H2441 H2441
Palate, roof of the mouth; the organ of taste used literally and metaphorically; also mouth as organ of speech.
Denotes the roof of the mouth — the physical palate where flavors are discerned. Job asks 'does not the palate taste food?' (Job 12:11), and Proverbs compares wisdom's sweetness to honey on the palate (Prov 24:13). The word is overwhelmingly poetic, concentrated in Job, Proverbs, Song of Songs, and the Psalms. Spanish renders it 'paladar' throughout, preserving both the anatomical and metaphorical registers. A secondary metonymic use treats the palate as the source of speech: 'his mouth is sweetness itself' (Song 5:16), and the prophet's tongue cleaving to his palate signals enforced silence (Ezek 3:26).
Senses
1. palate, organ of taste — The roof of the mouth as the physical organ of taste, used literally for discerning flavors and metaphorically for evaluating truth or wisdom. Job 12:11 and 34:3 establish the palate as the seat of discernment — just as it tests food, so the ear tests words. Lamentations 4:4 describes the infant's tongue clinging to its palate from thirst. Spanish 'paladar' and German evidence both confirm a consistently anatomical reference across these passages. 15×
AR["بِـ-حَنَكِي", "حَنَكي", "حَنَكُهَا", "حَنَكِكَ", "حَنَكِهِ", "حَنَكِي", "فِي-حَنَكِي", "لِ-حَنَكِهِم", "لِ-حَنَكِي", "لِ-حِكِّي", "وَ-الحَنَكُ", "وَالحَنَكُ"]·ben["-আমার-তালুতে-", "আমার-তালু", "আমার-তালুতে", "আমার-তালুতে।", "আর-তালু", "এবং-তালু", "তাদের-তালুতে", "তার-জিহ্বা", "তার-তালুর", "তালুতে", "তালুতে-আমার,", "তোমার-তালু", "তোমার-তালুর"]·DE["[בחכי]", "[וחך]", "[חכה]", "[חכו]", "[חכו]", "[חכי]", "[חכך]", "[לחכי]", "zu-mein-palate", "zu-wurde-weise"]·EN["and-palate", "and-the-palate", "his-palate", "in-my-palate", "is-her-mouth", "my-mouth", "my-palate", "palate-of-you", "to-my-palate", "to-their-palate", "your-palate"]·FR["[חכו]", "dans-mon-palais-moi", "et-palais", "mon-palais-moi", "palais", "sa-palais-elle", "son-palais-lui", "ton-palais-toi", "à-leur-palais-eux", "à-mon-palais.", "à-palais"]·heb["ב-חיכי", "ו-חיך", "חיכה", "חיכו", "חיכי", "חיכך", "ל-חיכי", "ל-חיכם", "ל-חכי"]·HI["अपने-तालू-के", "उनकी", "उसके-तालू", "और-तालू", "तालू-अपने-को", "तालू-उसका", "तालू-तेरे", "तालू-में-अपने", "तालू-मेरा", "तेरे-तालू", "मेरा-तालू", "मेरे-तालू-को", "मेरे-तालू-से"]·ID["bagi-langit-langit-mulutku", "dan-langit-langit", "dan-langit-langit-mulut", "di-langit-langitku", "ke-langit-langit mereka", "langit-langit-mulutku", "langit-langit-mulutmu", "langit-langit-mulutnya", "langit-langitku", "langit-langitmu", "pada-langit-langitku"]·IT["[חכו]", "[חכך]", "e-palato", "in-palato-mio", "palato", "palato-mio", "palato-sua", "palato-suo", "palato-tuo", "per-palato-loro", "per-palato-mio"]·jav["cangkem", "cangkem-kula", "cangkeman-Panjenengan", "cangkeman-ipun", "cethak-ipun", "cethak-kawula", "cethak-kula", "cethakipun", "dhateng-cethak-kula", "dhateng-cethakan-kula", "ing-cethak-ipun", "ing-cethak-kula", "lan-cethak", "tumrap-ilat-kula"]·KO["그-입천장-에", "