Exodus 8:4 — Word Study
WLCוּבְכָ֥ה וּֽבְעַמְּךָ֖ וּבְכָל־ עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ יַעֲל֖וּ הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃
BSAThe frogstsᵉphardêaʻ [marsh-leaping animals, a plague] and your peopleʻam [nation, Israel]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּבְכָ֥ה | and on you | Conjunction, preposition, suffix |
| וּֽבְעַמְּךָ֖ | and on people your | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| וּבְכָל־ | and on all | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ | servants your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| יַעֲל֖וּ | they will go up | Verb, Qal, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃ | the frogs | Particle, noun common masculine plural absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’” |
| KJV | And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. |
| ASV | and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. |
| YLT | yea, on thee, and on thy people, and on all thy servants do the frogs go up.' |
| WEB | The frogs shall come up both on you, and on your people, and on all your servants.”’” |
| BBE | The frogs will come up over you and your people and all your servants. |
Where they part company is in the phrasing of the subjects — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause introduces the action, followed by three prepositional phrases specifying those affected by the plague.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbיהוה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 8:4
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Second Plague: Frogsgenerated
Exodus 8:4 describes the second plague sent by God upon Egypt, where frogs would invade the land, affecting Pharaoh, his people, and all his officials. This event is part of a series of plagues that demonstrate God's power and the consequences of Pharaoh's refusal to let the Israelites go. The plague of frogs is a vivid illustration of God's judgment and serves as a warning to Pharaoh about the severity of his disobedience.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 107:40 | He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. |
| 2 | Isaiah 19:11–22 | The princes of Zoan are mere fools; Pharaoh’s wise counselors give senseless advice. How can you say to Pharaoh, “I am one of the wise, a son of eastern kings”? |
| 3 | Isaiah 23:9 | The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth. |
| 4 | Daniel 4:37 | Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, for all His works are true and all His ways are just. And He is able to humble those who walk in pride. |
| 5 | Acts 12:22–23 | And they began to shout, “This is the voice of a god, not a man!” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים, Hatz.far.de.'Imgenerated
The Hebrew word צְפַרְדֵּעַ (tsphardea`) specifically means 'frogs' and refers to these marsh-leaping animals. It is used in the context of the plagues in Egypt, indicating a significant and overwhelming presence.
This noun is in the plural form, indicating that many frogs will come up, emphasizing the magnitude of the plague. The word carries connotations of invasion and disruption, as frogs were considered unclean animals in the biblical context.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb יַעֲל֖וּ (ya.'a.Lu, they will go up) governs the entire sentence, with three prepositional phrases detailing the subjects affected by the action: Pharaoh, his people, and his officials.
The structure emphasizes the direct impact of the plague on all levels of Egyptian society, from the ruler to the common people, highlighting the comprehensive nature of God's judgment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים as ἡ βάτραχος, which is a direct rendering of the Hebrew term for frogs. This choice maintains the focus on the specific plague and its implications.
The LXX's use of the term indicates a consistent understanding of the frogs as a significant and invasive presence in the narrative, aligning with the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 8:4 tells us that frogs will invade Pharaoh, his people, and all his officials. This plague is part of God's judgment against Egypt and serves as a warning to Pharaoh about the consequences of his refusal to free the Israelites.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The plague of frogs symbolizes God's power over creation and serves as a judgment against Pharaoh's refusal to obey God's command to let His people go.
Frogs were seen as unclean animals in ancient Israelite culture, and their overwhelming presence would have disrupted daily life and rituals, emphasizing the severity of the plague.
Pharaoh's response varied; he often hardened his heart and refused to let the Israelites go, despite the increasing severity of the plagues.
The plagues demonstrate God's sovereignty and power, as well as the consequences of disobedience and the importance of heeding divine warnings.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What does the invasion of frogs teach us about God's power over nature?
- How can we see the consequences of disobedience in our own lives?
- In what ways can we be more attentive to God's warnings?
- How does this plague reflect the larger narrative of God's deliverance of Israel?
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 8:4 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy servants.
Read John Gill on Exodus 8 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. No JFB commentary on this verse.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 8 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleNot upon the Israelites, whom he hereby exempts from the number of Pharaoh’ s people and subjects, and owns them for his peculiar people. The frogs did not only invade their houses, but assault their persons, which is not strange, considering that they were armed with a Divine commission and power.
Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 8 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 8:4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.Ver. 4. And the frogs shall come up.] Neither walls nor weapons could keep off the frogs from Pharaoh and his people. As neither could Hatto, archbishop of Mentz, be possibly rid of that army of mice that God sent out against him for his cruelty to some of his poor subjects till they had devoured him. A muribus in Rheno confectus periit (anno 923).
Read John Trapp on Exodus 8 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English ReadersVIII.THE SECOND PLAGUE.(1-4) It is generally allowed that the second plague was one of frogs. All the ancient versions agree in the interpretation; and the only rival rendering—“crocodiles”—is too absurd to be argued against. We may take it, therefore, as certain that the second infliction upon Egypt was an innumerable multitude of frogs, which came up out of the river, and infested the cities, the houses, the sleeping apartments, the beds, the ovens, and the kneading troughs. There was no escaping them. They entered the royal palace no less than the peasant’s cottage; they penetrated to the inner chambers; they leaped upon the couches and beds; they polluted the baking utensils, and…
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 8 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1–15. The second plague. Frogs come up out of the Nile. The narrative consists of J and P only, without any traces of E.
Read Cambridge on Exodus 8 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”
The frogs shall come up both on you, and on your people, and on all your servants.”’”
The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”
Frogs will come up against you, your people, and all your servants.”’”
Tyndale line
And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
Yea, the frogges shall climbe vp vpon thee, and on thy people, and vpon all thy seruants.
Strictly literal
And the frogs shall come up both upon thee and upon thy people, and upon all thy bondmen.
yea, on thee, and on thy people, and on all thy servants do the frogs go up.'
indeed, on you, and on your people, and on all your servants the frogs go up.”
(7:29) And upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants, shall the frogs come up.
The frogs will attack you, your people, and all your servants.”'”
From the Latin
And the frogs shall come in to thee and to thy people, and to all thy servants.
Simplified
Frogs will jump all over you, your people, and all your officials.’”
The frogs will come up over you and your people and all your servants.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, "וּבְכָ֥ה וּֽבְעַמְּךָ֖ וּבְכָל־ עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ יַעֲל֖וּ הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃" which translates to, "The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials." The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning, as all six words correspond, although its word order and articles differ. The Samaritan Pentateuch, however, differs by including the word אשׁלח (send), which is not present in the Masoretic Text. This indicates a variation in the understanding of the action regarding the frogs and the people involved.
וּבְכָ֥ה וּֽבְעַמְּךָ֖ וּבְכָל־ עֲבָדֶ֑יךָ יַעֲל֖וּ הַֽצְפַרְדְּעִֽים׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ויקרא פרעה למשׁה ולאהרן ויאמר העתירו אל יהוה ויסר הצפרדעים ממני ומעמי ואשׁלח את העם ויזבחו ליהוה
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: אשׁלח (send)
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 8:4
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HC/R/Sp2ms — Conjunction · preposition · suffixHC/R/Sp2ms
עַם (am) primarily means 'people' or 'nation,' referring to a collective group, often in the context of tribes such as those of Israel. It can also denote kinsmen or compatriots. The term appears in various contexts, including military and familial references. There is a mention of a specific individual named Ammi in Song of Solomon 6:12.
עַם, עָם 1810 n.m. people
a people, nation
= smaller units
= common people
people in gen., persons
phrases
base
[עַם] n.[m.] kinsman (on father's side)
base
H5971a עַם, עָם people H5971b עַם kinsman (on father's side)
5971 `am am
from 6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a
tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or
attendants; figuratively, a flock:--folk, men, nation,
people.
see HEBREW for 06004
עַם (am) — people.
: people/nation
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — kinsman.
kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Ammi.
A man living at the time of United Monarchy, only mentioned at Sng.6.12
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — People's (Gate).
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — (Ibleam)-am.
Combined with yiv.le.am (יִבְלְעָם "Ibleam" H2991)
§ kinsman, kindred
עַם (am) — Amaw.
This name means nation, people
עַם (am) — people: soldiers.
: soldiers/army
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
עַם (am) — people: creatures.
: creatures
1) nation, people
1a) people, nation
1b) persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men
Conj | Prep | N-ms | Suff — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHC/R/Ncmsc/Sp2ms
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
HC/R/Ncmsc — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHC/R/Ncmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
The Hebrew word עֶ֫בֶד (*ebed*) means 'slave' or 'servant' and encompasses various roles, including household servants, subjects, and worshippers of God. It can also refer to Israel as a collective servant of God and is used in polite address among equals. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to work' or 'to serve'.
עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant
slave, servant of household
Subjects, of chief
Servants, worshippers of God
Servant of י׳, in a special sense
Israel as a people is servant of י׳
In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I
Phrases
base
H5650 עֶ֫בֶד slave, servant . slave, servant of household
. Subjects, of chief
. Servants, worshippers of God
. Servant of י׳, in a special sense
. Israel as a people is servant of י׳
. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I
. Phrases
5650 `ebed eh'-bed
from 5647; a servant:--X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant,
(man-)servant.
see HEBREW for 05647
עֶ֫בֶד (e.ved) — servant/slave.
