Snail

From: Concise Bible Dictionary: S By: George A. Morrish

Snails

In Leviticus 11:30³⁰And the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole. (Leviticus 11:30) it is supposed that the word chomet refers to some kind of lizard: the RV has “sand-lizard.” In Psalm 58:8⁸As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. (Psalm 58:8) the word is shablul, of which it says it “melteth.” It was erroneously supposed by the Jews that by the slime which a snail leaves on its trail it gradually wasted away. The passage simply means that when dead the snail seems to melt entirely away: it is used as a symbol of the wicked passing away.