Original Word: טָעַם
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ta`am
Pronunciation: tah-am
Phonetic Spelling: (taw-am')
KJV: X but, perceive, taste
NASB: taste, tasted, tastes, indeed tasted, senses
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to taste
2. (figuratively) to perceive

but, perceive, taste

A primitive root; to taste; figuratively, to perceive -- X but, perceive, taste.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to taste, perceive
NASB Translation
indeed tasted (1), senses (1), taste (4), tasted (2), tastes (2).

טָעַם verb taste, perceive (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic , טְעֵים taste; Assyrian noun ‰êmû, sense, command, Zim^{BP 92} Lyon^{Sargontexte 67} Asrb^{Annals iii, 95}; Arabic eat, taste, examine by tasting; Ethiopic taste, examine by tasting, etc.) —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳ט 1 Samuel 14:24; 3feminine singular טָֽעֲמָה Proverbs 31:18; 1singular טָעַמְתִּי 1 Samuel 14:29,43; Imperfect3masculine singular יִטְעַם 1 Samuel 19:36 2t.; 1 singular אֶטְעַם 2 Samuel 3:35; 3masculine plural יִטְעֲמוּ Jonah 3:7; Imperative masculine plural טַעֲמוּ Psalm 34:9; Infinitive absolute טָעֹם 1 Samuel 14:13; —

1 taste, of eating in small quantity, followed by accusative לָ֑חֶם 1 Samuel 14:24, מְעַט דְּבַשׁ 1 Samuel 14:29, so 1 Samuel 14:43 (טָעִם טָעַמְתִּי); לֶחֶם אוֺ כָלמְֿאוּמָה 2 Samuel 3:35; מְאוּמָה Jonah 3:7.

2 of sense of taste, object אֶתאֲֿשֶׁר אֹכַל וְאֶתאֲֿשֶׁר אֶשְׁתֶּה 2 Samuel 19:36; so חֵךְ אֹכֶל יִטְעַםלֿוֺ Job 12:11; חֵךְ יִטְעַם לֶאֱכֹל Job 34:3.

3 figurative Proverbs 31:18 she tasteth that her gain is good (object clause with כִּי), i.e. she experiences that her trade is profitable; so מַעֲמוּ וּרְאוּ כִּיטֿוֺב יהוה Psalm 34:9 taste ye and see that ׳י is good.

Overview of Usage

The verb טָעַם occurs eleven times in the Old Testament, spanning historical narrative, wisdom literature, psalmody, and prophetic decree. In every setting the action of “tasting” serves as a bridge between mere physical sensation and deeper moral or spiritual discernment. Whether describing soldiers restricted from food, a grieving king refusing bread, or worshippers invited to experience the goodness of the LORD, the root consistently underscores the movement from outward contact to inward judgment.

Physical Taste in Narrative Contexts

1 Samuel 14 portrays Saul binding his troops under an oath—“So none of the troops tasted any food” (1 Samuel 14:24). Jonathan’s breach of that oath—“I tasted a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand” (1 Samuel 14:43)—illustrates how tasting grants immediate refreshment and clarity (“my eyes have brightened,” 1 Samuel 14:29) yet also exposes one to covenantal accountability.

David uses the same verb to express self-denial at Abner’s funeral: “May God punish me…if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!” (2 Samuel 3:35). His fast links physical abstinence to heartfelt grief and public integrity.

Barzillai, now aged, laments the fading of bodily powers: “Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks?” (2 Samuel 19:35). Here the loss of taste becomes a metaphor for diminished participation in royal joys.

The king of Nineveh issues a total fast—“No man or beast…may taste anything at all” (Jonah 3:7)—signaling national repentance under prophetic warning. In each case טָעַם moves beyond palate to posture, turning diet into declaration.

Taste as Discernment and Judgment

Job twice links sensory tasting with intellectual testing: “Does not the ear test words as the tongue tastes food?” (Job 12:11; cf. 34:3). The analogy elevates taste from bodily function to critical evaluation, reinforcing that truth must be proven, not passively received. Wisdom requires a discerning “palate” trained by experience and reverence for God.

Taste and Divine Goodness

Psalm 34:8 issues the classic invitation: “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” The psalmist transforms a culinary verb into an act of covenant trust. The worshipper is called to personal encounter, sampling the LORD’s faithfulness the way one samples nourishing food. The New Testament echoes this dynamic in 1 Peter 2:3 (“now that you have tasted that the Lord is good”), uniting both covenants around experiential knowledge of God.

Wisdom Literature and Personal Industry

Proverbs 31:18 credits the virtuous woman: “She tastes that her gain is good.” Her internal assessment of profit mirrors Job’s testing of words, showing that spiritual and economic activities alike call for discernment. Productivity is celebrated when it passes the test of טָעַם—authentic usefulness under God.

Corporate and Liturgical Dimensions

Fasts grounded in טָעַם (1 Samuel 14; 2 Samuel 3; Jonah 3) demonstrate how communities employ abstention to align hearts with divine purposes. Conversely, Psalm 34 calls believers together to “magnify the LORD…exalt His name together” (Psalm 34:3) by shared tasting of His goodness. Thus the root informs both penitential silence and jubilant praise, shaping the rhythm of Israel’s worship life.

Pastoral and Homiletical Implications

1. Christian shepherds may appeal to טָעַם when urging listeners to move from theoretical belief to embodied trust—much as tasting honey relieved Jonathan’s fatigue.
2. Fasting, biblically framed, withholds physical taste for the sake of deeper spiritual sensitivity, echoing David’s oath and Nineveh’s decree.
3. Discernment ministries can draw on Job’s imagery: congregations need cultivated “palates” able to distinguish wholesome doctrine from empty words.

Typological and Christological Lines

Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life (John 6:35), fulfills the call of Psalm 34:8. His invitation—“Take, eat; this is My body” (Matthew 26:26)—embeds טָעַם within the sacramental life of the Church, where tasting becomes remembrance and proclamation of the gospel. At the cross He “tasted death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9), transforming the bitter into eternal sweetness for those who believe.

Summary

טָעַם threads through Scripture as a vivid picture of contact that leads to comprehension. Whether highlighting refreshment, self-denial, moral testing, or divine hospitality, the verb calls God’s people to engage all their senses—and thus their whole being—in responsive faith.

אֶטְעַם־ אטעם־ טַעֲמ֣וּ טָ֭עֲמָה טָעַ֔מְתִּי טָעַ֜מְתִּי טָעַ֥ם טָעֹ֨ם טעם טעמה טעמו טעמתי יִטְעֲמוּ֙ יִטְעַ֤ם יִטְעַ֥ם יִטְעַם־ יטעם יטעם־ יטעמו ’eṭ‘am- ’eṭ·‘am- etam ṭā‘am ṭā‘ămāh ṭā‘amtî ṭa‘ămū ṭā‘ōm ṭā·‘ă·māh ṭa·‘ă·mū ṭā·‘am ṭā·‘am·tî ṭā·‘ōm taAm Taamah taAmti taaMu taOm yiṭ‘am yiṭ‘am- yiṭ‘ămū yiṭ·‘ă·mū yiṭ·‘am yiṭ·‘am- yitAm yitaMuInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts