Word Study for G1089 (γεύομαι)

geúomai /ghyoo'-om-ahee/ Ask about this word

Meaninga primary verb; to taste; by implication, to eat; figuratively, to experience (good or ill)

KJV usageeat, taste.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of geúomai — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Greek word geúomai, represented by G1089, is a primary verb meaning to taste. It appears 20 times in 15 unique verses. By implication, it means to eat, and figuratively, it is used to describe the act of experiencing something, whether good or ill. Its usage ranges from the literal act of consuming food to the profound spiritual experience of God's grace or the ultimate experience of death.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, G1089 is applied in both literal and figurative contexts. For a literal tasting, the ruler of the feast tasted the water that had been turned into wine John 2:9. Similarly, on the cross, Jesus tasted vinegar mingled with gall but refused to drink it Matthew 27:34. Figuratively, the word is used to describe the experience of death. Jesus was to taste death for every man Hebrews 2:9, and he promised some of his followers that they would not taste of death until they saw the kingdom of God Matthew 16:28. This figurative sense also extends to spiritual realities, such as when believers are described as having tasted the heavenly gift Hebrews 6:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to clarify the context of tasting and experiencing:

G4095 pínō (to imbibe): This word for "drink" is a direct counterpart to eating or tasting. In Matthew 27:34, after Jesus had tasted G1089 the vinegar, he would not drink G4095.
G680 háptomai (to touch): This verb is used alongside G1089 in a list of prohibitions regarding physical interaction with certain things, as seen in the command, "Touch not; taste not" Colossians 2:21.
G740 ártos (bread): This noun for bread or a loaf is often the object of eating. In Acts 20:11, Paul had broken bread G740 and eaten G1089, showing the direct connection between the object and the action.
G2345 thingánō (to manipulate, i.e. have to do with): This term is also found in the prohibitions of Colossians 2:21, which lists actions to be avoided: "taste not; handle not."

Theological Significance

The theological weight of G1089 is significant, often pointing to a direct, personal experience of spiritual truths.

Experiencing Christ's Sacrifice: The statement that Jesus should taste death Hebrews 2:9 frames his crucifixion not as a distant event but as a personal and complete experience of suffering undertaken for humanity.
Perceiving Divine Goodness: The word is used to describe a believer's intimate perception of God's character. Believers are encouraged by the fact that they have tasted that the Lord is gracious 1 Peter 2:3.
Participating in Salvation: In Hebrews, the term describes the initial experience of salvation. Those who have been enlightened are said to have tasted of the heavenly gift and tasted the good word of God Hebrews 6:4-5, linking the act of tasting with partaking in the Holy Ghost.
The Experience of Death: Across the Gospels, the promise that some would not taste death Luke 9:27 treats mortality not as an absolute end but as an experience that can be transcended by the power of Christ's coming kingdom.

Summary

In summary, G1089 is a versatile word that conveys more than the physical act of eating. It serves as a powerful metaphor for personal experience. From the literal tasting of food and drink to the figurative tasting of death, the heavenly gift, and the goodness of God, geúomai illustrates how scripture uses a common physical action to describe the most profound spiritual realities and the nature of one's personal relationship with God.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Greek New Testament, this word appears as a verb across 15 occurrences, inflected in 9 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Aorist Middle Deponent Subjunctive 3rd Plural 3×
Aorist Middle Deponent Infinitive 2×
Aorist Middle Deponent Participle Accusative Plural Masculine 2×
Aorist Middle Deponent Participle Nominative Singular Masculine 2×
Aorist Middle Deponent Subjunctive 3rd Singular 2×
Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 2nd Plural 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×
Aorist Middle Deponent Subjunctive 2nd Singular 1×
Future Middle Deponent Indicative 3rd Singular 1×

Nominative: The subject of the verb.
Accusative: The direct object of the verb.
Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Future: Action yet to take place.
Aorist: Action viewed as a single whole — usually a simple past event.
Middle: The subject acts on or for itself.
Middle Deponent: Middle in form but active in meaning.
Indicative: A plain statement of fact.
Subjunctive: Possibility or purpose — "might", "should".
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 15 verses across 8 of the 27 books. Most frequent in Acts and Hebrews (3 verses each); never once in the other 19.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Acts

Colossians

Hebrews

1 Peter

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.