Lexical Summary mathoq: To be sweet, to be pleasant Original Word: מָתַק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be made, take sweet A primitive root; to suck, by implication, to relish, or (intransitively) be sweet -- be (made, X take) sweet. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to become or be sweet or pleasant NASB Translation became sweet (1), feeds sweetly (1), gently cover (1), had sweet (1), sweet (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מָתֹק verb become or be sweet, pleasant (Late Hebrew מתק, especially Pi`el; Assyrian [matâ‡u] be sweet, in derivatives; Ethiopic  sweet; Aramaic  suck (with pleasure), מְתַק id., be sweet; Arabic  ( before  ) see smack the lips (with pleasure),  sweetness); — Qal Perfect3masculine singular suffix מְתָקוֺ Job 24:20; 3plural מָֽתְקוּ Job 21:33; Imperfect3masculine plural יִמְתָּ֑קוּ Proverbs 9:17, וַיִמְתְּקוּ Exodus 15:25; — 1 literally become sweet, of water (opposed to מָרִים) Exodus 15:25 (J); are (i.e. taste) sweet, ׳מַיִם גְּנוּבִים יִמ Proverbs 9:17 (figurative of delights of illicit pleasure). 2 = be pleasant, מָֽתְקוּ לוֺ Job 21:33 sweet (pleasant) to him are the clods of the valley (said of one resting in the grave). 3 suck (Aramaic sense, compare Syriac above) מְתָקוֺ רִמָּה Job 24:20 the worm doth suck him, feast on him (on verb masculine compare Ges§ 145. 7 KöSynt. § 345 a DaSynt. § 113 (b)), Di De Buhl (compare Kau Da; also SS who render 'angenehm finden'), but this sense in Hebrew dubious; text perhaps corrupt (compare conjectures by Bu Du).Hiph`il Imperfect3feminine singular אִם תַּמְתִּיק בְּפִיו רָעָה Job 20:12 if evil gives a sweet taste in his mouth (declarative Hiph`il); 1 plural אֲשֶׁר יַחְדָּו נַמְתִּיק סוֺד Psalm 55:15 we who used to make sweet (our) intimacy. Topical Lexicon General Sense and Imagery מָתַק conveys the idea of sweetness, pleasantness, or becoming sweet. In Hebrew thought, “sweet” is not merely a taste but a comprehensive experience of delight that encompasses the senses, the emotions, and even the moral realm. When a situation, word, or relationship “sweetens,” it moves from harshness or bitterness to refreshing satisfaction. Canonical Appearances and Immediate Contexts • Exodus 15:25 establishes the verb’s foundational metaphor. At Marah the water was “bitter,” but when Moses cast the divinely indicated tree into it, “the water became sweet.” The passage does more than describe a miracle of taste; it inaugurates a theology of redemption in which the LORD turns what is undrinkable into life-sustaining refreshment for His covenant people. Theological Trajectory 1. Transformation by Divine Intervention: Exodus 15 demonstrates that only the LORD can truly change bitterness into sweetness. The episode anticipates the greater redemption accomplished in Christ, where the bitterness of sin and death is overcome by the sweetness of salvation. Historical and Cultural Insights In the Ancient Near East, sweetness—normally associated with honey, dates, or the rare luxury of refined sugar—symbolized blessing and prosperity. Bitter water, conversely, represented judgment or hardship. The Marah narrative would resonate powerfully with an audience familiar with the scarcity of potable water in desert regions. Likewise, stolen food in Proverbs parallels common social taboos around hospitality and property, intensifying the proverb’s moral force. Ministry and Discipleship Application • Preaching and Teaching: Use Exodus 15:25 to illustrate the gospel’s power to convert bitterness into joy. Connect the wooden tree thrown into the waters with the wood of the cross, on which Christ bore the curse so that believers might taste the sweetness of grace. Intertextual Echoes and New Testament Resonance Though מָתַק itself does not appear in the New Testament, its motif of sweetness is echoed in passages such as Revelation 10:9–10, where John eats the scroll that is “sweet as honey” yet turns bitter in his stomach, reflecting the dual reality of God’s word—gracious to believers, severe to the unrepentant. James 3:11–12 likewise contrasts sweet and bitter water to exhort pure speech. These links affirm the canonical unity of the theme. Conclusion מָתַק threads through Scripture as a vivid depiction of both authentic and counterfeit delights. It points ultimately to the Lord who alone can create lasting sweetness, satisfies the soul, and empowers His people to discern and reject every sugary substitute for His life-giving truth. Forms and Transliterations וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ וימתקו יִמְתָּ֑קוּ ימתקו מָֽתְקוּ־ מתקו־ נַמְתִּ֣יק נמתיק תַּמְתִּ֣יק תמתיק mā·ṯə·qū- mateku māṯəqū- nam·tîq namTik namtîq tam·tîq tamTik tamtîq vaiyimteKu way·yim·tə·qū wayyimtəqū yim·tā·qū yimTaku yimtāqūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 15:25 HEB: אֶל־ הַמַּ֔יִם וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם שָׁ֣ם NAS: and the waters became sweet. There KJV: the waters were made sweet: there he made INT: to the waters became and the waters There Job 20:12 Job 21:33 Psalm 55:14 Proverbs 9:17 5 Occurrences |
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