1) slave, servant
1a) slave, servant, man-servant
1b) subjects
1c) servants, worshippers (of God)
1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc)
1e) servant (of Israel)
1f) servant (as form of address between equals)
Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)
HNcmpc/Sp2ms — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2ms
The Hebrew word עָלָה (alah) means 'to ascend' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including going up, climbing, and rising in various contexts such as personal, natural, and spiritual. It can refer to actions involving people, animals, vegetation, and even thoughts, and includes nuances of being exalted or offering sacrifices. The word is built from a primitive root and appears in various grammatical forms, indicating different aspects of ascent or elevation.
עָלָה 890 vb. go up, ascend, climb
Qal
of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations
go up, in personal relations
of animals, go or come up
of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth
of natural phenom., go up, rise
of inanimate things, instead of passive construction
of thoughts
come up before God, arrogance
go up, extend, of boundary
excel
Niph.
be brought up
be taken up
pass., be taken up, away
reflex., take oneself away from, get up from
reflex.: take oneself away
be exalted, of God
Hiph.
bring up persons
in personal relations
bring up animals
cause to ascend
mentally
offer a present; bring up tithe to
exalt
cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice
Hoph.
be carried away
be taken up into, inserted in
be offered
Hithp. lift oneself
base
H5927 עָלָה go up, ascend, climb .. of persons, go up, ascend, in local relations
. go up, in personal relations
. of animals, go or come up
. of vegetation, spring up, grow, shoot forth
. of natural phenom., go up, rise
. of inanimate things, instead of passive construction
. of thoughts
. come up before God, arrogance
. go up, extend, of boundary
. excel
. . . be brought up
. be taken up
. . pass., be taken up, away
. reflex., take oneself away from, get up from
. reflex.: take oneself away
. be exalted, of God
. . bring up persons
. in personal relations
. bring up animals
. cause to ascend
. mentally
. offer a present; bring up tithe to
. exalt
. cause to ascend (in flame), offer sacrifice
. . be carried away
. be taken up into, inserted in
. be offered
. lift oneself
5927 `alah aw-law'
a primitive root; to ascend, intransitively (be high) or
actively (mount); used in a great variety of senses, primary
and secondary, literal and figurative (as follow):--arise
(up), (cause to) ascend up, at once, break (the day) (up),
bring (up), (cause to) burn, carry up, cast up, + shew, climb
(up), (cause to, make to) come (up), cut off, dawn, depart,
exalt, excel, fall, fetch up, get up, (make to) go (away, up);
grow (over) increase, lay, leap, levy, lift (self) up, light,
(make) up, X mention, mount up, offer, make to pay, + perfect,
prefer, put (on), raise, recover, restore, (make to) rise
(up), scale, set (up), shoot forth (up), (begin to) spring
(up), stir up, take away (up), work.
עָלָה (a.lah) — to ascend: rise.
: rise/go
1) to go up, ascend, climb
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to go up, ascend
1a2) to meet, visit, follow, depart, withdraw, retreat
1a3) to go up, come up (of animals)
1a4) to spring up, grow, shoot forth (of vegetation)
1a5) to go up, go up over, rise (of natural phenomenon)
1a6) to come up (before God)
1a7) to go up, go up over, extend (of boundary)
1a8) to excel, be superior to
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be taken up, be brought up, be taken away
1b2) to take oneself away
1b3) to be exalted
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to bring up, cause to ascend or climb, cause to go up
1c2) to bring up, bring against, take away
1c3) to bring up, draw up, train
1c4) to cause to ascend
1c5) to rouse, stir up (mentally)
1c6) to offer, bring up (of gifts)
1c7) to exalt
1c8) to cause to ascend, offer
1d) (Hophal)
1d1) to be carried away, be led up
1d2) to be taken up into, be inserted in
1d3) to be offered
HVqi3mp — Verb · Qal · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVqi3mp
צְפַרְדֵּעַ (tsphardea`) means 'frogs' and is derived from a root related to swamps or marshes. The term specifically refers to the amphibians known as frogs, with no significant variation in meaning across the entries. It appears in contexts related to plagues in the Old Testament.
צְפַרְדֵּעַ n.f. frogs
base
H6854 צְפַרְדֵּעַ frogs
6854 tsphardea` tsef-ar-day'-ah
from 6852 and a word elsewhere unused meaning a swamp; a
marsh-leaper, i.e. frog:--frog.
see HEBREW for 06852
צְפַרְדֵּעַ (tse.phar.de.a) — frog.
frogs
Art | N-fp — Particle · noun common masculine plural absoluteHTd/Ncmpa