Proverbs 30:15"The leach has two daughters: 'Give, give.' "There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don't say, 'Enough:'
The setting
Ancient Israel, ~950 BC. Agur begins a numerical saying, using leeches as metaphor for insatiable appetite. Modern Israel/Palestine.
The emotion here: weary from observing human nature's endless appetites
The original word
aluwqah (עלוקה) — bloodsucking leech that feeds until it bursts
Why it matters
Ancient Middle Eastern numerical sayings always built to the climactic fourth item
Read with care
What most readers miss in Proverbs 30:15
This starts a 'graded numerical saying' — ancient wisdom literature's way of building suspense
Common misconceptionPeople think this condemns all desire, but it's specifically about insatiable appetites that destroy — the difference between hunger and gluttony, need and greed.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Proverbs 30:15
Bible Genome reading
Proverbs 30:15 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Proverbs 30:15 comes from the book of Proverbs, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Agur. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reflective. It belongs to the wisdom genre of biblical literature. Key themes include greed, insatiable desire. Notable phrases: give give; never satisfied.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does Proverbs 30:15 mean to you, today?
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