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×)H1818 1. blood (physical substance) (327×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H1320 1. body, physical being (207×)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×)G4561 1. flesh, physical body (150×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)
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…