FROGS >> Reasonings from Cupidities

Frogs are cold, slimy creatures, who, when they are young, live in the water, and resemble ugly, useless little fishes. As they mature they learn to breathe air, but still live  mostly in the water, coming to the surface to breathe and croak. In early spring, which is their breeding season, they croak almost incessantly, and are vile. They correspond to affections which grow up in an atmosphere of merely natural thought, which they do not love for any useful purpose, and when they mature, think about spiritual things only to deny and slander them. They deny the Divine Providence, they deny that there is a heaven or a hell, and talk croakingly about getting all the good you can out of life as it goes. It was one of the plagues of Egypt that their river “brought forth frogs upon their land and in the chambers of their kings” (Psalm 105:30). By those plagues were represented the evils that come upon those who are wholly natural; and one of them is the swarming of such falsities as frogs represent. ( Arcana Coelestia #7352.)

John saw “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” (Revelation 16:13). The dragon, the beast, and the false prophet are they who teach the doctrine of faith alone. These talk merely naturally, denying spiritual truth; not, indeed, the particulars mentioned above, but these—that our Lord is God with us; that heavenly life is to live from His good Love; that He conquered the hells, and now holds them subdued for those and in those who hate evil, and look to Him to save them. These essential truths they deny, and reason discontentedly against them, from their love of being let alone in their natural pleasures.  

Author: JOHN WORCESTER 1875

'And cause frogs to rise up onto the land of Egypt' means reasonings arising from utter falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'frogs' as reasonings arising from utter falsities, dealt with in 7351, 7352. Frogs also correspond to reasonings arising from falsities, for all things without exception in the natural world have a correspondence with those in the spiritual world; and the reason for this is that what is natural comes into existence through what is spiritual. The whole natural system is therefore a theatre representative of the spiritual world, 2758, 3487, 4939. [AC 7384]

To cut off the frogs from thee, and from thy houses. That this signifies that the reasonings may cease, is evident from the signification of "frogs," as being reasonings from mere falsities (see n. 7351, 7352, 7384); from the signification of "to cut off," as being to cease, for "cutting off" is said of the frogs, but "ceasing" of the reasonings; from the representation of Pharaoh, from whom the frogs were to be cut off, as being those who are in falsities and infest (see just above, n. 7396); and from the signification of "houses," as being the things of the natural mind. That a "house" denotes the natural mind, see n. 4973, 5023, 7353; hence "houses" in the plural denote the things therein.[AC 7397]

Behold I will smite all thy border with frogs. That this signifies reasonings from mere falsities, is evident from the signification of "frogs," as being reasonings; that they are from mere falsities is signified by their "creeping forth from the river," as presently follows (that the "river of Egypt" denotes falsity, see n. 6693, 7307), and because it is said that "all the border should be smitten with them." By these words is also signified that the reasonings shall not be from falsified truths, but from mere falsities, because reasonings from falsified truths are finally turned into blasphemies against truth and good; and moreover the truths themselves reject the falsification, because they cannot be together with falsities; and so long as they are, they fight with them, and at last loosen and separate themselves from them. Hence it is that after a man has falsified truths, he at last wholly denies them; otherwise falsities would have dominion over truths. From this it is that after the evil in the other life have been cast into hell, they are not allowed to reason from falsified truths, but from mere falsities.
[2] That "frogs" denote reasonings from falsities, is evident in John:

I saw 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; for they are the spirits of demons, working signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God Almighty (Rev. 16:13-14);

that "frogs" denote reasonings from falsities against truths, is plain from the details of this passage, for it is said that "they went out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet;" also that "they went forth unto the kings of the earth, to gather them together unto war." The "kings of the earth" denote the truths of the church (that "kings" denote truths, and in the opposite sense falsities, see n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148; and that the "earth" denotes the church, n. 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577; also that "war" denotes spiritual combat, n. 2686, thus combat against the truths and goods of faith). From this it is plain that "frogs" denote reasonings from falsities against truths.

[3] And in David:

He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish; He caused frogs to creep forth on their land, in the chambers of their kings (Ps. 105:29-30);
it is said "in the chambers of their kings" because there is meant reasoning against truths from falsities; "the chambers of kings" denote interior truths, and in the opposite sense interior falsities. (That "kings" denote truths, and in the opposite sense falsities, see just above.) [AC 7351]

Verses 1-10 And Jehovah said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to rise up onto the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, andfrogs rose up and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did the same with their enchantments, and they caused frogsto rise up onto the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, Plead with Jehovah to remove the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will send the people away to sacrifice to Jehovah. And Moses said to Pharaoh, Have honour over me. Till when shall I plead for you, and for your servants, and for your people, so as the frogs will be eliminated from you, and from your houses, and survive only in the river? And he said, Until tomorrow. And he said, Let it be according to your word, so that you may know that there is none like Jehovah our God. And the frogs will be removed from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people, and survive only in the river. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried out to Jehovah about* the frogs which He had brought on Pharaoh. And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. And they gathered them into heaps [upon] heaps; and the land stank.

 'And Jehovah said to Moses' means instruction. 'Say to Aaron' means an influx of inward law into outward law. 'Stretch out your hand with your rod' means the power of inward truth directed through outward truth. 'Over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools' means against falsities. 'And cause frogs to rise up onto the land of Egypt' means reasonings arising from utter falsities. 'And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt' means the effect of the power of inward truth directed through outward truth against falsities. 'And frogs rose up' means reasonings arising from utter falsities. 'And covered the land of Egypt' means that the natural mind became such. 'And the magicians of Egypt did the same with their enchantments' means a misuse of Divine order, whereby something that to outward appearances looks the same is produced. 'And they caused frogs to rise up onto the land of Egypt' means in the form of reasonings springing from the natural mind. 'And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron' means the presence of the law of God. 'And said, Plead with Jehovah' means self-abasement resulting from weariness. 'To remove the frogs from me, and from my people' means in order that they might not be compelled to use reasonings arising from utter falsities. 'And I will send the people away to sacrifice to Jehovah' means that they would then leave those who belonged to the spiritual Church, so that they could worship their God. 'And Moses said to Pharaoh' means the reply. 'Have honour over me' means that the law of God was to be trusted. 'Till when shall I plead for you, and for your servants, and for your people' means intercession made for those steeped in falsities who engage in molestation. 'So as the frogs will be eliminated from you, and from your houses' means in order that the reasonings may come to an end. 'Survive only in the river?' means that they are destined to remain with falsities, in the place where these reside. 'And he said, Until tomorrow' means for evermore. 'And he said, Let it be according to your word' means an ensuing endorsement. 'So that you may know that there is none like Jehovah our God' means that there is one God and none besides Him. 'And the frogs will be removed from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people' means that they would not be compelled to use reasonings arising from utter falsities. 'Survive only in the river' means that they were to remain with falsities, in the place where these reside. 'And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh' means a separation from those who used reasonings arising from utter falsities. 'And Moses cried out to Jehovah about the frogs which He had brought on Pharaoh' means intercession. 'And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses' means that it was so done according to the Lord's word. 'And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields' means that with those people reasonings arising from utter falsities, wherever they were present in the natural, came to an end. 'And they gathered them into heaps [upon] heaps' means that those false reasonings were arranged into bundles in the natural. 'And the land stank' means what was as a result foul and repulsive. [AC 7379]

Three unclean spirits like frogs, signifies there arise mere reasonings and cupidities of falsifying truths. By "spirits" the same is here signified as by demons, because it is presently said that they were "spirits of demons," and by "demons," are signified the lusts of falsifying truths (n. 458). By "three" are signified all (n. 400, 505), here therefore mere; by "frogs" are signified reasonings from lusts, because they croak, and have itching desires; hence it is plain, that by "the three unclean spirits like frogs," are signified mere reasonings and lusts of falsifying truths. "Frogs" here have a like signification with "the frogs of Egypt," because the devastation of the church with the Egyptians is in like manner described by the miracles performed, concerning which it is thus written in Moses:

Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up, and covered the land, and afterwards the frogswere removed, and remained in the river only (Exod. 8:5-14; Ps. 78:45; 105:30).
The reason why frogs were produced from the waters of Egypt, and remained in the river, was, because the waters in Egypt, and especially the waters of its rivers, signified the falsities of doctrine from which they reasoned. [AR 702]

Author: Emanuel Swedenborg