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Leech
Animals
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Dictionaries
Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible
Leech
Leech. Blood-sucking, segmented worm, mentioned only in Proverbs 30:15.See Animals.
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised
Leech
Leech[Heb ʿalûqâ; Gk. bdélla]; AV HORSELEACH. The Hebrew word occurs once only in the OT (Prov. 30:15), and its general meaning is clear, since it is almost identical with Arab ʿalaqâ, “leech.” At least six species of leech flourished in Palestine and Syria in biblical times, having as their habitat
Tyndale Bible Dictionary
Leech
LEECH Blood-sucking, segmented worm, mentioned only in Proverbs 30:15. See Animals.
The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary (Revised and Updated)
Leech
leech, a bloodsucking parasite of the class Hirudinea, of which several varieties are common in the Near East. It is used as a symbol of insatiable appetite in Prov. 30:15.
Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible
Leech
LeechA bloodsucking worm of the class Hirudinea (Prov. 30:15; Heb. ʿălûqâ). Various types of leech have been attested since ancient times in the stagnant or slow moving waters of Palestine. The Talmud warns against drinking water directly from a river or pond with the mouth or hands out of the fear
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary
Leech
Leech (Heb. ˓alûqâ “clinging”). A bloodsucking worm of the class Hirudinea (Prov. 30:15; KJV “horseleach”). Various types of leech have been attested since ancient times in the stagnant or slow moving waters of Palestine. The Talmud warns against drinking water directly from a river or pond with
Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible
Vampire
VAMPIRE עלוקהI. The noun ʿălûqâ occurs once in MT, in a proverbial expression in Prov 30:15. The word appears to be pan-Semitic, with cognates attested in Syriac (ʿelaqtā), Arabic (ʿalaq), Ethiopic (ʿalaqt), and Akkadian (ilqu). In each of these cognate languages the meaning is ‘leech’. In Arabic
Smith’s Bible Dictionary
Horse-leech
Horse-leech, Heb. ˒alûkâh, occurs once only, viz., Prov. 30:15. There is little doubt that ˒alûkâh denotes some species of leech, or rather is the generic term for any blood-sucking annelid.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Horse-leech
Horse-leech—occurs only in Prov. 30:15 (Heb. ʾalukah); the generic name for any blood-sucking annelid. There are various species in the marshes and pools of Palestine. That here referred to, the Hoemopis, is remarkable for the coarseness of its bite, and is therefore not used for medical purposes. They
Harper’s Bible Dictionary
Leech
Leechleech (kjv: ‘horseleach’), a bloodsucking parasite of the class Hirudinea of which several varieties are common in Palestine. It is used as a symbol of insatiable appetite in Prov. 30:15.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
HORSELEACH
HORSELEACH<hors’-lech> ([עֲלוּקָה‎, ̀aluqah]; compare Arabic `aluqah, “ghoul,” and `alaqah, “leech,” from root `aliq, “to cling”; Septuagint [βδέλλα, bdella], “leech”): The word occurs only once, in Prov 30:15, the Revised Version margin “vampire.” In Arabic `alaqah is a leech of any kind,
VAMPIRE
VAMPIRE<vam’-pir> (עֲלוּקָה‎ [alaqah]): the Revised Version margin for “horseleach” (Prov 30:15) has “vampire.”See HORSELEACH.
The Westminster Bible Dictionary
Horseleech
Horse-leech. The word thus rendered occurs but once only (Prov. 30:15). It denotes, perhaps, some species of leech, or it may be the generic term for any blood-sucking annelid.