γεύομαι (G1089) — Greek Lexicon

γεύομαι

geúomai

G1089 verb

SILEX Entry

Root γευ- to taste, to perceive flavor, to experience

Definition

To taste; to partake of something by the sense of taste (whether literally by sampling food or drink, or figuratively by experiencing or undergoing something). The primary meaning is the act of physically perceiving flavor. The term may expand to indicate sharing in, partaking of, or undergoing an event, sensation, or experience (whether positive or negative), especially in metaphorical contexts such as 'to taste death,' i.e., to experience death (Hebrews 2:9).

Semantic Range

to taste, to eat, to partake of, to experience or undergo (especially figuratively in reference to events, sensations, or states like death, the heavenly gift, or spiritual realities)

Root / Etymology

From the root γευ- meaning 'to taste'. It is a deponent middle/passive verb form in Koine but derives from an ancient and widely attested Greek stem (γευ-), related to classical Greek γεύω (to give a taste, to cause to taste) and the cognate with Latin gustare. Its formation is regular from the Indo-European root *g(e)u- (to choose, to taste).

Historical & Contextual Notes

γεύομαι is attested from classical Greek onward, though in the classical period the active form γεύω (to give a taste) is more common and γεύομαι originally had a passive or middle sense ('to receive a taste' or 'to taste for oneself'). In Koine Greek, including the Septuagint and the New Testament, γεύομαι is virtually always deponent, meaning 'to taste' in both literal and metaphorical senses. The figurative use ('to experience,' e.g., death, the powers of the age to come, heavenly gift) is especially prominent in Jewish-Greek and Christian texts, where it is used to describe both positive and negative encounters. Standard English translations like 'taste' or 'eat' may miss the experiential nuance present in metaphorical uses, where the sense is broader than merely tasting in the culinary sense. In the LXX, γεύομαι can convey non-literal senses drawn from Hebraic idiom. In non-biblical Koine Greek, the figurative expansion to 'experience' is attested but not as prominent as in the New Testament.

Translation Consistency

primary "taste" 15 occurrences

Most common and natural rendering across literal and figurative uses. γεύομαι primarily means to taste or partake sensorially, and by extension to experience or undergo (e.g. “taste death”); “taste” cleanly covers both senses and matches the majority of attested translations.

✓ All renderings match approved senses

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primary verb; to taste; by implication, to eat; figuratively, to experience (good or ill):--eat, taste.

Root Family

γεύομαι (geuomai) — to taste, to perceive flavor, to experience

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`G1089-07`	γεύσεταί	geusetai	`V FUT MID IND 3P SG`	he might taste	he/she/it will taste for oneself	he/she/it will taste for himself/herself/itself	3
`G1089-08`	γεύσωνται	geusontai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P PL`	taste	they might taste	they might taste	3
`G1089-03`	γευσάμενος	geusamenos	`V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG`	having eaten	having tasted	having tasted	2
`G1089-04`	γευσαμένους	geusamenous	`V AOR MID PTCP ACC M PL`	having tasted	having tasted for themselves	having tasted for themselves	2
`G1089-05`	γεύσασθαι	geusasthai	`V AOR MID INF`	to eat	to taste for oneself	to taste for oneself	2
`G1089-02`	ἐγεύσατο	egeusato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	he had tasted	he tasted for himself	he tasted for himself	1
`G1089-06`	γεύσῃ	geuse	`V AOR MID SUBJ 2P SG`	taste	you might taste for yourself	you might taste for yourself	1
`G1089-01`	ἐγεύσασθε	egeusasthe	`V AOR MID IND 2P PL`	you have tasted	you tasted for yourselves	you have tasted	1

Occurrences in Scripture

15 occurrences

Filter by SIDANCE:

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`G1089-08`	Matthew 16:28	γεύσωνται	geusontai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P PL`	taste	they might taste	they might taste
`G1089-03`	Matthew 27:34	γευσάμενος	geusamenos	`V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG`	when he had tasted	having tasted	having tasted
`G1089-08`	Mark 9:1	γεύσωνται	geusontai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P PL`	shall taste	they might taste	they might taste
`G1089-08`	Luke 9:27	γεύσωνται	geusontai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P PL`	taste	they might taste	they might taste
`G1089-07`	Luke 14:24	γεύσεταί	geusetai	`V FUT MID IND 3P SG`	shall taste	he/she/it will taste for oneself	he/she/it will taste for himself/herself/itself
`G1089-02`	John 2:9	ἐγεύσατο	egeusato	`V AOR MID IND 3P SG`	he had tasted	he tasted for himself	he tasted for himself
`G1089-07`	John 8:52	γεύσηται	geusetai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P SG`	taste	he/she/it will taste for oneself	he/she/it will taste for himself/herself/itself
`G1089-05`	Acts 10:10	γεύσασθαι	geusasthai	`V AOR MID INF`	to eat	to taste for oneself	to have tasted for oneself
`G1089-03`	Acts 20:11	γευσάμενος	geusamenos	`V AOR MID PTCP NOM M SG`	having eaten	having tasted	having tasted
`G1089-05`	Acts 23:14	γεύσασθαι	geusasthai	`V AOR MID INF`	to taste	to taste for oneself	to taste for oneself
`G1089-06`	Colossians 2:21	γεύσῃ	geuse	`V AOR MID SUBJ 2P SG`	taste	you might taste for yourself	you might taste for yourself
`G1089-07`	Hebrews 2:9	γεύσηται	geusetai	`V AOR MID SUBJ 3P SG`	he might taste	he/she/it will taste for oneself	might taste for oneself
`G1089-04`	Hebrews 6:4	γευσαμένους	geusamenous	`V AOR MID PTCP ACC M PL`	having tasted	having tasted for themselves	having tasted for themselves
`G1089-04`	Hebrews 6:5	γευσαμένους	geusamenous	`V AOR MID PTCP ACC M PL`	having tasted	having tasted for themselves	having tasted for themselves
`G1089-01`	1 Peter 2:3	ἐγεύσασθε	egeusasthe	`V AOR MID IND 2P PL`	you have tasted	you tasted for yourselves	you have tasted

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