פִּיחַ (pi.ach)
pi.ach
soot
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun piach refers to the black residue left after combustion, specifically soot or ash. In the biblical text, it appears only twice, both within the narrative of Exodus. These occurrences describe the physical aftermath of divine judgment, where the substance serves as a tangible marker of destruction and purification.
Its presence in Exodus 9:8-10 is particularly striking. When Moses throws soot into the air before Pharaoh, it becomes boils afflicting humans and animals. Here, piach is not merely debris; it is an instrument of plague, transforming a common byproduct of fire into a sign of God’s power against Egypt. The word grounds the supernatural event in a gritty, sensory reality that ancient readers would immediately recognize.
Translators typically render piach as "soot" or "ashes," capturing its material nature without adding theological abstraction. Unlike words for smoke or vapor, which imply rising and disappearing, soot settles and stains. This permanence reflects the lasting impact of the judgments described in the Exodus narrative, leaving a visible mark on both the land and the hearts of those who witness it.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word piach describes the black residue left after fire has burned. In Exodus, this soot becomes the medium for a striking plague. Moses throws it into the air, and it turns into boils on people and animals. This image shows that even the mundane remains of destruction can carry divine weight.
For your faith, this reminds us that God uses ordinary things to reveal His power. The soot settles and stains, leaving a visible mark. It suggests that spiritual truths often leave lasting impressions on our lives, much like dust settling after a storm. We are invited to see God’s hand in the gritty details of history and daily life.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- soot of1×
- [the] soot of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- פִּ֣יחַ1×
- פִּ֖יחַ1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 9:8
Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.
This verse establishes the command to use furnace ashes as the physical instrument for the upcoming plague, linking ordinary debris to divine action.
-
Exodus 9:10
They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal.
Here the soot transforms into boils, demonstrating how a common byproduct of fire becomes a tangible sign of judgment against Egypt.