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 Prov 8:7 + 6 t., חִכְּךָ Hos 8:1, חִכֶּ֑ךָ Ezek 3:26; Prov 24:13 chiefly in poetry, especially Wisdom Literature: — חִכֵךְ Song 7:10, חִכּוֺ Lam 4:4 + 2 t., חִכָּהּ Prov 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 Ezek 3:26; Job 29:10, as imprecation Ps 137:6 for the parching of extreme thirst Lam 4:4 (בַּצָּמָא), compare Ps 22:16 ᵑ0 יָבֵּשׁ כַּחֶרֶשׂ כֹּחִי read חִכִּי for כחי see Che^{critical note} (|| לְשׁוֺנִי מֻדְבָּק מַלְקוֺחָ֑י).
  b. as organ of speech Prov 5:3; Prov 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 Song 2:3 his fruit was sweet to my palate, Prov 24:13 (implied simile of wisdom as sweet to the soul); figurative of God's words as sweet ׳לְח Ps 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 Song 5:16; Song 7:10.