setting of Jesus’ teaching about being the Good Shepherd within the cold, annual winter festival (Hanukkah). It provides a temporal and environmental context for one of His key messages.
40. Job 24:8
“They are soaked by the mountain rains and huddle against the rock, having no shelter.”
This verse vividly portrays the suffering of the poor and oppressed exposed to heavy winter rains. It highlights the misery and vulnerability caused by the cold season when essential protection (shelter) is lacking.
Conclusion
The biblical examination of winter ends with a potent confirmation of the importance of silent faith, endurance, and rest. The chilly, dormant period is an important time when life’s roots grow deeper, and the soil collects the vital moisture required for future flourishing; it is neither an error nor a delay in the divine design. This reflects the spiritual reality that significant development frequently takes place in the face of difficult situations and without external action. The passages serve as a reminder that, in the same way that God is in charge of the snow, ice, and cold, He is actively maintaining and preparing us for life, even when it seems hopeless or slow.
In the end, the seasonal cycle fosters trust in the complete dependability of God’s timing, with winter serving as its profound, grounding stop. The Bible’s primary promise of hope is that spring will come after winter, that life will unavoidably emerge from the seemingly lifeless earth. Relying on the tremendous force of the Creator, who has promised that the cycles would continue, we are called to use these peaceful times to develop inner patience. We put ourselves in a position to receive the bountiful, unavoidable regeneration that God faithfully offers when we embrace the winter season.
