Leech occurs only in Pro 30:15. ’The horse-leech’ is properly a species of leech discarded for medical purposes on account of the coarseness of its bite. The leech, as a symbol, in use among rulers of every class and in all ages, for avarice, rapine, plunder, rapacity, and even assiduity, is too well known to need illustration.
Leech. See Horse-Leech.
Leech. A leech may be described as a type of worm with suckers at each end of its body. One end also contains a mouth. Some species of this animal even have tiny teeth. Parasitic leeches attach themselves to a person or an animal, from which it sucks blood for nourishment. A leech of this type secretes chemicals which keep the blood flowing freely.
In primitive times, physicians used leeches to "bleed" a patient and purge his body of what was thought to be contaminated blood. But an untended leech could cause pain and damage. In his Proverbs, Solomon may have had the blood-sucking nature of this animal in mind when he spoke of the leech’s "two daughters" who cry "Give! Give!" (Pro 30:15).
A leech is a type of worm that lives in water and feeds on blood. It can grow up to 12.7 centimeters (five inches) long. It has a flat body with a suction pad at each end. Its mouth has three teeth that pierce the skin of a person or animal. The leech produces a substance that keeps the blood from clotting while it feeds.
The medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis) lives in springs and ponds from the Negev Desert to Galilee. It can attach itself to people and animals that enter the water and feed on their blood.
It is not clear what kind of leech Proverbs 30:15 refers to. The verse may refer to the horse leech (Haemopis), perhaps because of its greedy feeding habits. A small horse leech can enter an animal’s mouth or nose while the animal drinks water. A leech that weighs 14.2 grams (half an ounce) can consume up to 71 grams (2.5 ounces) of blood. It can then survive for 15 months without feeding again.
See also Animals.
Aquifer Open Bible Dictionary © 2026 Mission Mutual, an adaptation of the Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary © 2023 Tyndale House Publishers. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reference:"
Discussion:
A few scholars have suggested that ‘aluqah was the name of a demon believed to suck blood from humans, but this suggestion does not have much support and can be discounted. Similarly the suggestion that some have made that the word refers to the bloodsucking vampire bat can be discounted. Such bats are only found in Latin America and would have been unknown to the biblical writers. It is much more generally accepted that this word refers to the leech. The root from which the Hebrew word is derived means “to adhere to,” or “to suck".
Description:
Leeches are worm-like creatures of the order Hirudinea. They live in streams, swamps, or damp ground but are also able to live on dry land. The largest of the Middle Eastern leeches is the Nile Leech Limnatis nilotica. Leeches have specialized mouths that enable them to make small cuts in the skin of their victims, which may be humans, animals, reptiles, or even fish. They then fasten firmly on to the surrounding skin and gorge themselves on blood. Their skin has many small folds, and as the leech feeds, it expands until it is many times its original size. When sufficiently gorged it drops off.
If forcibly pulled from the skin, the small cut made by the leech bleeds profusely. Since leeches are sensitive to salt on their skin, they have been removed since very ancient times by putting salt on them. The leeches then detach themselves, and the wound does not bleed nearly as much.
Leeches have been used since ancient times by doctors to cause patients to bleed in a reasonably controlled way.
Special significance or symbolism:
In the single scriptural reference the leech is a symbol of greediness.
Translation:
Leeches are found throughout the world in warm damp conditions, and in such places a local word for leech should not be hard to find. Elsewhere a phrase meaning “bloodsucking worm” can be used, or a term can be borrowed from the local trade or international language.
Animals in the Bible © United Bible Societies. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.