H6854 H6854
Frog; the amphibian of the Egyptian plague, used collectively and in plural for the swarm sent upon Egypt.
Refers exclusively to frogs in the context of the second Egyptian plague and its liturgical remembrance. The Hebrew צְפַרְדֵּעַ appears both as a collective singular ('the frog came up,' Exod 8:2) and in plural form ('frogs,' Exod 7:27–8:9). Translations across languages are remarkably uniform — Spanish ranas, French grenouilles, German Froesche — because the referent is so concrete. Psalms 78:45 and 105:30 recall the plague in worship, making this humble creature a permanent fixture of Israel's salvation memory.
Senses
1. frog (the plague creature) — The amphibian creature sent as a plague upon Egypt, appearing en masse from the Nile to invade houses, beds, and ovens. Used collectively in the singular (Exod 8:2; Ps 78:45) and in the plural (Exod 7:27–8:9; Ps 105:30). The narrow usage — confined entirely to the Exodus plague narrative and its psalmist recollections — means the word carries a theological charge well beyond its zoological referent: it evokes divine judgment and Pharaoh's humiliation through the lowliest of creatures. 13×
AR["الضَّفَادِعَ", "الضَّفَادِعُ", "الضَّفَادِعِ", "بِالضَّفَادِعِ", "ضَفادِعَ", "ضَفَادِعَ", "وَضَفَادِعَ"]·ben["এবং-ব্যাঙ", "ব্যাঙ", "ব্যাঙ-", "ব্যাঙেদের-দ্বারা", "ব্যাঙের-দ্বারা"]·DE["Froesche", "der-Frosch", "die-Froesche", "frogs", "mit-Froesche", "und-frogs"]·EN["and-frogs", "frogs", "the-frog", "the-frogs", "with-frogs"]·FR["avec-grenouilles", "et-grenouille", "grenouille", "grenouilles", "le-grenouille", "le-grenouilles"]·heb["ב-צפרדעים", "ה-צפרדע", "ה-צפרדעים", "ו-צפרדע", "צפרדעים"]·HI["और-मेंढक", "मेंढक", "मेंढकों", "मेंढकों-की", "मेंढकों-को", "मेंढकों-से", "मेढकों"]·ID["dan-katak", "dengan-katak-katak", "katak", "katak-katak"]·IT["con-rane", "e-rana", "il-rana", "le-rane", "rana", "rane"]·jav["kanthi-kodhok", "kodhok", "saha-kodhok"]·KO["개구리-가", "개구리-를", "개구리들로", "개구리들을", "그-개구리가", "그-개구리들을", "그-개구리들의", "그-개구리들이"]·PT["a-rã", "as-rãs", "com-rãs", "de-rãs", "e-rãs", "rãs"]·RU["жаб", "жаба", "жабами", "жабы", "и-лягушек"]·ES["con-ranas", "de-ranas", "la-rana", "las-ranas", "ranas", "y-ranas"]·SW["kwa-vyura", "la-vyura", "na-vyura", "vyura"]·TR["kurbağa", "kurbağalar", "kurbağalarla", "kurbağaları", "kurbağaların", "ve-kurbağalar"]·urd["اور-مینڈک", "مینڈک", "مینڈکوں", "مینڈکوں-سے", "مینڈکوں-کو", "مینڈکوں-کے", "مینڈکیں"]
Related Senses
H6629 1. flock, sheep/goats (small livestock) (274×)H1241 1. cattle, herd (bovine livestock) (183×)H0352a 1. ram (male sheep) (156×)H6499 1. young bull, bullock (130×)H3532 1. lamb, young male sheep (105×)H2543 1. donkey (male ass) (96×)H7794 1. ox, bull (79×)H7462b 1. shepherd (agent noun) (76×)H5795 1. she-goat(s), female goat(s) (68×)H7462b 2. to shepherd, tend, pasture (60×)H1581 1. camel (domestic animal) (54×)H0738b 1. lion (46×)G4263 1. sheep (39×)H5739 1. flock or herd of livestock (38×)H5695 1. calf, young bull (35×)H0738a 1. lion (large predatory feline) (34×)H0860 1. female donkey (34×)H3611 1. dog (animal) (32×)H3715a 1. young lion, lion cub (31×)G0721 1. Lamb (29×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† צְפַרְדֵּעַ n.f. Ex 8:2 (cf. also AlbrZAW xv (1895), 322 Ges§§ 135 o, 145 o) frogs (Arabic ضِفْدِعٌ, etc.; Aramaic עוּרְדְּעָנַיָּא, אוּרְדְּעָא, ܐܽܘܪܕܥܳܐ );—frogs, coll. Ex 8:2 ψ 78:45; pl. צְפַרְדְּעִים Ex 7:27, 28, 29; 8:1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 ψ 105:30.