H2938 H2938
To taste food or drink literally; by extension, to perceive or discern through experience.
A sensory verb rooted in the physical act of tasting -- putting something to the mouth and perceiving its flavor. Most of its occurrences describe literal eating in small quantity, as when Saul's army was forbidden to taste food (1 Sam 14:24) or when David refused to taste bread during mourning (2 Sam 3:35). The Psalmist invites worshippers to 'taste and see that the LORD is good' (Ps 34:8), blending the literal and experiential. One striking figurative use appears in Proverbs 31:18, where the valiant woman 'tastes' -- perceives by experience -- that her merchandise is profitable. Spanish 'gustar/probar' and French 'gouter' preserve both the literal and evaluative dimensions.
Senses
1. taste (literal) — The literal, gustatory act of tasting food or drink -- perceiving flavor by putting something in the mouth. The ten occurrences span narrative and poetic contexts: Jonathan tasting honey (1 Sam 14:29, 43), David refusing bread (2 Sam 3:35), Barzillai asking whether he can still taste what he eats (2 Sam 19:35), the Ninevites commanded neither to taste food nor water (Jonah 3:7), and the famous invitation of Psalm 34:9 to 'taste and see.' French 'gouter' and Spanish 'gustar/probar' uniformly confirm the sensory meaning. 10×
AR["أَطْعَمُ","ذوقوا","ذَوْقًا","ذُقْتُ","يَذوقُ","يَذُقْ","يَذُوقُوا","يَطْعَمُ"]·ben["স্বাদ-গ্রহণ","স্বাদ-গ্রহণ-করুক","স্বাদ-গ্রহণ-করেছি","স্বাদ-গ্রহণ-করেছিল","স্বাদ-নাও","স্বাদ-নেব-আমি","স্বাদ-নেয়","স্বাদ-পাবে"]·DE["[יטעם]","[יטעמו]","gewiss-tasting","ich-taste","ich-tasted","kann-taste","taste","tasted"]·EN["I-taste","I-tasted","can-taste","surely-tasting","taste","tasted","tastes","tastes-"]·FR["certainement-goûtant","goûta","goûter","je-goûta","je-goûte","peut-goûte","יטעם"]·heb["אטעם","טעום","טעם","טעמו","טעמתי","יטעם","יטעמו"]·HI["चखता-है","चखना","चखा","चखा-मैंने","चखूँगा","चखें","चखेगा","चखो"]·ID["Mencicipi","aku-mencicipi","mencicipi","mengecap","merasakan"]·IT["[יטעמו]","certamente-tasting","gusto'","gustò","io-gusta","io-gustò","può-gusta","tastes"]·jav["Mugi-ngraosaken","badhe-ngraosaken","kula-nyicipi","kula-nyicipi-","kula-sampun-nyicipi","ngicipi","ngraosaken","nyicipi"]·KO["당신의-종이","맛보기를","맛보다-","맛보라","맛보리라-","맛보았다","맛본다"]·PT["Provai","prova","provar","provarei","provei","provem","provou","saborear","saboreia-"]·RU["вкус","вкусил","вкусил-я","вкусите","вкушает","вкушает-","вкушу-","пробовал-я","пробовать","пусть-вкушают"]·ES["Gustad","Probar","gusta","probare","probé","probó","prueben"]·SW["Onjeni","ataonja","ladha","linaonja","nikonja","nilionja","onje"]·TR["Tadın","tadar","tadar-","tadarsa","tatmak","tatmasınlar","tattı","tattım"]·urd["میں-چکھوں-","چکھا","چکھا-میں-نے","چکھتا ہے","چکھتا-ہے","چکھو","چکھیں","چکھے"]
2. perceive / discern (figurative) — A figurative extension from physical tasting to mental perception or discernment through experience. In Proverbs 31:18 the industrious woman 'tastes' (perceives) that her trade is good -- evaluating by firsthand acquaintance rather than by tongue. Spanish 'siente' (she feels/perceives) captures the shift from gustatory to experiential knowing. This metaphorical leap from palate to judgment is well attested across Semitic languages, where the same root yields both 'taste' and 'discernment/decree' (cf. Aramaic טְעֵם, Akkadian ṭēmu). 1×
AR["ذاقَتْ"]·ben["সে-স্বাদ-নেয়"]·DE["[טעמה]"]·EN["she-perceives"]·FR["טעמה"]·heb["טעמה"]·HI["चखती"]·ID["Ia-merasakan"]·IT["ella-perceives"]·jav["ngraosaken"]·KO["그녀가-맛본다"]·PT["prova"]·RU["чувствует"]·ES["Siente"]·SW["huonja"]·TR["Görür"]·urd["چکھتی-ہے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† טָעַם vb. taste, perceive (NH id.; Aramaic ܛܥܶܡ, טְעֵים taste; Assyrian n. ṭêmu, sense, command, ZimBP 92 LyonSargontexte 67) AsrbAnnals iii, 95; Arabic طَعِمَ eat, taste, examine by tasting; Ethiopic ጥዕመ: ጠዐመ: taste, examine by tasting, etc. (— Qal Pf. 3 ms. ט׳ 1 S 14:24; 3 fs. טָֽעֲמָה Pr 31:18; 1 s. טָעַמְתִּי 1 S 14:29, 43; Impf. 3 ms. יִטְעַם 2 S 19:36 + 2 times; 1 s. אֶטְעַם 2 S 3:35; 3…