3307. yapheach
Lexical Summary
yapheach: To breathe, to blow, to puff

Original Word: יָפֵחַ
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: yapheach
Pronunciation: yah-FAY-akh
Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-fay'-akh)
KJV: such as breathe out
NASB: breathe
Word Origin: [from H3306 (יָפַח - gasping for breath)]

1. (properly) puffing, i.e. (figuratively) meditating

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
such as breathe out

From yaphach; properly, puffing, i.e. (figuratively) meditating -- such as breathe out.

see HEBREW yaphach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from yaphach
Definition
breathing or puffing out
NASB Translation
breathe (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[יָפֵחַ] adjective breathing or puffing out, construct וִיפֵחַ חָמָס Psalm 27:12 puffing out violence (compare Che).

יַפְלֵט see below פלט.

יְפֻנֶּה see below פנה.

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Usage

The term יָפֵחַ occurs once in the Old Testament at Psalm 27:12, where it characterizes hostile witnesses who are “breathing out violence” (Berean Standard Bible). The verb pictures the adversaries’ hostility as something exhaled—an active, continuous emission rather than a single outburst.

Context in Psalm 27

Psalm 27 is David’s confession of trust amid danger. His petition, “Do not deliver me to the will of my foes” (Psalm 27:12), stands between earlier declarations of confidence and the climactic call to wait upon the Lord. The unique verb underscores the urgency: David’s enemies do not merely plot; they exude violence with every breath, poisoning the judicial atmosphere with perjury. The intensity of the word magnifies both the threat and David’s reliance on divine protection.

Thematic Significance of “Breathing Out”

1. Inner Nature Revealed: Scripture often links breath with spirit or inner disposition (Genesis 2:7; Job 32:8). By describing violence as breath, the verse exposes an inward corruption that naturally vents in destructive speech.
2. Escalation of Sin: The combination of false witness and violent intent shows wickedness progressing from deception to potential physical harm—a pattern mirrored elsewhere (Proverbs 6:16-19).
3. Antithesis to Divine Breath: God’s breath gives life (Psalm 33:6); the wicked’s breath threatens it. The contrast highlights the moral polarity between the Creator and rebellious humanity.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Israel treated testimony with grave seriousness; two or three witnesses established a matter (Deuteronomy 19:15). False testimony invited the very punishment intended for the accused (Deuteronomy 19:16-21). Within that legal framework, David’s plea reflects both the judicial peril of perjury and the covenantal demand for truth among God’s people.

Connection to New Testament Teaching

Psalm 27:12 resonates with New Testament depictions of false witnesses arrayed against Jesus Christ (Matthew 26:60) and Stephen (Acts 6:13). The same spirit that “breathes out” threats also surfaces in Saul before his conversion, who was “still breathing out threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1). The intertextual echo emphasizes continuity in the biblical portrayal of opposition to God’s servants.

Christological Implications

David’s experience foreshadows the Messiah’s sufferings. Jesus faced accusers who, like those in Psalm 27, exhaled deceit and violence. Yet He entrusted Himself to the Father, providing the ultimate example of faith under duress and fulfilling the righteous response envisioned in the psalm.

Application in Ministry

1. Integrity in Speech: Believers are called to let no corrupt communication proceed from their mouths (Ephesians 4:29). Recognizing the destructive power of breath-born words motivates pastoral emphasis on truth and edification.
2. Intercession for the Persecuted: The verse guides prayer for those confronted by malicious testimony today—missionaries, pastors, and congregants alike.
3. Spiritual Warfare Awareness: The imagery reminds the church that hostility often manifests verbally before it escalates physically, inviting vigilant discernment and gracious, steadfast response (1 Peter 3:16).

Prayer and Worship

Psalm 27 models honest lament coupled with confident hope. Incorporating the psalm into liturgy or personal devotion fosters reliance on God amid slander. The singular occurrence of יָפֵחַ accents the uniqueness of each believer’s crisis, yet also points to the singular sufficiency of the Lord who silences every false breath with His truthful Word.

Forms and Transliterations
וִיפֵ֥חַ ויפח viFeach wî·p̄ê·aḥ wîp̄êaḥ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Psalm 27:12
HEB: עֵֽדֵי־ שֶׁ֝֗קֶר וִיפֵ֥חַ חָמָֽס׃
NAS: have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence.
KJV: are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
INT: witnesses false. breathe violence

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 3307
1 Occurrence


wî·p̄ê·aḥ — 1 Occ.

3306
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