그녀-의-입천장-은", "그들의-입천장에", "그리고-입맛이", "그리고-입천장-이", "그의-입천장", "나-의-입-에", "나-의-입천장-에", "나-의-입천장-이", "나의-입안-에서", "나의-입을", "나의-입천장-이", "내-입천장-에", "너의-입천장", "입천장-너-의"]·PT["a-seu-paladar", "ao-meu-paladar", "céu-da-boca-tua", "e-paladar", "em-meu-paladar", "meu-paladar", "paladar-meu", "paladar-teu", "seu-paladar"]·RU["в-устах-моих", "для-нёба-моего", "для-нёба-моего.", "и-нёбо", "к-нёбу-их", "к-нёбу-моему", "нёба-своего", "нёбо-её.", "нёбо-моё", "нёбо-моё,", "нёбо-твоём", "нёбу-его", "нёбу-моему", "нёбу-твоему"]·ES["a-mi-paladar", "a-paladar-de-mí", "a-su-paladar", "en-mi-paladar", "mi-paladar", "paladar-de-ti", "paladar-mío", "su-paladar", "su-paladar.", "tu-paladar", "y-el-paladar", "y-paladar"]·SW["kaakaa-lake", "kaakaa-lako", "kaakaa-langu", "katika-kaakaa-langu", "kwa-kaakaa-langu", "kwenye-kaakaa-langu", "kwenye-kaakaa-lao", "na-kaakaa"]·TR["damagima", "damağı-onun", "damağım", "damağıma", "damağımda", "damağımın", "damağın", "damağına", "ve-damak"]·urd["اور-تالو", "اُس-کے-تالو", "تالو-اُس-کا", "تالو-اُس-کے", "تالو-اُن-کے-سے", "تالو-تیرے", "تالو-میرا", "میرا-تالو", "میری-تالو-کو", "میرے تالو میں", "میرے تالو کو", "میرے-تالو-سے", "میرے-تالو-کو"]
2. mouth, organ of speech — The mouth or palate used metonymically for speech and verbal expression, emphasizing what issues from the mouth rather than what is tasted by it. Song of Songs 5:16 praises the beloved's palate as 'sweetness itself,' and 7:9 compares it to fine wine — here the focus is on spoken words, not gustatory sensation. Hosea 8:1 commands 'a trumpet to your palate!' where the palate stands for the mouth that sounds the alarm. The shift from tasting to speaking is reflected in translation choices: Spanish moves from 'paladar' (taste organ) to contextual renderings emphasizing utterance. 3×
AR["حِكُّو", "فَمِكَ", "وَحَنَكُكِ"]·ben["এবং-তোমার-তালু", "তাঁর-তালু", "তোমার-তালুতে"]·DE["[וחכך]", "[חכו]", "[חכך]"]·EN["and-your-palate", "his-palate", "your-palate"]·FR["Et-ton-palais", "Son-palais", "palais"]·heb["ו-חיכך", "חיכו", "חיכך"]·HI["उसका-तालू", "और-तेरा-तालू", "तालू-तेरे"]·ID["Dan-langit-langit-mulutmu", "Langit-langit-mulutnya", "langit-langitmu"]·IT["[חכך]", "e-palato-tua", "palato-suo"]·jav["Cangkemipun", "Lan-cangkem-panjenengan", "tutuk-panjenengan"]·KO["그-입-이", "그리고-네-입-이", "네-입에"]·PT["E-teu-paladar", "Seu-paladar", "boca-tua"]·RU["И-нёбо-твоё", "Нёбо-его", "нёбу-твоему"]·ES["Su-paladar", "Y-tu-paladar", "tu-paladar"]·SW["kinywa-chake", "kinywa-chako", "na-kinywa-chako"]·TR["agzi", "ağzına", "ve-agzin"]·urd["اس-کا-تالو", "اور-تیرا-تالو", "منہ-تیرے"]
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† חֵךְ n.m. palate, roof of mouth, gums (NH id.; Aramaic ܚܶܢܟܳܐ, חִכָּא; Arabic حَنَكٌ palate, roof of mouth, jaws, lower part of mouth, lower jaw of horse, mouth, etc. Lane659 Dozyi. 332);—abs.ח׳ Jb 12:11; 34:3; sf. חִכִּי Pr 8:7 + 6 times, חִכְּךָ Ho 8:1, חִכֶּ֑ךָ Ez 3:26 Pr 24:13; chiefly poet., especially WisdLt:—חִכֵּךְ Ct 7:10, חִכּוֹ La 4:4 + 2 times, חִכָּהּ Pr 5:3, חִכָּם Jb…