Topical Encyclopedia
The concept of "tasting" in the Bible often extends beyond the mere physical act of sampling food or drink. It frequently carries a deeper spiritual or metaphorical significance, reflecting experiences of God's goodness, the reality of sin, or the suffering of Christ.
1.
Physical Tasting: In its most literal sense, "tasting" refers to the act of sampling food or drink. This is seen in various passages where individuals partake of physical sustenance. For example, in
Genesis 25:30, Esau asks Jacob, "Please let me taste some of that red stew, for I am exhausted." Here, tasting is associated with immediate physical need and desire.
2.
Spiritual Tasting: The Bible often uses "tasting" to describe experiencing the goodness and grace of God.
Psalm 34:8 invites believers to "Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him." This verse encourages an experiential knowledge of God's benevolence, suggesting that faith involves more than intellectual assent—it requires a personal encounter with the divine.
3.
Tasting of the Heavenly Gift: In the New Testament, the concept of tasting is used to describe the experience of salvation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 6:4-5 speaks of those "who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age." This passage highlights the profound spiritual experiences available to believers, emphasizing the reality and depth of the Christian faith.
4.
Tasting Death: The phrase "tasting death" is used to describe the experience of dying. In
Hebrews 2:9, it is written, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone." Here, "tasting death" signifies Christ's full participation in human mortality, underscoring His role as the sacrificial Savior who conquers death on behalf of humanity.
5.
Tasting Bitterness: The Bible also uses the metaphor of tasting to describe the experience of bitterness or suffering. In
Revelation 10:9-10, John is instructed to take a scroll and eat it, which is sweet in his mouth but turns bitter in his stomach. This imagery reflects the dual nature of prophetic revelation—sweet in its promise of God's ultimate victory, yet bitter in its message of judgment and suffering.
In summary, the biblical use of "tasting" encompasses a range of experiences, from the physical to the deeply spiritual. It invites believers to engage with their faith in a tangible way, experiencing both the sweetness of God's promises and the reality of human suffering, all within the context of God's redemptive plan.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
imp. & p. p.) of Taste.
Greek
1089. geuomai -- to taste, eat... Word Origin a prim. verb Definition to taste, eat NASB Word Usage eat (1),
eaten (1), taste (8),
tasted (4), tasting (1). eat, taste.
...3690. oxos -- sour wine
... One wine was mixed with (5521 ), which Christ refused once Hetasted it
(Mt 27:34,48) -- and the other wine mixed with " (G. Archer)....
Strong's Hebrew
2938. taam -- to taste, perceive... Word Origin a prim. root Definition to taste, perceive NASB Word Usage indeed
tasted (1), senses (1), taste (4),
tasted (2), tastes (2). but, perceive, taste.
...2942. teem -- taste, judgment, command
... NASB Word Usage accountable (1), command (1), commanded* (1), commander* (3), decree
(18), discernment (1), disregarded* (1), orders (1), report (1),tasted (1...
Library
Of the Boys who when Bringing to a Sick Man Some Figs, Died in the...
... Prolegomena. Chapter XL. Of the boys who when bringing to a sick man some figs,
died in the desert from hunger, without havingtasted them....
Christ as Righteousness; as the Demiurge, the Agent of the Good...
... For without [4640] God Hetasted death for every one. In some copies of
the Epistle to the Hebrews the words are "by the grace of...
V. ...
... and hatred, and all evil speakings, and desire the sincere milk of the word, as
new-born babes, that ye may grow thereby, if ye have besidestasted that the...
The Sin against the Holy Ghost.
... Paul writes: "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and...
Concerning Christian Liberty
... few even reckon it among the social virtues, as it were; and this they do because
they have not made proof of it experimentally, and have nevertasted of what...
Concerning Christian Liberty
... few even reckon it among the social virtues, as it were; and this they do, because
they have not made proof of it experimentally, and have nevertasted of what...
Psalm CVII.
... 2. "Confess unto the Lord that He is sweet, because for aye in His mercy" (ver.1).
This confess ye that He is sweet: if ye havetasted, confess....
A Letter on the Sin against the Holy Ghost to John Uytenbogard...
... "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and havetasted of the
heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and havetasted the...
Hymns on the Nativity. Hymn i. This is the Day that Gladdened Them...
... all. For Him Rahab too was looking; for when the scarlet thread in type
redeemed her from wrath, in type shetasted of the Truth....
Concerning Perseverance, and the Possibility of Falling from Grace...
... and after havingtasted the heavenly gift, and been made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
again fall away, Hebrews 6:4, 5, 6. yet such an increase and stability in...
Thesaurus
Tasted (18 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Tasted (18 Occurrences). Matthew 27:34 They gave him sour
wine to drink mixed with gall. When he had
tasted it, he would not drink.
...Enlightened (13 Occurrences)
... Hebrews 6:4 For concerning those who were once enlightened andtasted of the heavenly
gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (WEB KJV WEY ASV DBY...
Gracious (106 Occurrences)
... The word is used once in the New Testament from root of Greek word chrestos, meaning
"useful" as a benefit: "if ye havetasted that the Lord is gracious" (1...
Tasteful (6 Occurrences)
Tested (80 Occurrences)
... Job 12:11 Are not words tested by the ear, even as food istasted by the mouth?
(BBE).... Job 34:3 For words are tested by the ear, as food istasted by the mouth....
Taste (46 Occurrences)
... Exodus 16:31); "Doth not the ear try words, even as the palate (chekh) tasteth
(Ta`am) its food?" (Job 12:11); "Belshazzar, while hetasted (literally, "at the...
Vinegar (11 Occurrences)
... Vinegar (11 Occurrences). Matthew 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with
gall: and when he hadtasted thereof, he would not drink. (KJV DBY WBS YLT)....
Unwilling (30 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Matthew 27:34 They gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall.
When he hadtasted it, he would not drink. (See NAS). Mark...
Outburst (8 Occurrences)
... Numbers 11:33 But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it wastasted,
the wrath of the Lord was moved against the people and he sent a great...
Offered (320 Occurrences)
... NIV). Matthew 27:34 They gave him sour wine to drink mixed with gall. When
he hadtasted it, he would not drink. (See RSV NIV). Matthew...
Resources
Does Hebrews 6:4-6 mean we can lose our salvation? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is gall in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgDid Jesus change the water into wine or grape juice? | GotQuestions.orgTasted: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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