(Aramaic) corresponding to טָעַם; to taste; causatively to feed; make to eat, feed.
Transliteration:ṭᵉʻam
Pronunciation:teh-am'
Detailed Word Study
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### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Aramaic verb ṭᵉʻam (`{{H2939}}`) fundamentally denotes "to taste." Its semantic range extends significantly through its causative forms, meaning "to cause to taste," which translates to "to feed" or "to make to eat." This reflects a direct interaction with food or sustenance. Beyond the literal physical act, the word can also carry a more figurative sense, particularly in Aramaic usage, implying "to perceive," "to discern," or "to understand," akin to "tasting" or "experiencing" a concept or truth. It is the Aramaic cognate of the more frequently occurring Hebrew verb ṭāʻam (`{{H2938}}`), which shares a similar core meaning of tasting, perceiving, and discerning.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
Occurrences of ṭᵉʻam (`{{H2939}}`) are found exclusively in the Aramaic sections of the Old Testament, specifically in the books of Daniel and Ezra.
1. **Daniel 2:9**: "If you do not make known to me the dream, there is but one decree for you. For you have prepared (טְעַם) lying and corrupt words to speak before me until the situation changes." [[Daniel 2:9]]
* Here, the usage is highly idiomatic and figurative. Nebuchadnezzar accuses his wise men of having "prepared" or "agreed upon" (KJV, NASB, ESV) false and misleading words. The sense is not of physical tasting, but rather of perceiving, discerning, or having already settled upon a course of deception. It implies a mental or intentional "tasting" or "experiencing" of deceit.
2. **Daniel 4:25**: "They shall drive you from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat (יְטַעֲמוּנָךְ) grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will." [[Daniel 4:25]]
* In this prophetic decree against Nebuchadnezzar, the verb is used in its causative sense: "you shall be made to eat" or "you shall be fed." This clearly refers to the literal act of consuming food, albeit in a debased and animalistic manner, as part of divine judgment.
3. **Daniel 5:21**: "He was driven from among the children of men, and his heart was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed (מְטַעֲמִין) grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of men and sets over it whom he will." [[Daniel 5:21]]
* This verse recounts the fulfillment of the prophecy from Daniel 4, again using ṭᵉʻam in its causative sense, "he was fed" or "he was made to eat." It reinforces the literal aspect of sustenance provided under God's sovereign hand.
4. **Ezra 4:14**: "Now because we eat (טְעִמְנָא) the salt of the palace, and it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor, therefore we send and inform the king." [[Ezra 4:14]]
* This is an idiomatic expression, "to eat the salt of the palace," signifying receiving sustenance or provision from the king, and by extension, being loyal to him. The literal act of "eating" is present, but it carries the deeper meaning of dependency and allegiance stemming from royal provision.
These contexts demonstrate ṭᵉʻam's range from literal feeding to idiomatic expressions of perception, agreement, and receiving sustenance/loyalty.
### Related Words & Concepts
The most direct linguistic relation is to its Hebrew counterpart, ṭāʻam (`{{H2938}}`), which also encompasses the meanings of "to taste," "to perceive," "to discern," and "to give counsel." This strong cognate relationship highlights the shared semantic field across the two languages.
Other related concepts include:
* **Eating/Consuming**: ʾāḵal (`{{H398}}`, Hebrew, "to eat, consume") is the general term for eating, providing a broader category for the literal senses of ṭᵉʻam.
* **Perception/Discernment**: Words like bîn (`{{H995}}`, Hebrew, "to understand, discern"), yādaʻ (`{{H3045}}`, Hebrew, "to know, perceive"), and śāḵal (`{{H7919}}`, Hebrew, "to be prudent, understand") relate to the figurative sense of ṭᵉʻam as "to perceive" or "to discern."
* **Sustenance/Provision**: Concepts of food, provision, and maintenance are inherently linked to the causative meaning of "to feed" and the idiom of "eating salt."
### Theological Significance
The occurrences of ṭᵉʻam (`{{H2939}}`) in the Aramaic scriptures, particularly in Daniel, carry significant theological weight:
1. **Divine Sovereignty over Sustenance and Judgment**: The repeated phrase "made to eat grass like an ox" (Daniel 4 and 5) powerfully illustrates God's absolute sovereignty, even over the most basic necessities of life. He humbles the proudest kings by stripping them of their human dignity and forcing them into a state of animalistic existence, demonstrating that all provision and life itself depend entirely on His will. This serves as a stark reminder that human power is fleeting and subject to divine decree.
2. **The Nature of Truth and Deception**: In Daniel 2:9, the king's accusation that the wise men "prepared lying and corrupt words" touches upon the critical theme of discerning truth from falsehood. While ṭᵉʻam here refers to a human act of deception, it underscores the importance of spiritual and intellectual discernment in a world often filled with misleading rhetoric. From a broader biblical perspective, God is the source of all truth, and His people are called to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8), discerning His ways.
3. **Loyalty and Dependence**: The idiom "to eat the salt of the palace" in Ezra 4:14 speaks to the concept of loyalty borne out of receiving sustenance or favor from a sovereign. Theologically, this can be analogized to the believer's dependence on God for all things. Just as the recipients of royal provision were bound by allegiance, so too are believers called to loyalty and faithfulness to God, from whom all blessings flow.
### Summary
The Aramaic verb ṭᵉʻam (`{{H2939}}`) is a versatile word whose core meaning is "to taste." Its semantic range expands to include the causative "to feed" or "to make to eat," and figuratively, "to perceive," "to discern," or "to agree upon." Found in Daniel and Ezra, its usage highlights diverse contexts: from the literal feeding of Nebuchadnezzar as a sign of divine judgment and sovereignty over provision ([[Daniel 4:25]], [[Daniel 5:21]]), to the idiomatic expression of loyalty through receiving sustenance ([[Ezra 4:14]]), and the complex sense of perceiving or preparing deceitful words ([[Daniel 2:9]]). As the Aramaic counterpart to the Hebrew ṭāʻam (`{{H2938}}`), ṭᵉʻam underscores biblical themes of divine control over human existence, the importance of discerning truth, and the nature of dependence and allegiance.
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