4452. malats

Lexical Summary

malats: To deliver, to escape, to rescue

Original Word: מָלַץ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: malats
Pronunciation: mah-LATS
Phonetic Spelling: (maw-lats')
KJV: be sweet
NASB: sweet
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be smooth, i.e. (figuratively) pleasant

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

be sweet

A primitive root; to be smooth, i.e. (figuratively) pleasant -- be sweet.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
probably to be smooth or slippery
NASB Translation
sweet (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[מָלַץ] verb probably be smooth, slippery (Arabic slip); —

Niph`al Perfect אִמְרָתֶ֑ךָ מַהנִּֿמְלְצוּ לְחִכִּי Psalm 119:103 how smooth (agreeable, pleasant) are thy words to my palate ("" מִדְּבַשׁ לְפִי).

Topical Lexicon

Semantic Nuance

מָלַץ paints a picture of words whose very texture glides across the palate, evoking the sensation of fine honey that dissolves without resistance. More than generic “sweetness,” it conveys a refined, lingering delight that invites repeated savoring.

Biblical Context

Psalm 119:103 stands alone in employing מָלַץ, yet its solitary appearance is strategically placed within Scripture’s longest hymn to the written revelation of God. Every stanza of Psalm 119 extols the precepts, statutes, and ordinances of the LORD. By the time the psalmist declares, “How sweet are Your words to my taste—sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103), the cumulative celebration of Scripture crescendos into a sensory metaphor. מָלַץ captures that climactic moment, elevating God’s Word from duty to delight.

Theology of Sweetness and Revelation

1. The Word’s intrinsic desirability. מָלַץ complements other “honey” texts—Psalm 19:10; Proverbs 24:13–14; Ezekiel 3:3—and together they teach that divine revelation is not merely informative but pleasurable.
2. Holistic engagement. Taste imagery implies internalization. The Word must pass beyond the ear and into the spiritual digestive system (Jeremiah 15:16; Revelation 10:9–10). מָלַץ underlines the believer’s call to meditate until Scripture permeates thought, affection, and will.
3. Moral contrast. Where some lips “drip honey” deceptively (Proverbs 5:3), the Lord’s words are pure sweetness without hidden poison. מָלַץ therefore magnifies the moral perfection of God’s speech.

Intertextual Echoes

• Psalm 19:10 “They are sweeter than honey…” supplies the thematic backdrop against which Psalm 119 amplifies the claim.
• Ezekiel 3:3 and Revelation 10:9–10 show prophetic ministries literally consuming God’s words, an enacted demonstration of מָלַץ-like sweetness turning to prophetic urgency.
• Proverbs 24:13–14 links honey’s sweetness to wisdom’s reward, demonstrating how מָלַץ foreshadows the practical fruit of obedience.

Historical and Liturgical Reception

• Rabbinic commentators used מָלַץ to encourage memorization, comparing Torah study to bees collecting nectar.
• Early Church writers, reading Psalm 119 christologically, saw in מָלַץ the foretaste of the incarnate “Word made flesh” (John 1:14) whose teaching satisfies the believer’s deepest appetite.
• Mediaeval hymnody and Reformation psalmody preserved the honey imagery in worship, reminding congregations that doctrinal fidelity and devout affection must remain inseparable.

Practical Ministry Implications

1. Expository Preaching. Incorporating sensory language—sight, hearing, taste—helps congregations grasp Scripture’s experiential dimension exemplified by מָלַץ.
2. Discipleship. Encourage believers to read until they relish. Journaling moments when a verse feels “sweet” trains discernment of the Spirit’s illumination.
3. Apologetics. Mָלַץ offers a positive appeal: Christianity is true and good, but also beautiful. Testimonies of Scripture’s sweetness complement rational arguments for its reliability.

Pastoral Application

• Spiritual Appetite. If Scripture no longer tastes sweet, Psalm 119:103 becomes a prayer for renewed palate.
• Counteracting Temptation. Flattery and false promises mimic honey (Proverbs 5:3–4); meditating on the מָלַץ-quality of God’s Word exposes counterfeits.
• Worship Planning. Read Psalm 119:103 responsively before Communion to connect the sweetness of the Word with the Supper’s tangible grace.

Summary

מָלַץ, though appearing only once, distills the believer’s experience of Scripture: an incomparable, enriching sweetness that both satisfies and summons deeper hunger. By savoring the Word now, the faithful anticipate the eternal banquet where every divine utterance will be fully enjoyed.

Forms and Transliterations

נִּמְלְצ֣וּ נמלצו nim·lə·ṣū nimləṣū nimleTzu

Englishman's Concordance

Psalm 119:103
HEB: מַה־ נִּמְלְצ֣וּ לְ֭חִכִּי אִמְרָתֶ֗ךָ
NAS: How sweet are Your words to my taste!
KJV: How sweet are thy words unto my taste!
INT: How sweet to my taste are your words

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4452
1 Occurrence

nim·lə·ṣū — 1 Occ.