Word Study for H2939 (טְעַם) | Strong's Concordance

ṭᵉʻam /teh-am'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to טָעַם

Meaningto taste; causatively to feed

KJV usagemake to eat, feed.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ṭᵉʻam — 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 Aramaic word ṭᵉʻam, represented by H2939, has the base definition of "to taste," but is used causatively to mean to feed or make to eat. This specific term appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, exclusively within the book of Daniel. Its usage is highly focused on the theme of divine judgment and humbling.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical context, H2939 is central to the narrative of King Nebuchadnezzar's humiliation. As part of his judgment for pride, it is prophesied that "they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen" Daniel 4:25. This exact phrasing is repeated in the narrative Daniel 4:32. Later, when recounting these events, the text states that Nebuchadnezzar was driven from men and "they fed him with grass like oxen" until he acknowledged the sovereignty of the most high God Daniel 5:21. In all instances, the word describes a forced, animalistic consumption, not a willing act of eating.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide a fuller picture of the context in which H2939 is used:

H2957 ṭᵉrad ((Aramaic) corresponding to טָרַד; to expel; drive): This action directly precedes the feeding. In all three verses where Nebuchadnezzar is made to eat grass, he is first driven from human society (Daniel 4:25, 4:32, 5:21).
H8450 tôwr ((Aramaic) corresponding (by permutation) to שׁוֹר; a bull; bullock, ox): This word provides the standard of comparison for the humbling act. The king is not just fed grass, but fed grass "as oxen," emphasizing his reduction to the level of a beast Daniel 4:25.
H6211 ʻâsh (from עָשֵׁשׁ; a moth; moth. See also עַיִשׁ): This is the substance Nebuchadnezzar was made to consume, used in the text as "grass" that oxen eat Daniel 5:21.
H6966 qûwm ((Aramaic) corresponding to קוּם; {to rise (in various applications, literal, figurative, intensive and causative)}; appoint, establish, make, raise up self, (a-) rise (up), (make to) stand, set (up)): This word highlights the divine authority behind the judgment, stating that God "appointeth" rulers over the kingdom of men Daniel 5:21.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H2939 is tied directly to God's sovereignty over human rulers.

Divine Judgment: The act of being "made to eat" grass is not a natural occurrence but a direct and deliberate sentence from God to humble a prideful king.
Humiliation of the Proud: The use of H2939 illustrates the stripping away of human dignity. By being forcefully fed like an animal, Nebuchadnezzar's status is reduced from a mighty king to a beast of the field.
Acknowledging God's Rule: This humbling experience serves a clear purpose: it continues until the king learns "that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men" Daniel 4:32. The feeding is the mechanism for this divine lesson.

Summary

In summary, H2939 is a very specific and potent Aramaic verb. While its root relates to taste, its biblical application is exclusively about being force-fed as part of a divine judgment. Its appearances in Daniel are crucial to the story of Nebuchadnezzar, powerfully illustrating that God has the authority to humble even the greatest of human kings, reducing them to an animalistic state to teach them of His ultimate power and sovereignty.

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 Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb and a noun across 4 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

יְטַעֲמוּן
טְעֵם

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

3 verses, all in Daniel — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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, by grammatical form, 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.