מָתֹק (ma.taq)
ma.taq
be sweet
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb matōq describes something becoming sweet or pleasant, often with a sensory or emotional quality. In its basic form, it simply means to be sweet, but in Scripture it frequently carries a deeper sense of what is pleasing or desirable to the soul. This word appears in five verses, primarily in poetic books like Job and Proverbs, as well as in Exodus.
A striking feature of matōq is its connection to the act of sucking or tasting, suggesting that sweetness is not just an abstract idea but something experienced physically. For instance, in Exodus 15:23-25, the bitter waters of Marah become sweet after Moses throws a tree into them, showing how God can transform what is harsh into something life-giving. Similarly, Proverbs uses this word to describe words that are sweet to the soul, like honeycomb (Proverbs 16:24), highlighting its role in portraying wisdom and kindness as nourishing.
Translators often render matōq as "sweet" or "pleasant," though these English terms may not fully capture the richness of the original. The verb’s root sense ties it to physical experiences of taste, which then expands metaphorically to describe relationships, speech, and even divine acts that bring relief or joy. By grounding its meaning in tangible sensations, matōq reminds readers that sweetness in Scripture is both literal and profound.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word matōq reminds us that sweetness is not just a flavor, but an experience of relief and joy. In Exodus, bitter waters become drinkable when God provides a tree to sweeten them. This shows how God can transform harsh situations into sources of life for His people.
Similarly, Proverbs describes wise words as sweet to the soul, like honeycomb. This suggests that kindness and truth nourish us deeply. When we encounter difficult times, we can trust that God brings sweetness where there was bitterness, offering peace and comfort to our hearts.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they will be sweet1×
- they are sweet1×
- it sucks on/ him1×
- it is sweet1×
- and/ they became sweet1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תַּמְתִּ֣יק1×
- מָֽתְקוּ\־1×
- מְתָ֘ק֤/וֹ1×
- יִמְתָּ֑קוּ1×
- וַֽ/יִּמְתְּק֖וּ1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 15:25
Then he cried to Yahweh. Yahweh showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them.
This verse shows God actively transforming bitter waters into something sweet through Moses' obedience, illustrating His power to bring relief in difficult circumstances.
-
Proverbs 9:17
“Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant.”
Here the word describes stolen water as sweet, serving as a warning that illicit pleasures may seem attractive but are ultimately destructive.
-
Job 20:12
“Though wickedness is sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,
Job uses this term to describe how wickedness can taste sweet to the wicked person initially, highlighting the deceptive nature of sin.