Lexical Summary
chek: Palate, roof of the mouth, taste
Original Word:חֵךְ
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:chek
Pronunciation:khayk
Phonetic Spelling:(khake)
KJV: (roof of the) mouth, taste
NASB:mouth, palate, taste, lips, roof of its mouth, roof of my mouth, roof of your mouth
Word Origin:[probably fromH2596 (חָנַך - dedicated) in the sense of tasting]
1. (properly) the palate or inside of the mouth
2. (hence) the mouth itself (as the organ of speech, taste and kissing)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
roof of the mouth, taste
Probably fromchanak in the sense of tasting; properly, the palate or inside of the mouth; hence, the mouth itself (as the organ of speech, taste and kissing) -- (roof of the) mouth, taste.
see HEBREWchanak
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
Definitionpalate, roof of the mouth, gums
NASB Translationlips (1), mouth (6), palate (4), roof of its mouth (1), roof of my mouth (1), roof of your mouth (1), speech (1), taste (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew
id.; Aramaic
Arabic
palate, roof of mouth, jaws, lower part of mouth, lower jaw of horse,
mouth, etc. Lane
659 Dozy
i. 332); — absolute
Job 12:11;
Job 34:3; suffix
Proverbs 8:7 6t.,
Hosea 8:1,
Ezekiel 3:26;
Proverbs 24:13; chiefly in poetry, especially Wisdom Literature: — Cant 7:10,
Lamentations 4:4 2t.,
Proverbs 5:3,
Job 29:10; —
palate, roof of mouth:Hosea 8:1a trumpet to thy palate! (orgums; as in English,to thy lips); often with ,tongue clings ()to , expression for speechlessnessEzekiel 3:26;Job 29:10, as imprecationPsalm 137:6; for the parching of extreme thirstLamentations 4:4 (), comparePsalm 22:16 read for see Checritical note ("" ).
Proverbs 5:3;Proverbs 8:7 (both "" ),Job 31:30;Job 33:2 ("" ).
Job 12:11;Job 34:3,Songs 2:3his fruit was sweet to my palate,Proverbs 24:13 (implied simile of wisdom as sweet to the soul); figurative of God's words as sweetPsalm 119:103 ("" ); of taste as distinguishing misfortunesJob 6:30 ("" ; > others of speech); of keeping wickednessJob 20:18 ("" ), i.e. delighting in and prolonging the taste of it.
nearly =mouth, as an element in personal sweetness and beautySongs 5:16;Songs 7:10.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Range of Usageחֵךְ most commonly denotes the palate or roof of the mouth, yet Scripture extends the term to cover the inner surfaces of the mouth, the organ of taste, and, by metonymy, speech itself. In each setting the word touches on sensory discernment—what is ingested, savored, rejected, or uttered.
Discernment of Speech and Truth
Job repeatedly employs חֵךְ to portray the testing of words: “Does not the ear test words as the palate tastes food?” (Job 12:11). The same analogy undergirds Elihu’s plea, “For the ear tests words as the palate tastes food” (Job 34:3). Here the mouth’s ability to distinguish flavors pictures the believer’s responsibility to weigh counsel, doctrine, and circumstance with spiritual discrimination. Ministry application: teachers and hearers alike must cultivate a refined “palate” that quickly detects error and delights in sound doctrine.
Sweetness of God’s Word
Psalm 119:103 elevates the term: “How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey in my mouth!” The psalmist’s comparison presents Scripture as nourishment surpassing the choicest delicacies. Proverbs likewise invites the believer to receive wisdom with delight: “My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate” (Proverbs 24:13). Preachers and disciplers may draw from these images when exhorting believers to daily intake of the Word, not from duty alone but from desire awakened by its sweetness.
Warnings against Deceptive Flattery
The seductive voice of folly is described with the same organ. “For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil” (Proverbs 5:3). What tastes pleasant at first proves deadly.Proverbs 8:7, in contrast, assigns righteous speech to Lady Wisdom: “For my mouth speaks truth, and wickedness is detestable to my lips.” The palate motif underscores that every believer’s speech feeds others; it will nourish or poison.
Scenes of Intimacy and Delight
Song of Songs develops חֵךְ in poetic celebration of marital love:
• “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my beloved… his fruit is sweet to my taste” (Song of Songs 2:3).
• “His mouth is most sweet; he is altogether lovely” (Song of Songs 5:16).
• “And your mouth like the best wine. May it go down smoothly for my beloved, gliding gently over lips and teeth” (Song of Songs 7:9).
Here the palate becomes an emblem of delight, satisfaction, and covenant intimacy—imagery often echoed in preaching on Christ’s love for His Church.
Dryness, Silence, and Judgment
Where sweetness and speech mark blessing, loss of function signals distress.Lamentations 4:4 laments the siege of Jerusalem: “The tongue of the infant clings to the roof of its mouth for thirst.” Ezekiel experiences imposed silence as prophetic sign: “I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth, and you will be mute” (Ezekiel 3:26).Hosea 8:1 warns of imminent judgment with a trumpet set to the prophet’s palate, ready to sound alarm. Ministry insight: spiritual drought and restrained proclamation are evidences of divine displeasure; conversely, free, life-giving speech accompanies blessing.
Christological and New-Covenant Implications
Though חֵךְ never appears in the New Testament, its themes prepare for the incarnation of the Word. Jesus Christ, the perfect embodiment of wisdom, speaks only what the Father commands (John 12:49). His words prove sweeter than honey, yet His palate also tasted gall (Matthew 27:34), fulfilling lament and providing atonement. The believer’s participation in the Lord’s Supper echoes the palate’s role, reminding the Church to “taste and see that the LORD is good” (Psalm 34:8).
Practical Ministry Applications
1. Cultivate biblical discernment—train the spiritual palate through continual exposure to Scripture.
2. Guard personal speech—recognize the mouth as a conduit of life or death (Proverbs 18:21).
3. Encourage delight in God’s Word—present Scripture not merely as obligation but as delectable sustenance.
4. Warn against deceptive sweetness—unmask flattering yet destructive counsel.
5. Provide hope for the parched—offer living water in Christ to those whose palate is dry through sin or suffering.
Summary
חֵךְ links physical taste, moral discernment, verbal expression, and covenant joy. Throughout the Old Testament it instructs believers to savor truth, reject deceit, speak life, and find ultimate satisfaction in the sweetness of the LORD.
Forms and Transliterations
בְחִכִּֽי׃ בחכי׃ וְ֝חֵ֗ךְ וְחִכֵּ֕ךְ וחך וחכך חִ֝כִּ֗י חִכְּךָ֣ חִכִּ֑י חִכֶּ֔ךָ חִכֶּֽךָ׃ חִכָּֽהּ׃ חִכּ֖וֹ חִכּֽוֹ׃ חִכּוֹ֙ חכה׃ חכו חכו׃ חכי חכך חכך׃ לְ֭חִכִּי לְחִכִּֽי׃ לְחִכִּי֮ לְחִכָּ֥ם לחכי לחכי׃ לחכם ḇə·ḥik·kî ḇəḥikkî chikKah chikKecha chikKi chikKo ḥik·kāh ḥik·ke·ḵā ḥik·kə·ḵā ḥik·kî ḥik·kōw ḥikkāh ḥikkeḵā ḥikkəḵā ḥikkî ḥikkōw lə·ḥik·kām lə·ḥik·kî lechikKam Lechikki ləḥikkām ləḥikkî veChech vechikKech vechikKi wə·ḥêḵ wə·ḥik·kêḵ wəḥêḵ wəḥikkêḵ
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
