H3859 H3859
swallow greedily, devour as dainties
A rare verb (appearing only in Hithpael participial form) describing greedy swallowing or devouring of food. Proverbs uses it twice in identical contexts—comparing a gossip's words to choice morsels that people 'swallow greedily,' going down into the innermost parts. The metaphor vividly captures how slander and gossip are eagerly consumed despite (or because of) their destructive nature.
Senses
1. sense 1 — To swallow greedily or devour as delicacies. Used metaphorically in Proverbs 18:8 and 26:22 (identical verses) where a talebearer's words are described as choice morsels that go down into the inner chambers of the belly. The Hithpael form suggests reflexive or intensive action—'making oneself swallow' or 'devouring eagerly.' Spanish 'bocados deliciosos' (delicious morsels) captures the ironic appeal of gossip as forbidden dainty. 2×
AR["كَ-لُقِيماتٍ-لَذِيذَةٍ", "كَلَذّاتٍ"]·ben["সুস্বাদু-খাবারের-মতো"]·DE["[כמתלהמים]"]·EN["are-like-delicacies", "like-dainties"]·FR["comme-כמתלהמים"]·heb["כ-מתלהמים"]·HI["जैसे-स्वादिष्ट-भोजन", "स्वादिष्ट-जैसे"]·ID["seperti-makanan-lezat"]·IT["come-like-dainties", "come-sono-like-delicacies"]·jav["kados-tetedhan-éca"]·KO["같으니라-별미"]·PT["como-guloseimas"]·RU["как-лакомые-куски", "как-лакомые-кусочки"]·ES["como-bocados-deliciosos"]·SW["kama-chakula-kitamu", "ni-kama-vyakula-vitamu"]·TR["gibidir-lezzetli-lokmalara"]·urd["جیسے-لذیذ-لقمے", "لذیذ-نوالوں-جیسی"]
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
† [לָהַם] vb. swallow greedily (= Arabic لَهِمَ; DiLex. Ethiopic 25 comp. Ethiopic ላህም: ox, cow);—only Hithp. Pt. מִתְלַהֲמִים Pr 18:8 i.e. bits greedily swallowed, dainties, = 26:22, sim. of tale-bearer’s words.