חֵךְ

n.m. palate, roof of mouth, gums (NH id.; Aramaic ܚܶܢܟܳܐ, חִכָּא; Arabic حَنَكٌ palate, roof of mouth, jaws, lower part of mouth, lower jaw of horse, mouth, etc. Lane659 Dozyi. 332);—abs.ח׳ Jb 12:11; 34:3; sf. חִכִּי Pr 8:7 + 6 times, חִכְּךָ Ho 8:1, חִכֶּ֑ךָ Ez 3:26 Pr 24:13; chiefly poet., especially WisdLt:—חִכֵּךְ Ct 7:10, חִכּוֹ La 4:4 + 2 times, חִכָּהּ Pr 5:3, חִכָּם Jb 29:10;—palate, roof of mouth: אֶל־חִכְּךָ שֹׁפָר Ho 8:1 a trumpet to thy palate! (or gums; as in Eng., to thy lips); often c. לָשׁוֹן, tongue clings (דבק) to חך, expression for speechlessness Ez 3:26 Jb 29:10, as imprecation ψ 137:6; for the parching of extreme thirst La 4:4 (בַּצָּמָא), cf. ψ 22:16 MT יָבֵשׁ כַּחֶרֶשׂ כֹּחִי, read חִכִּי for כחי v. Checrit. n. (‖ לְשׁוֹנִי מֻדְבָּק מַלְקוֹחָ֑י). as organ of speech, Pr 5:3; 8:7 (both ‖ שְׂפָתַיִם), Jb 31:30; 33:2 דִּבְּרָה לְשׁוֹנִי בְחִכִּי (‖ פָּתַחְתִּי פִי). as organ of taste Jb 12:11; 34:3, פִּרְיוֹ מָתוֹק לְחִבִּי Ct 2:3 his fruit was sweet to my palate, Pr 24:13 (implied sim. of wisdom as sweet to the soul); fig. of God’s words as sweet לְח׳ ψ 119:103 (‖ פִּי); of taste as distinguishing misfortunes Jb 6:30 (‖ לָשׁוֹן; > others of speech); of keeping wickedness בְּתוֹךְ ח׳ Jb 20:13 (‖ תַּחַת לָשׁוֹן), i.e. delighting in and prolonging the taste of it. nearly = mouth, as an element in personal sweetness and beauty Ct 5:16; 7:10.