What do frogs symbolize in the Bible?
Introduction
In the Bible, frogs are mentioned in the context of the plague that occurred in the book of Exodus.
Frogs were one of the ten plagues that God sent to the land of Egypt as punishment to Pharaoh for refusing to free the Israelites from slavery.
This phenomenon from the Bible is widely known to many people, so they can wonder what it might mean. In this article, we will look at what frogs symbolize in the Bible.
The Meanings of Frogs in the Bible:
A Warning About What Will Happen
Exodus 8:2 says, “And if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs.”
This verse means a warning given to Pharaoh through Moses.
Frogs were brought upon Egypt as a physical manifestation of God’s power and a demonstration of His authority over creation.
It shows the consequences of Pharaoh’s disobedience and the seriousness of the situation.
In this verse, we can only see a warning about what will happen.
For people of those years, any natural anomaly could cause fear, including frogs, which are considered unpleasant for most people.
Exodus 8:3
Then we can see the repeated mention of frogs.
Exodus 8:3 says, “The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading troughs.”
In this verse, God still warns Pharaoh about the impending appearance of frogs as a form of judgment.
The invasion of frogs is a demonstration of God’s judgment and His power.
The invasion into all spheres of Egyptian life, including the palace, bedroom, residential buildings, and even ovens and kneading troughs, embodies God’s judgment’s comprehensive scope and severity.
This shows the consequences of Pharaoh’s refusal to free the Israelites from slavery and proves God’s sovereignty.
This also partially takes away the power from the Pharaoh since the normal functioning of the state disappears when frogs interrupt all activities. Thus, frogs are God’s tool for showing Pharaoh’s weakness.
Repentance
The invasion of frogs brings destruction and chaos to the land of Egypt.
Frogs are associated with uncleanness and live in muddy waters.
Their presence in such overwhelming numbers disrupts daily life, causing discomfort and showing the turmoil caused by disobedience and rebellion against God’s will.
This chaos serves as a tangible reflection of the consequences of the Pharaoh’s actions. Frogs also have a special meaning in the context of Egyptian religious beliefs.
The Egyptians worshipped a frog-headed goddess named Heqet, who was associated with fertility and life.
By striking the Egyptians with an invasion of frogs, God demonstrates His superiority over their false gods and exposes the emptiness of their worship.
The inability of the Egyptians and their magicians to control or destroy frogs shows us the inability of their religious practices compared to the power of the true God.
The invasion of frogs can also be seen as a call to repentance.
This is a sign that the Pharaoh and the Egyptians should recognize their rebellion against God and return to Him.
The invasion of frogs acts as destruction, forcing the Egyptians to face the consequences of their actions and think about the need for repentance and obedience.
Hope and the Promise of Redemption
Exodus 8:4 says, “The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.”
The presence of frogs was intended to disturb the peace of the Egyptians and inconvenience them, showing the seriousness of the situation and challenging their false sense of security.
It aimed to defeat Pharaoh and his people to reconsider their actions, repent and eventually free the Israelites.
This verse continues to describe the details of all the destruction and inconvenience that frogs will bring.
This once again confirms that the frogs had to stop the power of the Pharaoh because they wouldn’t allow his officials to perform their duties. The presence of frogs also foreshadows the final liberation of the Israelites from slavery.
The plague is a sign that God’s judgment on Egypt will eventually lead to the liberation of His chosen people.
Frogs can symbolize hope and the promise of redemption amid chaos and suffering because, despite all the horror of the situation and the unpleasantness of frogs, they fulfilled the will of God.
Exodus 8:5
Exodus 8:5 has instructions for Aaron: “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’”
God tells Moses to tell Aaron to stretch out his hand with a staff over streams, canals, and ponds, causing frogs to appear in the land of Egypt.
Aaron had to show everyone that he was following God’s command, and it was because of this that the invasion of frogs would occur.
In this context, instruction means God’s command to carry out a concrete manifestation of His power and judgment.
By extending his hand with the staff, Aaron acted as an instrument of God’s authority and divine intervention.
The staff itself was a symbol of God’s power, as it was used in previous miracles and signs throughout the story of the Exodus.
The Plague
Exodus 8:6 says: “So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.”
This Bible passage illustrates the scale of the plague when frogs invaded the whole land of Egypt.
This highlights the overwhelming nature of God’s judgment and the inability of the Pharaoh and his magicians to control or eliminate the plague.
Exodus 8:7
In Exodus 8:7, we can find additional information about how frogs appeared in Egypt: “But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts; they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.”
The magicians at the Pharaoh’s court were able to reproduce the act of bringing frogs to the land of Egypt with the help of their secret art or witchcraft.
This event occurs after Aaron reaches out with his staff, causing the frogs to float as God commanded. This event was a manifestation of a limited miraculous power granted by God to magicians for a specific purpose.
