Lexical Summary mathoq or mathuq: Sweet Original Word: מָתוֹק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sweeter, Or mathuwq {maw-thook'}; from mathaq; sweet -- sweet(-er, -ness). see HEBREW mathaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom mathoq Definition sweet, sweetness NASB Translation pleasant (2), something sweet (1), sweet (7), sweeter (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מָתוֺק adjective sweet, and noun [masculine] sweetness (on form see Lag BN 30, 60, compare BaNB 13, 36); — absolute ׳מ Judges 14:14 9t.; feminine מְתוּקָה Ecclesiastes 5:11; plural מְתוּקִים Psalm 19:11; — 1 sweet, of honey Judges 14:14 (where ׳מ = substantive a sweet thing), Judges 14:18 (both Samson's riddle), Proverbs 24:13; so = sweetness, Ezekiel 3:3; more Generally, ׳כָּלמַֿר מ Proverbs 27:7 every bitter thing is sweet to one hungry; figurative Psalm 19:11 (God's commandments, sweeter than honey), compare Proverbs 16:24 (simile of pleasant words) לְחִכִּי ׳וּפִרְיוֺ מ Songs 2:3 (i.e his caresses); לְמָ֑ר ׳וּמ ׳שָׂמִים מַר לְמ Isaiah 5:20 making bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter (obscuring moral distinctions; "" הָאֹמְרִים לָרַע טוֺב וְלַטּוֺב רָ֑ע). 2 = pleasant, sleep of the toiler Ecclesiastes 5:11; light Ecclesiastes 1:17 ("" טוֺב לַעֵינַיִם לִרְאוֺת אֶתהַֿשֶּׁמֶשׁ). Topical Lexicon Overview of Biblical “Sweetness” The Hebrew term מָתוֹק consistently evokes the experience of delightful taste but stretches beyond the palate into realms of wisdom, revelation, labor, and covenant devotion. Whether describing honey, restful sleep, or prophetic scrolls, “sweet” marks gifts which God intends to be received with gratitude and stewarded with discernment. Samson’s Riddle: Sweetness from Strength (Judges 14:14, Judges 14:18) The first canonical occurrences frame sweetness as an unexpected grace: “Out of the strong came something sweet.” The lion’s carcass, once a symbol of death, now yields honey. The episode pre-figures the divine habit of drawing goodness out of judgment and points ahead to the ultimate paradox of life springing from the crucified Messiah. Wisdom Literature: Honey as Moral and Intellectual Delight • Proverbs repeatedly joins honey with edifying speech and right desire. “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24). By aligning the tongue with honey, the writer underscores the formative power of conversation in shaping spiritual health. Psalm 19:10: Revelation Sweeter Than Honey “They are more desirable than gold, than much pure gold; sweeter than honey, than honey dripping from the comb.” The psalmist compares Torah to the finest sweetness, teaching that God’s self-disclosure satisfies deeper than any sensual pleasure and refines character more surely than wealth. Moral Inversion: Bitter for Sweet (Isaiah 5:20) Isaiah pronounces woe on those who “put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” By reversing categories, the covenant-breaking culture severs moral taste buds, calling evil good. The verse stands as a perpetual caution that discernment is not merely intellectual but affective; sin disorders the capacity to delight in what is truly sweet. Ezekiel’s Scroll: The Sweet Obligation of Prophecy (Ezekiel 3:3) When the prophet ingests God’s message, “it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.” The juxtaposition of sweet taste with forthcoming hard words shows that obedience to God’s commission delights the faithful even when the task is grievous. Sweetness here signals the inward assurance that God’s Word is always good. Song of Solomon 2:3: Sweetness of Covenant Love “I delight to sit in his shade, and his fruit is sweet to my taste.” Marital affection, anchored in exclusivity and mutual delight, is portrayed through sensory sweetness, endorsing bodily joy within God-ordained union and hinting at the greater intimacy between Christ and His people. Theological Trajectory 1. Divine revelation is inherently pleasant to the receptive heart. Ministry and Discipleship Implications • Cultivate appetite for Scripture as superior sweetness; encourage memorization and meditation that move beyond duty into delight. Forms and Transliterations וּמְתוּקִ֥ים וּמָת֖וֹק וּמָת֥וֹק ומתוק ומתוקים לְמָת֖וֹק לְמָתֽוֹק׃ למתוק למתוק׃ מְתוּקָה֙ מָ֝ת֗וֹק מָּת֣וֹק מָת֑וֹק מָת֥וֹק מָתֽוֹק׃ מתוק מתוק׃ מתוקה lə·mā·ṯō·wq lemaTok ləmāṯōwq mā·ṯō·wq maTok māṯōwq mə·ṯū·qāh metuKah məṯūqāh ū·mā·ṯō·wq ū·mə·ṯū·qîm umaTok ūmāṯōwq umetuKim ūməṯūqîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 14:14 HEB: וּמֵעַ֖ז יָצָ֣א מָת֑וֹק וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֛וּ NAS: came something sweet. But they could KJV: came forth sweetness. And they could INT: of the strong came something not could Judges 14:18 Psalm 19:10 Proverbs 16:24 Proverbs 24:13 Proverbs 27:7 Ecclesiastes 5:12 Ecclesiastes 11:7 Songs 2:3 Isaiah 5:20 Isaiah 5:20 Ezekiel 3:3 12 Occurrences |
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