Word Study for H6374 (פִּיפִיָּה)

pîyphîyâh /pee-fee-yaw'/ Ask about this word

Meaningan edge or tooth

KJV usagetooth

Idioms & phrasesidiom two-edged.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of pîyphîyâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word pîyphîyâh, represented by H6374, is derived from a root word for an edge or tooth. Its base definition is tooth or, idiomatically, two-edged. This specific term is quite rare, appearing only 2 times in 2 unique verses in the Bible, carrying a sense of sharpness and effectiveness in both its agricultural and martial contexts.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two appearances of H6374 illustrate its dual application. In Isaiah, it is used literally, where God promises to make Israel "a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth" to powerfully overcome its enemies, represented as mountains and hills Isaiah 41:15. In Psalms, the term is used idiomatically to describe "a twoedged sword" in the hand of God's faithful, linking their praise of God with the power to execute judgment Psalms 149:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H6374 appears:

H2719 chereb (sword): This word for a cutting instrument is what is described as "twoedged" in Psalms 149:6, emphasizing its use as a weapon.
H4173 môwrag (a threshing sledge): This is the specific "threshing instrument" that is described as having "teeth" H6374 in Isaiah 41:15.
H1758 dûwsh (to trample or thresh): This is the action performed by the instrument with teeth. In Isaiah 41:15, Israel is told it will "thresh the mountains." This same word is used to describe nations being threshed in judgment Habakkuk 3:12.
H1854 dâqaq (to crush): This describes the result of the threshing action, as Israel will "beat them small" Isaiah 41:15.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H6374 is tied to its imagery of effective and decisive power.

Instrument of Divine Judgment: In Isaiah 41:15, the "teeth" are part of a tool God provides to His people, transforming them into an instrument capable of executing judgment on a grand scale, to "thresh the mountains, and beat them small."
Power in Praise and Action: The "twoedged sword" in Psalms 149:6 is held by those who have the "high praises of God" in their mouths, suggesting that divinely-granted authority is connected to worship.
Overcoming Obstacles: The word is consistently associated with tools that break down and overcome resistance, whether it is a mountain or an enemy force, demonstrating God's power to equip His people for victory.

Summary

In summary, H6374 is a potent and specific term that, despite its rarity, carries significant weight. Whether describing the literal teeth of a threshing sledge or the twoedged nature of a sword, it consistently symbolizes sharp, effective, and divinely-appointed power. The word powerfully illustrates how God equips His people to act as instruments of His will, overcoming immense obstacles and executing judgment.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun and an adjective across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

פִּיפִיּוֹת
פִּיפִיּוֹת

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Psalms

Isaiah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.