Greek (WH): Καὶ εἶδον ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ δράκοντος καὶ ἐκ τοῦ
στόματος τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ ψευδοπροφήτου πνεύματα τρία
ἀκάθαρτα ὡς βάτραχοι·
ESV: 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 like frogs.
John begins with the familiar and oft-used Καὶ εἶδον ("And I saw") before employing ἐκ τοῦ στόματος three times. Grant R. Osborne (Revelation BECNT) thinks John uses στόματος to emphasize the royal proclamation from what he calls a "false trinity" of prophetic figures.
However, for this entry, I will focus on πνεύματα τρία
ἀκάθαρτα ὡς βάτραχοι ("three unclean spirits which looked like frogs" [William Mounce]).
Why did these "spirits" look like frogs? Who or what are the spirits? Why frogs and not some other creature? According to Levitical law, the frog would be an unclean animal for Israel (Leviticus 11:10-12), and one of the plagues brought on Egypt was frogs in abundance (Exodus 7:26-8:3-14; Psalm 78:45; 105:30). Plagues likewise have a thematic role in the book of Revelation, a book which contains numerous Hebrew Bible motifs, allusions, and symbols. Therefore, the frogs likely represent propaganda (falsities designed to persuade) which have some connection with the "three unclean spirits."
Nevertheless, based on NT usage elsewhere, Osborne reasons that the spirits are "demonic messengers." See Mark 1:23, 26-27; 3:11, 30. Furthermore, he construes the related expression in Revelation 16:14 as an epexegetical genitive ("spirits who are demons") or possibly adjectival ("demonic spirits").
It's possible that the three unclean spirits are demons or demonic spirits, but since they issue forth ἐκ τοῦ στόματος, I believe it's fair to ask whether "spirits" might not be understood here as false prophetic utterances designed to mislead those exposed to such demonic propaganda.
3 comments:
Heqet - Egyptian goddess of fertility.
https://i.etsystatic.com/8729767/r/il/e7a5d9/1945553032/il_fullxfull.1945553032_n9md.jpg
However, it is more likely fashioned on the Nile Delta toad.
Call simple, rattle-like. Call characteristics: average pulses/call = 3.46; average call duration = 119.88 ms.
Although not easy to see in wild but oft heard.
I could see how John might have been influenced by the Nile Delta toad: the idea seems plausible.
Some other things to consider are that "frog" appears once in the NT, in the LXX, the term only appears in connection with the Egyptian plagues, and Leviticus indicates that frogs are unclean animals (Stephen Smalley). Philo of Alexandria speaks pejoratively of frogs (maybe figuratively) and the comedian Aristophanes long ago wrote a work about frogs. But I like the Nile connection.
As Philo states “frogs holding council round a marsh”. So the sound (spirit) of a frog(or toad as taxonomy may be understood differently) may be the focus.
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