A frog is an animal that lives both in water and on land. It has smooth skin and no tail. In the Bible, frogs were part of the second plague that God sent to Egypt (Exodus 8; Psalms 78:45; 105:30; Revelation 16:13).
Frogs and toads have smooth, hairless skin and no tails as adults. Their back legs are longer and stronger than their front legs. This makes them able to jump long distances. The Bible likely refers to the edible frog (Rana ridibunda) found in Egypt and Palestine.
Female frogs lay eggs in water, which hatch into tadpoles in a week. Tadpoles then develop arms and legs and lose their tails. Frogs need moist skin to breathe, so they stay near water. They eat insects and worms.
Frogs are common in the lowlands of Palestine. You can hear them croaking in spring and summer evenings. The Israelites thought frogs were slimy and dirty. They were grouped with other creeping and swarming creatures, which were normally considered unclean (Leviticus 11:29–31). Since the frog was not listed, rabbis did not consider it an animal that made humans unclean through contact.
In Revelation 16:13, some evil spirits looked like frogs. In ancient Egypt, people thought frogs were special and connected them with new life and babies being born. They worshipped a god named Heqet, who they believed helped with childbirth. Egyptian art showed Heqet as a person with a frog's head.
When God sent the plague of frogs to Egypt (Exodus 8:1–14; Psalms 78:45; 105:30), it showed that Heqet had no real power. God used the very animal that the Egyptians worshipped to cause them trouble. The frogs in Egypt during this time were probably a common type that had spots on their skin (Rana punctata, or Rana ridibunda).