פִּיפִיָּה (pi.phiy.yah)

The Hebrew word pihiyyah, listed as Strong’s H6374, is a rare variant spelling for peyah (H6366), which literally means "tooth" or "edge." It appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both times within poetic passages that use vivid imagery to describe divine judgment. In these contexts, the word does not refer to human dentition but rather to the sharp edge of a weapon.

Its primary occurrence is in Psalm 57:4, where the psalmist describes enemies as lions whose teeth are spears and arrows. Here, the term conveys the lethal precision of an attack. It also appears in Isaiah 49:2, where God’s messenger compares his mouth to a sharpened sword. In both cases, the "tooth" serves as a metaphor for the cutting power of words or weapons, emphasizing their ability to pierce and destroy.

This usage highlights how ancient Hebrew poetry often blended physical objects with abstract concepts. By equating speech or weaponry with teeth, the text underscores the destructive potential of hostile forces. The word’s rarity suggests it was a specialized poetic choice, reserved for moments when the intensity of conflict needed to be felt viscerally by the reader.