Dictionary:צְפַרְדֵּעַ/0

צְפַרְדֵּעַ

צְפַרְדֵּעַ

Part of Speech	Noun
Occurrences	3
Possible Meanings	Frogs Crocodiles
Related Words
Image	Click for צפרדע in Art

Biblical Occurrences

The word "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" appears in only three places in Tanakh: Shemot 7:26 – 8:11, Tehillim 78:45, and Tehillim 105:30. As all three chapters speak of the same plague that was visited upon the Egyptians, the word is a virtual hapax legomenon making it difficult to determine its meaning.

Possible Meanings

Commentators provide two different identifications of the צְפַרְדֵּעַ,‎¹ each one casting the Plague and its purpose in a very different light:

1. Frogs

Sources: PhiloOn the Life of Moses I:XVIIIOn the Life of Moses I:XIXAbout Philo, Shemot Rabbah10:6About Shemot Rabbah, R. Yonah ibn JanachSefer HaShorashim s.v. צפרדעAbout R. Yonah ibn Janach, Lekach TovShemot 7:28Shemot 7:29About R. Toviah b. Eliezer, Ibn EzraLong Commentary Shemot 7:27About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, Ma'asei HashemMa'asei Mitzrayim 11About R. Eliezer Ashkenazi, most other commentators

• Meaning and derivation – The etymology of the word "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" is unknown. Some suggest that it may be an onomatopoeic expression of the frog's croak.²
• Purpose of the Plagues – Philo asserts that Hashem preferred "to admonish the Egyptians [rather] than to destroy them," and thus initially sent smaller nuisances³ rather than larger and more destructive plagues.⁴ See Purpose of the Plagues.⁵
• Nature of the miracle – Philo emphasizes how Hashem has "need of no assistant," and thus purposefully did not deploy mighty bears, lions, or snakes to do his bidding, but rather chose small, insignificant creatures as His instruments.⁶
• "וּבְתַנּוּרֶיךָ וּבְמִשְׁאֲרוֹתֶיךָ" – R"Y Ibn Janach and R"E Ashkenazi note that the "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" was small enough to enter houses, and even ovens and dough (Shemot 7:28), and thus could not be much larger than a frog.⁷
• Effects of the Plague – ShadalShemot 8:17About R. S.D. Luzzatto explains that the language of devouring ("וַתַּשְׁחִיתֵם") found in Tehillim 78:45 regarding the "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" is simply a figure of speech.⁸
• "וַיִּצְעַק מֹשֶׁה" – This is the only time that this verb appears during the course of the Plagues. B. Lerner⁹ suggests that Moshe instinctively shouted in order to hear himself over the croaking of the frogs.
• Removal of the Plague – The TanchumaVaera 14About the Tanchuma and Shemot Rabbah10:611:3About Shemot Rabbah note a distinction between the "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" which died in Egypt and the "עָרֹב" which simply left the country. They explain that Hashem removed the "עָרֹב" so that the Egyptians would not derive benefit from their hides, but left the carcasses of the frogs in Egypt because they were worthless.¹⁰

2. Crocodiles

Sources: R. SaadiaCommentary Tehillim 78:45About R. Saadia Gaon, R. ChananelCited by Ramban Shemot 10:14Cited by R. Bachya Shemot 10:19About R. Chananel b. Chushiel, opinion cited by Ibn EzraLong Commentary Shemot 7:27About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, AbarbanelShemot 7About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

• Meaning and derivation – Unknown.¹¹
• Relationship to "תַּנִּין" – Commentators who identify "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" as a crocodile would likely identify the "תַּנִּין" as a serpent rather than a crocodile. See תנין – Serpent or Sea Monster.
• Effects of the Plague – The verbs "נֹגֵף" (Shemot 7:26) and "וַתַּשְׁחִיתֵם" (Tehillim 78:45) which are applied to the "צְפַרְדְּעִים" are understood to mean that there were fatalities.¹²
• Purpose of the Plagues – According to this approach, the Plague of "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" was designed to inflict severe harm. See Purpose of the Plagues.¹³
• Nature of the miracle – According to Abarbanel, the natural result of the fish in the Nile dying during the Plague of Blood, was that the crocodiles invaded the land of Egypt to find alternative sources of food. See The Plagues – Natural or Supernatural for further discussion of Abarbanel's general position on the Plagues.
• Origin of the Plague – Abarbanel attempts to prove from the repeated emphasis on "רַק בַּיְאֹר תִּשָּׁאַרְנָה" that the "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" was not previously native to the Nile, and thus the Torah states that hereafter they remained as living testimony to the miracle.¹⁴ The Ma'asei Hashem, though, dismisses Abarbanel's proof.¹⁵
• "וּבְתַנּוּרֶיךָ וּבְמִשְׁאֲרוֹתֶיךָ" – Abarbanel suggests that the crocodiles invaded the houses and ovens in search of food.¹⁶
• "רַק בַּיְאֹר תִּשָּׁאַרְנָה" – Abarbanel attempts to prove from here that the "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" could not be frogs, as frogs remained not only in the Nile, but also in other bodies of water.¹⁷