It is possible that God allowed the magicians to perform this to demonstrate that His power and judgment were greater than the might of Egypt.
God demonstrated His superiority by allowing magicians to imitate this action, eventually multiplying and amplifying the plague.
The imitation of the magicians of Aaron and Moses, which had the consequence of multiplying toads, increased the power of the plague.
Exodus 8:8
Exodus 8:8 says: “Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.”
In this passage, Pharaoh, realizing the disaster caused by the invasion of frogs, calls Moses and Aaron to intervene.
Pharaoh recognizes the situation and seeks relief by asking Moses and Aaron to pray to the Lord on his behalf.
Pharaoh also understands that the power of Moses and Aaron stems from their connection with the Lord.
Turning to them with a request for intercession in prayer, Pharaoh unconditionally recognizes the authority and power of the God of Israel.
He admits that only God can bring relief from the plague and can control frogs and destroy them.
Moses and Aaron promise that Egypt will soon get rid of the frogs if the Jews are released.
After that, frogs are mentioned in several more verses. It is said that they all died, after which they formed large piles exuding an unpleasant smell. In fact, the frogs have played the role intended for them by God.
Moses promised that there would be no frogs anywhere but the Nile, the place where they lived, so they died in houses, in the fields, and in the desert, far from their habitat, which was inevitable.
This had an effect, but after Pharaoh regained control of power in Egypt, he broke promises, so God continued to punish Egypt.
The presence of frogs during Egyptian executions shows God’s sovereignty, His ability to administer judgment, and the consequences of resisting His will.
Other Mentions of Frogs in the Bible
We can also find the mentions of frogs in Psalm, referring to the events of Exodus.
Psalm 78:45: “He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, And frogs, which destroyed them.”
Psalm 105:30: “Their land abounded with frogs, Even in the chambers of their kings.”
The Bible mentions frogs at another point besides the plague in the Book of Exodus.
Revelation 16:13
In the Book of Revelation, frogs are mentioned as part of a prophetic vision given to the apostle John. This vision is described by symbolic language and has images that convey spiritual truths.
Revelation 16:13 states: “And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.”
In this verse, frogs are described as unclean spirits that come from the mouth of a beast, that is, Satan, a beast representing a powerful and despotic system, and a false prophet, that is, a religious figure who misleads.
Frogs symbolize demonic or evil forces that influence people and deceive them.
This image shows that in recent times there has been a spread of false teachings, deception, and spiritual darkness.
The mention of frogs highlights the unclean and deceptive nature of these spirits since frogs were considered unclean animals per Jewish dietary laws.
The vision presented in the book of Revelation serves as both a cautionary message and a source of encouragement for believers. It urges them to be discerning, unwavering in their adherence to truth, and vigilant against the escalating spiritual conflicts that will arise in the final days.
The symbolism of frogs in this context represents the presence of spiritual deception, showing the importance of remaining spiritually alert and reliant on God’s guidance.
Frogs play a significant role in the Bible, especially in the narrative of the ten plagues that struck Egypt in the book of Exodus. But unlike the Exodus, where they fulfilled the will of God, in the vision in the New Testament, they play only a negative role.
In general, it can be understood that, in this context, frogs are exactly a symbol or image.
Since frogs associate with something unpleasant and disgusting, frogs played the role of demonic forces in this vision. However, this doesn’t mean that frogs are bad creatures.
They don’t harm humans, but because of their appearance, they have been unpleasant since ancient times, but as we can see, even amphibians can do the will of God.
Symbolism
Frogs symbolize Judgment and Divine authority:
In Exodus 8:2, God warns Pharaoh, saying that Egypt will be flooded with frogs if Pharaoh doesn’t let the Jews go.
The invasion of frogs was a demonstration of God’s judgment and power.
This helped the Pharaoh and the Egyptians with the consequences of their disobedience. The frogs also took away most of the Pharaoh’s power because the country was paralyzed due to the invasion of frogs.
Despite fulfilling God’s will, this will is destruction and chaos for Egypt. This is what frogs also symbolize.
When frogs invaded the land of Egypt in the book of Exodus, they brought with them a sense of destruction and chaos. Frogs are associated with uncleanliness. Their intrusion into all aspects of daily life in Egypt created discomfort caused by disobedience and rebellion against God’s will.
The invasion of frogs also had significance in the context of Egyptian religion. By striking the Egyptians with an invasion of frogs, God demonstrated His superiority over their false gods and showed the emptiness of their worship.
Frogs flooded the fields, and the Egyptian frog-headed goddess who was responsible for the harvest couldn’t help. It also indicated the influence on the morale of the Egyptians, who disbelieved in their deities.
The invasion of frogs served as a harbinger of the final liberation of the Israelites from slavery. As soon as Pharaoh allowed the Israelites to leave, the plague stopped. Thus, frogs can symbolize the path to freedom and liberation from suffering when we obey God’s will.
