tāst (Hebrew טעם , ṭa‛am , "the sense of taste," "perception," from טעם , ṭā'am , "to taste," "to perceive"; Aramaic טעם , ṭe‛ēm , "flavor," "taste" (of a thing); Hebrew חך , ḥēkh , "palate," "roof of the mouth" = "taste"; γεύομας , geúomai ; noun γεῦσις , geúsis ; in 2 Maccabees 7:1 the verb is ἐφάπτομαι , epháptomai ):
(1) Literal:
( a ) Gustation, to try by the tongue: "The taste ( ṭa‛am ) of it (manna) was like wafers made with honey" ( Exodus 16:31 ); "Doth not the ear try words, even as the palate (ḥēkh ) tasteth (ṭā‛am ) its food?" (Job 12:11 ); "Belshazzar, while he tasted (literally, "at the taste of," ṭe‛em ) the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom" (Daniel 5:2 ). (b ) "To sample," "to eat but a small morsel": "I did certainly taste (ṭā‛am ) a little honey with the end of the rod that was in my hand; and, lo, I must die" (1 Samuel 14:43 ).
(2) Figurative:
"To experience," "to perceive": "Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good" (Psalm 34:8; compare 1 Peter 2:3 ); "How sweet are thy words unto my taste!" (margin "palate," ḥēkh ) (Psalm 119:103 ); "That by the grace of God he should taste of death for every man" (Hebrews 2:9 ); "For as touching those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come ..." (Hebrews 6:4 , Hebrews 6:5 ).
The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) was edited by James Orr, John Nuelsen, Edgar Mullins, Morris Evans, and Melvin Grove Kyle and was published complete in 1939. This web site includes the complete text.
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