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טָעַם

𐤈𐤏𐤌

ṭâʻam

H2938 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To taste by eating; by extension, to perceive, discern, or experience (with the senses or understanding). In more literal contexts, refers to the physical act of tasting or sampling food or drink. In figurative or extended uses, describes perceiving, discerning, or assessing through intellectual, emotional, or spiritual faculties.

Semantic Range

to sample or taste food/drink, to test or try by tasting, to perceive, to discern, to experience (physically or mentally), to judge between things by sense or understanding

Root / Etymology

From the root טעם, which at the base level means 'to taste' or 'to try by tasting.' The verb form refers to the act of sampling or making sensory evaluation, which is metaphorically extended to the notion of discernment, understanding, or experiencing more generally.

Historical & Contextual Notes

טָעַם is used both for direct, physical tasting (e.g., sampling food or drink, as in 1 Samuel 14:24, 29, 43; Psalm 34:9) and for figurative sensing or discerning (e.g., 1 Samuel 21:14, where changed behavior is perceived; Job 12:11, 'the ear tries words as the palate tastes food'). Its metaphorical extension underscores a common Hebrew conceptual link between physical sensation and cognitive or evaluative processes. Within the biblical period, this word's figurative sense of discernment or perception is often paired or contrasted with other sensory language, especially in wisdom literature. Later translation traditions sometimes obscure the distinction between physical and mental tasting, choosing English "perceive" or "discern" in places where a physical action is also possible. The root underlies nouns meaning 'taste' (טַעַם), 'judgment,' and 'sense,' highlighting the semantic bridge between sense perception and intellectual insight in ancient Hebrew thought.

Translation Consistency

primary "taste" 9 occurrences

Most common and natural rendering across literal and figurative uses: physical sampling of food/drink and extended senses of perceiving, discerning, testing, or experiencing. "Taste" cleanly covers the typical semantic range and will produce natural English inflections for all forms.

Alternatives (2 occurrences):
"taste, you all" (1x) "perceives" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to taste; figuratively, to perceive; [idiom] but, perceive, taste.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

טעם (ṭâʻam) — to taste, to perceive, to discern

Root טעם to taste, to perceive, to discern
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2939 טְעַם in taste of
H2940 טַעַם according to the taste-of
H2941 טַעַם he tasted
H2942 טְעֵם discernment
H4303 מַטְעַם the seasoned delicacies

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2938-07 יִטְעַ֤ם yiteam HVqi3ms taste he will taste tastes 3
H2938-04 טָעַ֔מְתִּי taameti HVqp1cs I tasted I tasted I tasted 2
H2938-01 אֶטְעַם eteam HVqi1cs I taste I will taste I will taste 1
H2938-02 טָעַ֥ם taam HVqp3ms tasted he tasted he tasted 1
H2938-03 טָ֭עֲמָה taamah HVqp3fs She perceives she tasted she perceives 1
H2938-05 טַעֲמ֣וּ taamu HVqv2mp taste Taste, you all Taste, you all 1
H2938-06 טָעֹ֨ם taom HVqa Taste to taste to taste 1
H2938-08 יִטְעֲמוּ֙ yiteamu HVqj3mp taste let them taste let them taste 1

Occurrences in Scripture

11 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2938-02 1 Samuel 14:24 טָעַ֥ם taam HVqp3ms tasted he tasted he tasted
H2938-04 1 Samuel 14:29 טָעַ֔מְתִּי taameti HVqp1cs I tasted I tasted I tasted
H2938-06 1 Samuel 14:43 טָעֹ֨ם taom HVqa Taste to taste to taste
H2938-04 1 Samuel 14:43 טָעַ֜מְתִּי taameti HVqp1cs I tasted I tasted I tasted
H2938-01 2 Samuel 3:35 אֶטְעַם eteam HVqi1cs I taste I will taste I will taste
H2938-07 2 Samuel 19:36 יִטְעַ֤ם yiteam HVqi3ms taste he will taste he will taste
H2938-08 Jonah 3:7 יִטְעֲמוּ֙ yiteamu HVqj3mp taste let them taste let them taste
H2938-05 Psalms 34:9 טַעֲמ֣וּ taamu HVqv2mp taste Taste, you all Taste, you all
H2938-03 Proverbs 31:18 טָ֭עֲמָה taamah HVqp3fs She perceives she tasted she perceives
H2938-07 Job 12:11 יִטְעַם yiteam HVqi3ms taste he will taste tastes
H2938-07 Job 34:3 יִטְעַ֥ם yiteam HVqi3ms tastes he will taste tastes
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