עֲלוּקָה
the leech
Definition
The Hebrew word עֲלוּקָה (ʻălûwqâh) refers specifically to a leech, a blood-sucking aquatic creature. In its single biblical occurrence in Proverbs 30:15, it is used metaphorically to represent insatiable greed, as the leech is personified as having two daughters who constantly cry 'Give! Give!' This imagery powerfully depicts an appetite that is never satisfied. The term carries no other distinct meanings in the biblical text.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only once in the Old Testament, in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 30:15). It is used in a vivid, proverbial saying within a collection of numerical sayings by Agur. The leech serves as a metaphorical illustration for insatiable desire, listed among other things that are never satisfied.
Etymology
The noun עֲלוּקָה (ʻălûwqâh) is derived from an unused Hebrew root meaning 'to suck' or 'to adhere.' It is a feminine passive participle form, literally meaning 'the sucker' or 'the one that clings.' This directly describes the leech's characteristic behavior of attaching itself to a host to suck blood.
Semantic Range
The word is theologically significant as it provides a powerful metaphor for greed and insatiability within the wisdom literature. In Proverbs 30:15-16, the leech illustrates a spiritual truth: that certain human desires, like the grave, barren land, and fire, are never 'full' or satisfied. Understanding this Hebrew metaphor enriches the reading by highlighting the biblical view of unchecked craving as a destructive, parasitic force that consumes without providing fulfillment, contrasting with the contentment taught elsewhere in Scripture.
In the ancient Near Eastern context, leeches were a familiar nuisance, commonly encountered in water sources. Their relentless, blood-sucking nature made them a ready symbol for greed and exploitation. The metaphor would have been immediately understandable to the original audience, comparing a person with an endless appetite for more (whether wealth, power, or pleasure) to this common parasite.
There are no direct synonyms for 'leech' in Biblical Hebrew. The word is unique. For the concept of greed or insatiability, different terms are used, such as בֶּצַע (betsaʻ, H1215) — unjust gain or profit.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →