שמות, פרק ח׳, פסוק ט׳

The end of the frog plague reveals a flawless execution of the divine decree, perfectly matching Moses's promise to Pharaoh. God acted exactly as the prophet declared, ensuring the plague ended at the precise time set for the following day [שד״ל]. This creates a profound harmony between the king's request, the prophet's prayer, and God's ultimate action [קאסוטו]. Furthermore, God ensured that the frogs remaining in the river stayed alive, preserving the species so they would serve as a lasting memory of His wonders for future generations [מלבי״ם, ביאור יש״ר, הטור הארוך].

A tension arises between Moses's promise that the frogs would depart and the reality that they died in place. One perspective suggests that the plague itself passed, but the physical frogs died and left behind their carcasses [הטור הארוך]. Another approach distinguishes between locations, suggesting the frogs on people's bodies and in the royal palace actively departed, while those in the homes of the general public died [פענח רזא]. Alternatively, Moses may have expanded upon Pharaoh's initial plea. While the king only asked for the frogs to be removed from the people, Moses decreed they must also leave the houses and courtyards to magnify the miracle. Consequently, the frogs exited the bodies and homes, dying only once they were outside, which spared the houses from the resulting stench [פענח רזא]. A different view proposes that the death of the frogs was never part of Moses's prayer, but rather a natural consequence orchestrated by God when a plague is only partially removed [העמק דבר].

Unlike the later plague of wild beasts, where the animals simply returned to their natural habitats because they already existed, these frogs were created from the river specifically for this plague. Therefore, they did not return to the water, but died where they were [פענח רזא]. The specific locations of their death, namely the houses, courtyards, and fields, emphasize that they perished exclusively in these areas, while those in the river survived [ביאור יש״ר]. Interestingly, the order of these locations reverses the path of their initial invasion. They vanished first from the homes, which were the last places they had invaded, then from the courtyards, and finally from the fields [רש ר הירש, קאסוטו]. Their death in the fields is particularly striking, as they were extremely close to their natural environment in the river and could have easily returned, yet they still died exactly where they were [רש ר הירש].

Despite the precise listing of where the frogs died, the ovens and kneading bowls are noticeably absent. The frogs that had leaped into the burning ovens did not perish. Because they sacrificed themselves and jumped into the fire to fulfill God's command, they were miraculously saved and returned alive to their origin in the river.