Proverbs 30:15-16 · Bible study
Proverbs 30:15-16 Commentary: Insatiable Greed
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore the leech's two daughters crying 'Give, give' and the four insatiable things: Sheol, barren womb, earth, and fire. A study on desire and contentment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The leech’s two daughters crying “Give, give” personify insatiable greed; the four things (Sheol, barren womb, earth, fire) illustrate creation’s endless appetite.
- Key words: leech (עֲלוּקָה, only here in OT), give (הַב, imperative), enough (הוֹן). The numerical pattern (two, three, four) intensifies the point.
- Main debate: Is the leech literal or a proper name? Do the two daughters represent specific vices or general insatiability? Commentators differ.
- Geological or geographical note: Interpreted symbolically; the four insatiable things are cosmic realities rather than locations.
- Best use: A teaching on greed and contentment, especially in a series on Proverbs 30 or on wisdom literature’s critique of unchecked desire.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’
WEB World English Bible 2000
15“The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:
16Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’
KJV King James Version 1769
15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, Yea, four that say not, Enough:
16Sheol; and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not, Enough.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
15To the leech are two daughters, `Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said `Sufficiency;'
16Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth--it is not satisfied with water, And fire--it hath not said, `Sufficiency,'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
15The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three [things] never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough:
16— Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
15The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.
16Hell and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 30:15
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that the leech (עֲלוּקָה) symbolizes insatiable greed. Its two daughters crying “Give, give” personify an endless demand for more. Adam Clarke identifies them as Avarice and Ambition. Barnes' Notes reads the leech literally: its voracity becomes two daughters who never stop calling for blood. The numerical saying intensifies the point: there are three things never satisfied, no, four. Each item in the list shares this quality. Sheol (the grave) swallows all and wants more; the barren womb longs for children; the parched earth drinks water and still thirsts; fire consumes and cries for fuel. Gill's Exposition sees all four as “daughters of the horseleech,” each illustrating insatiable desire. Keil and Delitzsch note the progression from two to four as a standard wisdom technique for climactic emphasis. The passage warns that human covetousness mirrors these realities: enough is never enough apart from God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal leech symbolizing greed: Barnes, Cambridge Bible, and most commentators see the leech as a blood-sucking animal whose nature is insatiable.
- Leech as a proper name: Adam Clarke notes the possibility that עֲלוּקָה could be a personal name, with daughters as actual persons.
- Two daughters as specific vices: Clarke also proposes Avarice and Ambition as the daughters, supported by the cry for 'more'.
What is clear: The passage describes insatiable appetite using vivid imagery and a numerical climax, warning against unrestrained desire.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The leech (עֲלוּקָה) | All commentators see it as representing insatiable appetite. It is used as a vivid image of greed that never lets go. | Some, like Adam Clarke, mention it could be a proper name (a person); most agree it is a literal leech symbolizing greed. |
| The two daughters | They personify the ceaseless cry for more. The repetition of 'Give, give' underscores insatiability. | Clarke identifies them as Avarice and Ambition; others see them merely as the leech's offspring, representing the multiplication of greed. |
| The four insatiable things | Sheol, barren womb, earth, and fire each are naturally never satisfied. They illustrate the leech-like quality in creation. | Some see the barren womb as a negative example (lust, Gill); others see it as a legitimate desire for children that becomes insatiable longing. |
| Numerical pattern | The progression from two to three to four is a wisdom device for building to a climax. | Whether the 'two daughters' are included in the 'three' and 'four' or are separate is disputed. The passage may be read as: the leech has two daughters (themselves insatiable), and there are also three/four things never satisfied. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This passage belongs to the “words of Agur” (Proverbs 30:1), a collection of sayings that often employ numerical patterns (30:15-16, 18-19, 21-23, 24-28, 29-31). Such number progressions appear elsewhere in wisdom literature (Proverbs 6:16; Amos 1:3). The leech, a blood-sucking creature well known in the ancient Near East, clings until engorged, making it a natural symbol for refusal to let go. Horace used the same image in his Ars Poetica for a poet who seizes a victim and will not release him until drained.
Each item in verse 16 reflects immediate cultural realities. Sheol, the abode of the dead, is described elsewhere as insatiable (Proverbs 27:20). The barren womb carried deep pathos for an Israelite woman, Rachel’s cry, “Give me children, or I die” (Genesis 30:1), echoes the same demand. The earth that drinks water reminds readers of a dry land that never seems fully quenched, and fire requires constant fuel. These are not only physical facts but metaphors for human longing: for life, posterity, substance, and power.
The chapter’s wider context (vv. 11-14) describes four “generations” of wickedness: those who curse parents, claim purity while unwashed, are haughty, and devour the poor. The leech and its daughters illustrate the greed that drives such behavior. Agur’s own prayer for “food convenient” (v.8) contrasts sharply with the insatiability on display.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants affecting the meaning. The Masoretic Text includes a minuscule letter beth in the first “give” (הַב), which drew midrashic comment but has no impact on interpretation. Keil and Delitzsch discuss accentuation details that are purely technical. All major translations agree on the substance.
Reception History
This passage has been used throughout church history to illustrate sin and greed. Patristic and medieval interpreters sometimes allegorized the leech as Satan or heresy, with the two daughters representing false teachings that are never satisfied. Matthew Henry applied the passage to covetousness and cruelty: “Those are never rich that are always coveting.” The numerical saying has been compared to ancient wisdom traditions outside Israel, while Christian readers have seen the list as a warning against idolatry of desire. The barren womb has been read both as natural longing for children and as a metaphor for spiritual barrenness without God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Leech’s Daughters: Personified Greed (v.15a). The single leech produces two daughters both crying “Give, give.” Greed multiplies itself; one insatiable appetite begets others.
- Four Examples of Insatiable Appetite (v.16). Sheol, the barren womb, the thirsty earth, and fire each mirror a different aspect of unfulfillable desire: death’s hunger, longing for children, the land’s thirst, the flame’s demand.
- The Contrast with Contentment (Agur’s prayer in vv.7-9). Agur asks for neither poverty nor riches but daily bread. Real satisfaction comes from trusting God with what we are given, not from endlessly reaching for more.
Five-point outline
- The Leech: Insatiable Appetite
- Sheol: Death’s Unending Hunger
- Barren Womb: The Longing for Fulfillment
- Thirsty Earth: The Craving for Refreshment
- Fire: The Demand for More Fuel
Illustration hooks
- The shopper who buys more but never feels content, there is always something better to own.
- The person whose ambition drives them to climb higher but who finds each success empty.
- The endless scroll through social media, always looking for the next post, the next bit of validation.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Is the Bible saying all desire is bad? How do we tell legitimate needs from insatiable greed?
- Why does a barren womb appear in a list of insatiable things? Isn’t the desire for children good?
- How can we learn to say “Enough” in a culture that urges us to want more?
Leading a Discussion
Proverbs 30:15-16 paints a vivid picture of desires that never reach their fill. In a world that constantly pushes us to want more, this passage invites us to consider what it means to be satisfied.
Discussion questions
- Read Proverbs 30:15-16. What stands out about the image of the leech and its two daughters?
- Why do you think the writer moves from “two daughters” to “three things” to “four things”? What effect does this progression create?
- Sheol, the barren womb, the thirsty earth, and fire, what do these four have in common? How are they “never satisfied”?
- How might this passage challenge the way we think about our own desires, for possessions, status, relationships?
- Look at Agur’s prayer in Proverbs 30:7-9. How does that frame a different way of living?
- In your own life, where do you find it hardest to say “Enough”?
- How does the gospel of Christ offer satisfaction that these insatiable things cannot provide?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 6:16 | There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him: |
| Proverbs 30:21 | “For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up: |
| Proverbs 30:24 | “There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise: |
| Proverbs 30:29 | “There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going: |
| Isaiah 56:11 | Yes, the dogs are greedy. They can never have enough. They are shepherds who can’t understand. They have all turned to their own way, each one to his gain, from every quarter. |
| Isaiah 56:12 | “Come,” they say, “I will get wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be as today, great beyond measure.” |
| Isaiah 57:3 | “But draw near here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes. |
| Ezekiel 16:44 | “‘“Behold, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb against you, saying, ‘As is the mother, so is her daughter.’ |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
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What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke suggests the word for horseleech may refer to a specific woman with two greedy daughters instead of being a general animal name. He also believes the following verse lists four things that never feel satisfied (the grave the barren womb the earth and fire).
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the word translated "horseleach" should be taken literally as a blood-sucking creature, not figuratively. Its two daughters represent the creature's own insatiable greed, crying endlessly for more. He connects this to the grave, which is also all-consuming yet never full.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges notes that the Hebrew word for horseleach means leach and is used here to show how creatures can have traits like those of their parents. It also points out that the text lists three or four things with the same insatiable quality as the leach’s offspring.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Geneva Bible Notes notes that some things never stop asking for more. These include a horse leech with two daughters who constantly call for more food. The text also lists four other things (a grave a barren woman dry land and fire) that never say it is enough.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill notes that the horse leech has more than two daughters (three or four) who never stop demanding more. He also says these creatures symbolize things like greed and unquenchable sin.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB distinguishes between the horse leech, which some take as literally insatiable like the vampire of folklore, and the other items in the list, which are only comparatively insatiable. He defends the inspired writers' use of a fabulous creature in line with popular understanding.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the leech and its two daughters are not a broken fragment but an original part of a complete numerical proverb. They take Aluka as a literal leech, its two daughters representing the greedy cry "Give! Give!" The obscurity of the daughters remains, but the three-and-four pattern is integral.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange draws attention to the insatiable cry of the leech's two daughters, "Give, give!" He connects this to the four things that are never satisfied: the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty earth, and fire. The point is that human greed and desire mirror these bottomless appetites, never reaching contentment.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that the horseleech’s two daughters represent greed and cruelty that drive people to keep taking more from the poor. He says these qualities never say it is enough and lead to endless hunger.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the horse and leech are both insatiable creatures that keep sucking blood until something bursts. He also says other things act like them because they imitate the examples of those two creatures.