Word Studies

frog

What Do Frogs Symbolize in The Bible?

Frogs aren’t painted in a positive light in The Bible. In the Old Testament dietary laws, frogs were considered unclean and detestable. The most well-known “frog” passage in The Bible…

priest in an ephod

What is an Ephod in the Bible?

In modern Christianity, it is easy to gloss over the parts of scripture that are no longer seen or practiced – like the garments and items the Jewish priests wore…

gourd tree

What is a Gourd in The Bible?

The gourd is a creeping plant that grows amazingly fast. In The Bible, God used it in an object lesson while teaching Jonah, the disgruntled prophet, about His (God’s) compassion…

man with dropsy

What is Dropsy in the Bible?

In the Bible, dropsy is more than likely an abnormal swelling of the body. We see Jesus heal a man with dropsy in Luke 14. We see only one mention…

an ox chewing the cud

What is Cud in the Bible?

Cud in the Bible refers to regurgitated food that an animal has already eaten. In Old Testament Israel, chewing cud was a mark of cleanness for an animal. Don’t worry,…

reeds along a creek

What is a Reed in the Bible?

A reed refers to a kind of thick grass, but the Bible uses the picture of a reed to illustrate weakness, instability, or a believer weak in grace.  A reed…

What is a Grove in the Bible?

The term grove is used in the Bible as a translation of the Hebrew word Asherah, or a wooden idol. In almost all cases, the use of “grove” in the…

What is a Fowl in the Bible?

In the Bible, the term fowl was likely used as a generic term to refer to all types of birds. The Bible often uses the translated word fowl to refer…