Phyrama refers to a lump of kneaded dough, from phyrao ('to mix, knead'). While the word has a straightforward culinary origin, every New Testament occurrence deploys it metaphorically. Paul uses the potter's lump in Romans 9:21 to argue God's sovereign right over his creation, while in Romans 11:16 the consecrated firstfruits sanctify the whole batch. The leaven metaphor in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 and Galatians 5:9 warns that a small amount of corruption permeates the entire community. The Spanish 'masa' (dough/mass) and German 'Teig' (dough) capture both the literal and figurative potential of the word.