Semantic Evolution

Intra-Biblical

Rabbinic Hebrew

Modern Hebrew

¹ The NetzivShemot 7:29About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin combines the two possibilities.

² See ‏אנציקלופדיה מקראית "צפרדע"‏.

³ Cf. Lekach Tov who tries to show how frogs were brought as a "measure for measure."

⁴ The identification of "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" as frogs (rather than crocodiles) fits with the view that the plagues show a gradual escalation – see Patterns in the Plagues.

⁵ The surrounding plagues of blood and lice also do not appear to cause grievous harm. Regarding "עָרֹב", see עָרֹב – Beasts or Bugs.

⁶ Regarding this notion in general and regarding the Plagues, see also Bereshit Rabbah 10:7, Shemot Rabbah Vaera 10:1.

⁷ They point out that this argues against its identification as a crocodile. See the Ma'asei Hashem who quips that the Abarbanel (who identifies the "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" as a crocodile) apparently never saw a crocodile. ShadalShemot 8:17About R. S.D. Luzzatto makes a similar argument against the possibility that the "עָרֹב" was wild animals – see עָרֹב – Beasts or Bugs.

⁸ See also R. Yonah ibn Janach. It is noteworthy that the Torah does not record any deaths resulting from the "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" plague. If they were crocodiles, one would have expected both human and livestock fatalities (like those described in other plagues).

⁹ B. Lerner, "Crying Out About Frogs," VT 60 (2010): 662-663.

¹⁰ This argument depends on the identification of "עָרֹב" as wild beasts – see עָרֹב – Beasts or Bugs.

¹¹ Cf. R"D Sperber attempts (found here) to find a basis in realia for the etymology found in the Lekach TovShemot 7:29About R. Toviah b. Eliezer. See also R"N Slifkin's discussion of Sperber's theory in "Tzefarde'a: Frogs or Crocodiles?", JBQ 38 (2010): 251-254.

¹² Abarbanel states this explicitly, and this seems to also be the underlying assumption of R. Saadia. [Cf. Midrash Tehillim105:9About Midrash Tehillim, Shemot Rabbah10:3About Shemot Rabbah. and RambanShemot 8:15About R. Moshe Nachmanides] A similar argument is made for the identification of "עָרֹב" as wild animals – see עָרֹב – Beasts or Bugs. However, RashiShemot 7:27About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki and ShadalShemot 8:17About R. S.D. Luzzatto disagree, with Rashi suggesting that "נֹגֵף" merely implies a non-fatal attack, and Shadal explaining that the language used in both plagues is simply a figure of speech. See also Ibn Janach.

¹³ Note, however, that the neighboring plagues of blood and lice do not appear to cause grievous harm. Regarding "עָרֹב", see עָרֹב – Beasts or Bugs.

¹⁴ Abarbanel embarks on a fascinating pseudo-scientific and historical excursion to try to demonstrate that crocodiles did not originally live in fresh water.

¹⁵ According to R"E Ashkenazi, from the words "וְשָׁרַץ הַיְאֹר צְפַרְדְּעִים" it appears that they were always present in the Nile, and that the significance of their remaining only in the river was that this demonstrated the Divine origin of the plague.

¹⁶ See above that the Plague of Blood decimated the crocodiles' food supply in the Nile. Those who understand "צְפַרְדֵּעַ" as frogs presumably maintain that they invaded the houses and ovens simply to annoy the Egyptians.

¹⁷ The Ma'asei Hashem dismisses this argument, saying that part of the miracle was that only the frogs in the Nile survived.