חֵךְ

חֵךְ noun masculine palate, roof of mouth, gums (Late Hebrew id.; Aramaic חִכָּא Arabic palate, roof of mouth, jaws, lower part of mouth, lower jaw of horse, mouth, etc. Lane⁶⁵⁹ Dozy^{i. 332}); — absolute ׳ח Job 12,11; Job 34,3 suffix חִכִּי Ord 8,7 + 6 t., חִכְּךָ Hos 8,1, חִכֶּ֑ךָ Ezk 3,26; Ord 24,13 chiefly in poetry, especially Wisdom Literature: — חִכֵךְ Hoj 7,10, חִכּוֺ Klg 4,4 + 2 t., חִכָּהּ Ord 5,3, חִכָּם Job 29,10 — palate, roof of mouth:
\ \ a. אֶלחִֿכְּךָ שֹׁפָר Hos 8,1 a trumpet to thy palate! (or gums; as in English, to thy lips); often with לָשׁוֺן, tongue clings (דבק) to חך, expression for speechlessness Ezk 3,26; Job 29,10, as imprecation Sl 137,6 for the parching of extreme thirst Klg 4,4 (בַּצָּמָא), compare Sl 22,16 ᵑ0 יָבֵּשׁ כַּחֶרֶשׂ כֹּחִי read חִכִּי for כחי see Che^{critical note} (|| לְשׁוֺנִי מֻדְבָּק מַלְקוֺחָ֑י).
\ \ b. as organ of speech Ord 5,3; Ord 8,7 (both || שְׂפָתַיִם), Job 31,30; Job 33,2 דִּבְּרָה לְשׁוֺנִי בְחִכִּי (|| פָּתַחְתִּי פִי).
\ \ c. as organ of taste Job 12,11; Job 34,3, פִּרְיוֺ מָתוֺק לְחִכִּי Hoj 2,3 his fruit was sweet to my palate, Ord 24,13 (implied simile of wisdom as sweet to the soul); figurative of God's words as sweet ׳לְח Sl 119,103 (|| פִּי); of taste as distinguishing misfortunes Job 6,30 (|| לָשׁוֺן; > others of speech); of keeping wickedness ׳בְּתוֺךְ ח Job 20,18 (|| תַּחַת לָשׁוֺן), i.e. delighting in and prolonging the taste of it.
\ \ d. nearly = mouth, as an element in personal sweetness and beauty Hoj 5,16; Hoj 7,10.