In addition to the story of the plagues, frogs are symbolically mentioned in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation 16:13, they are referred to as unclean spirits coming from the mouth of the beast and the false prophet.
These images represent demonic or evil forces that deceive people and influence them. However, like other symbols found in visions, frogs don’t literally symbolize dark spirits, but with the help of their image, God makes it clear how much dark forces can be disgusting.
Biblical Meaning of Frogs in Dreams
Frogs may be slimy and gross, but anyone who lives near a pond may have a different view of these animals.
Some may even argue that nothing is more delicious than frog legs.
Whatever the case might be, frogs are important in the message of the Bible because they are mentioned severally – especially in the Old Testament.
Prophetic Meaning of Dreams
Dreaming about a frog could have a lot of meanings.
In some cases, it could just be your subconscious mind replaying images from your memory.
For instance, if you watch a documentary about frogs before going to bed, don’t think too much about it if you see frogs in your dream.
This is just the kind of dream that is described by Solomon in the following scripture;
For a dream cometh through the multitude of business. Ecclesiastes 5:3a
Some dreams, however, have a deeper meaning and will therefore require interpretation.
If you are sure the frog has nothing to do with your subconscious, then there is a good chance your dream has prophetic meaning. However, to interpret dreams effectively, one must be very prayerful because it is only with God’s help that you can decipher the hidden meaning of your dreams.
You need to ask for guidance from God and the holy spirit.
An example of someone who seriously prayed to get an interpretation of a dream is Daniel. He would have depended on his knowledge, but he first asked God for Guidance.
Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. During the night, the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven. (Daniel 2:17-19).
As you pray, God will open your eyes to see the real meaning of your dream.
The Prophetic Meaning of Frogs in a Dream
Symbol of Uncleanliness
Studies have proven that frogs are promiscuous and, in fact, male frogs can mate with any female frog in the pond.
Additionally, frogs are known to carry disease-causing salmonella and other parasites like tapeworms which can be a health hazard for humans and pets.
Add these to the fact that they make croaking sounds at night, and there will be little to be desired from frogs.
As such, seeing a frog in your dreams could be a hidden message about some form of uncleanliness in your life. This could be due to sin, physical uncleanliness, or sexual pervasion.
A Symbol of Destruction
God used frogs as a means of destruction after Pharaoh became stubborn. Frogs were among the ten plagues that God sent to Egypt. Check it out:
He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them. (Psalm 78:45).
Because frogs were used as a symbol of destruction and judgment, seeing them in a dream could have a similar meaning.
Frogs in a dream may mean an impending judgment on either you or someone close to you.
If you see frogs in any of your dreams, you should carefully look into your life to see if you have any sins.
If you have nothing to worry about, then check the people around you. Maybe God is sending you a message about a loved one.
Unclean Spirits
And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs.” (Revelations 16:13)
According to this verse, the unclean spirits are likened to frogs.
The dragon and the beast are used in this verse to mean the devil. The false prophets are also put in the same group as the beast and the dragon.
Additionally, the verse talks about unclean spirits that look like frogs were coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophets.
For this reason, if you see a frog or frogs in your dreams, it may mean that either you are preaching a false doctrine or your words are unclean.
Due to such dreams, you might have to repent of anything unclean in your life. Pray about it, too, since it may mean that someone else close to you may be unclean or dealing with unclean spirits.
Transformation
Frogs have some of the most fascinating metamorphoses in the animal kingdom.
The way they change from the lava to the tadpole and then to the frog is just mindblowing.
The journey of transformation of the frog may also be a spiritual lesson. So, if you see frogs in your dream, it could indicate that God is taking you through a process of transformation.
In the words of scripture, “Be not conformed…. but be ye transformed” (Romans 12:2).
Biblical Meaning of Dead Frogs in Dreams
Dreaming of death is not always bad – sometimes, it signifies an end to something negative in your life.
For example, if you were struggling with sin, then it may be a sign that you are winning the fight.
Similarly, if you see dead frogs in your dreams, it could be an indication that whatever frogs represent is coming to an end.
From the list above, frogs represent lots of bad things ranging from uncleanliness to demonic spirits.
Therefore, seeing dead frogs in your dream could be heaven’s way of telling you that you have been delivered from that struggle.
The Biblical Meaning of Frogs
The symbolism of frogs in the Bible emphasizes the themes of judgment, disobedience, evil spirits (demonic spirits), false worship, and liberation.
They show God’s authority, the consequences of rebellion, and the importance of aligning yourself with His will.
Frogs can also personify spiritual impurity and deceptive forces that seek to mislead humanity.
In general, it can be concluded that frogs were used in the Bible due to their appearance, and their image remains contradictory.
They bring terror to people, while in the Old Testament, they help Moses and Aaron.
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Fyodor Melnikov is an Orthodox Christian. He has a linguistic degree and has devoted himself to Christian theology.