Aben Ezra interprets it of the ape: the same David de Pomis observes, and Mr. Weemse , who seems to incline to this sense; and this creature King Solomon, no doubt, had in his palace, since his navy brought many of these, every three years, from those parts to which it was sent, 1Ki 10:22; and to these hands more properly belong than to spiders, and are taken into king's palaces for their pleasure and diversion; but to these there is one objection, that this creature is not a little one.
Others understand it of the "lizard", that sort which is called "stellio"; but it is a question whether this is to be found in king's palaces. Bellonius makes mention of a kind of lizard, which creeps into walls and catches flies, and is called by the Greeks "samiamiton", a name very near the Hebrew word here used: and Pliny speaks of the "stellio", or lizard, as being in doors, windows, and chambers; and as a very fraudulent and deceitful creature to men, none more so; and also as poisonous, as this creature in the text by its name seems to be: and Austin makes mention of the lizard as a domestic animal; which catches flies as the spider, with whom he joins it.
The Targum, Jarchi, and Gersom, take it to be the spider, as we do; which may be thought most likely, since the creature here meant seems to have its name from the Arabic word "sam", which signifies poison ; though it is affirmed the spider is not poisonous; as is well known by persons who have frequently swallowed them, without any more harm than happens to hens, robin red breasts, and other birds, who make them their daily food; and so men have been bit by them, without any ill consequence: wherefore it is still thought by some that the lizard is more probably meant; since some sorts of them are poisonous , though not all, for some are eatable; See Gill on "Le 11:30".
Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 12. c. 57. Lexic. fol. 216. 1. Exercitat. l. 1. exercitat. 4. p. 31. Apud Dieteric. Antiqu. Biblio. p. 470. Nat. Hist. l. 3o. c. 10. Confess. l. 10. c. 35. Golius, col. 1208. Hottinger.
Smegin Oriental. l. 1. c. 7. p. 199. Philosoph. Transact. abridged, vol. 2. p. 800. and vol. 5. part. 1. p. 24. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 22. c. 25. & l. 29. c.