Original Word: צְפַרְדֵּעַ
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: tsphardea`
Pronunciation: tsef-ar-day'-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (tsef-ar-day'-ah)
KJV: frog
NASB: frogs
Word Origin: [from H6852 (צָּפַר - depart) and a word elsewhere unused meaning a swamp]

1. a marsh-leaper, i.e. frog

frog

From tsaphar and a word elsewhere unused meaning a swamp; a marsh-leaper, i.e. Frog -- frog.

see HEBREW tsaphar

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
frogs
NASB Translation
frogs (13).

צְפַרְדֵּעַ noun feminine^{Ex 8:2} (compare also Albr^{ZAW xv (1895), 322} Ges^{§§ 135o} 145o) frogs (Arabic , etc.; Aramaic עוּדְּעָנַיָּא, אוּרְדְּעָא, ); — frogs, collective Exodus 8:2; Psalm 78:45; plural צִפַרְדְּעִים Exodus 7:27; Exodus 7:28; Exodus 7:29; Exodus 8:1; Exodus 8:3; Exodus 8:4; Exodus 8:5; Exodus 8:7; Exodus 8:8; Exodus 8:9; Psalm 105:30.

צֶ֫פֶת see II צפה.

Occurrence in Scripture

צְפַרְדֵּעַ appears thirteen times, always rendered “frog(s),” ten times in Exodus 8 and once each in Psalm 78:45 and Psalm 105:30. Every reference looks back to the second plague on Egypt, making the word inseparable from that historic judgment.

The Plague of Frogs (Exodus 8)

When Pharaoh hardened his heart after the first plague, the Lord warned, “If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs” (Exodus 8:2). The Nile, the source of Egypt’s life and a focus of its worship, would “team with frogs” (8:3). These amphibians invaded every sphere—palace, bedroom, ovens, and kneading bowls—so that “the frogs will come upon you and your people and all your officials” (8:4).

Aaron’s staff over the waters (8:5-6) brought the promised inundation; Pharaoh’s magicians duplicated the sign (8:7) but could not remove it. Pharaoh pleaded, “Pray to the LORD to remove the frogs from me and my people” (8:8). Moses granted him the honor of naming the time, “that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God” (8:10). The removal came exactly as requested (8:11-13), yet Pharaoh again hardened his heart.

Covenantal Confrontation with Egyptian Deities

Ancient Egypt associated frogs with Heket, a goddess of fertility and resurrection who was often depicted with a frog’s head. By flooding Egypt with uncontrollable frogs—and then killing them in heaps that stank (8:14)—Yahweh exposed Heket’s impotence and demonstrated His absolute sovereignty. Each plague systematically dismantled Egypt’s pantheon; the frog plague therefore served as a polemic against false fertility cults.

Psalmic Recollections

Generations later, Israel’s worship recalled the frogs as a sign of covenant faithfulness:
• “He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them” (Psalm 78:45).
• “Their land teemed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings” (Psalm 105:30).

Both psalms employ the plague to bolster trust in the Lord’s saving power and to warn against forgetfulness of His mighty acts.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Lordship over Creation: The creatures that normally inhabited riverbanks became instruments of judgment the moment God commanded.
2. Holiness and Separation: Frogs desecrated Egypt’s sacred and domestic spaces alike, illustrating that nothing resists divine holiness unchecked.
3. Hardness of Heart: The plague ended only after Pharaoh begged for relief, yet the rapid return to obstinacy highlights the deceitfulness of sin.
4. Covenant Vindication: The plague advanced God’s redemptive plan to liberate Israel, prefiguring later acts of deliverance culminating in the cross and resurrection.

Typological and Prophetic Resonance

Revelation 16:13 describes “unclean spirits like frogs” proceeding from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. The imagery recalls Exodus: demonic forces, like the plague-frogs, flood the earth prior to final judgment. This linkage places the Exodus narrative within a broader biblical pattern: temporary plagues foreshadow final cosmic confrontation and victory.

Historical and Cultural Background

Frogs thrived in the annual Nile inundation, symbolizing fertility. Egyptians protected them; killing a frog could incur severe penalties. The plague therefore struck at Egypt’s social order and religious taboos, intensifying its psychological impact and demonstrating that obedience to God outweighs cultural norms.

Ministerial Applications

• Preaching: The narrative offers a compelling call to repentance, exposing how temporary concessions (Pharaoh’s pleas) differ from genuine surrender.
• Worship: Psalmic reflections encourage congregations to remember past deliverances as fuel for present praise.
• Counseling: The swift shift from crisis-driven vows to hardened resistance warns believers against conditional obedience.
• Missions: Just as the Lord confronted Egypt’s gods, the gospel confronts modern idols; confidence rests in the same sovereign power.

Related Passages for Study

Exodus 7–12; Deuteronomy 4:34; Nehemiah 9:10; Acts 7:36; Revelation 16:13-14.

בַּֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃ בצפרדעים׃ הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִ֔ים הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִ֖ים הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִ֗ים הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃ הַֽצֲפַרְדְּעִ֔ים הַצְּפַרְדֵּ֔עַ הצפרדע הצפרדעים הצפרדעים׃ וּ֝צְפַרְדֵּ֗עַ וצפרדע צְפַרְדְּעִ֑ים צְפַרְדְּעִים֒ צפרדעים baṣ·p̄ar·də·‘îm baṣp̄ardə‘îm BatzfardeIm ha·ṣă·p̄ar·də·‘îm haṣ·p̄ar·də·‘îm haṣ·ṣə·p̄ar·dê·a‘ haṣăp̄ardə‘îm haṣp̄ardə‘îm haṣṣəp̄ardêa‘ hatzafardeIm HatzfardeIm hatztzefarDea ṣə·p̄ar·də·‘îm ṣəp̄ardə‘îm tzefardeIm ū·ṣə·p̄ar·dê·a‘ ūṣəp̄ardêa‘ utzefarDeaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts