A bat is a four footed beast of the ravenous sort. Each foot has five toes, and the forefeet are connected with a membrane, and expand into a sort of wing. Its mouth is like that of quadruped, not like a bird, and it is covered with hair. It gives birth to live young, not eggs, and resembles greatly a mouse. The female gives milk to its young, and these young cling to her chest. During winter bats cover themselves with their wings and hang in dry, dark places. In summer they do likewise in the day, and they hunt for food at night catching moths and insects. They cannot be tamed.
The largest bats are in Brazil, Madagascar, and Maldives, and will suck the blood of people who sleep with their skin revealed, and leave them bleeding to death.
Imagery of Bats. Bats are unclean under the law, and they represent people who are fearful, unbelieving, ignorant, and hypocritically wicked. They delight in old ruinous houses Isa 2:20.
Some take the Hebrew Hatalaph (swallow) in Lev 11:19; Deu 14:19 for a bat.
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