The meaning of Taste in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
tast (Hebrew Ta'am, "the sense of taste," "perception," from Ta'am, "to taste," "to perceive"; Aramaic Te'em, "flavor," "taste" (of a thing); Hebrew chekh, "palate," "roof of the mouth" = "taste"; geuomai; noun geusis; in 2 Macc 7:1 the verb is ephaptomai):
(1) Literal:
(a) Gustation, to try by the tongue: "The taste (ta'am) of it manna was like wafers made with honey" (Exodus 16:31); "Doth not the ear try words, even as the palate (chekh) tasteth (Ta'am) its food?" (Job 12:11); "Belshazzar, while he tasted (literally, "at the taste of," Te'em) the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom" (Daniel 5:2). (b) "To sample," "to eat but a small morsel": "I did certainly taste (Ta'am) a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, lo, I must die" (I Samuel 14:43).
(2) Figurative:
"To experience," "to perceive": "Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good" (Psalms 34:8; compare I Peter 2:3); "How sweet are thy words unto my taste!" (margin "palate," chekh) (Psalms 119:103); "That by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9); "For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come .... " (Hebrews 6:4-5).
H. L. E. Luering
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