FROG

(tsephardea`; compare Arabic dafda` (Exodus 8:2 ff; Psalms 78:45; 105:30); batrachos (Revelation 16:13)): The references in Psalms, as well as in Exodus, are to the plague of flogs. In Revelation 16:13 we have, "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, as it were frogs." The word tsephardea` probably referred both to frogs and to toads, as does the Arabic dafda`. In Palestine and Syria Rana esculenta, Bufo viridis and Hyla arborea are common. According to Mr. Michael J. Nicoll, assistant director of the Zoological Gardens at Gizah, near Cairo, the commonest Egyptian species are Rana mascariensis and Bufo regularis. Rana esculenta, Bufo viridis and Bufo vittatus are also found, but are much less common.

Alfred Ely Day

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.