H6083. aphar

עָפָר‎ noun masculine^{Leviticus 14:42} dry earth, dust; — absolute ׳ע‎ Genesis 2:7 +, construct עֲפַר‎ 13:16 +; suffix עֲפָרֵךְ‎ Ezekiel 26:12, עֲפָרוֺ‎ Deuteronomy 9:21, etc.; plural construct עַפְרֹת‎ Job 28:6; Proverbs 8:26; —

1 literally:

a. dry, loose earth, thrown (in malice) 2 Samuel 16:13 ("" אֲבָנִים‎); ע ׳וַיַעֲלוּ עַלרֿאֹשׁ‎ Joshua 7:6 (J E; sign of grief), so Ezekiel 27:30; Lamentations 2:10, and (with זָרַק‎) Job 2:12; loose earth (on surface of ground) 1 Kings 18:38; Amos 2:7; Micah 1:10; Isaiah 34:7, 9; Leviticus 17:13 (H) Ezekiel 24:7 (in figurative), Numbers 5:17; Job 14:19; 38:38; 39:14; Genesis 26:15 (R), made into siege works Habakkuk 1:10; of sand-storm Deuteronomy 28:24 (+ אָבָק‎); as serpent's food, token of punishment and humiliation, Genesis 3:14 (J) Isaiah 65:25 (compare Micah 7:17 2e below); ע ׳זֹחֲלֵי‎ Deuteronomy 32:24 (poem; compare 2e).

b. specifically as material of human body Genesis 2:7; 3:19 (J), Ecclesiastes 3:20, compare Job 4:19; 8:19; Psalm 103:14, to which it returns (אֶלֿ שׁוּב‎) Genesis 3:19; Job 10:9; Psalm 104:29; Ecclesiastes 3:20; so (with עַל‎) Job 34:15; Ecclesiastes 12:7.

c. = surface of ground Exodus 8:12; 8:13 (twice in verse); (P; ׳ע הָאָרַץ‎), Job 19:25; Isaiah 25:12; 26:5 (both "" אֶרֶץ‎), surface of (whole) earth Job 41:25, ע ׳מְחִלוֺת‎ Isaiah 2:19 (for hiding), so ׳ע‎ alone 2:10, compare ע ׳חֹרֵי‎ Job 30:6; = soil, 5:6; 14:8.

d. powder of anything pulverized Deuteronomy 9:21 (twice in verse) (compare דָּ֑ק‎ "" Exodus 32:20), 2 Kings 23:6 (twice in verse); 23:12, 15, so in simile 2 Samuel 22:43 = Psalm 18:43, hence = ashes 18:4; Numbers 19:17.

e. debris, of ruined city 1 Kings 20:10; Ezekiel 26:4, 12; Nehemiah 3:34; Nehemiah 4:4; Psalm 102:15. The following are late:

f. earth of the grave: ׳לֶע אֶשְׁכַּב‎ Job 7:21, so (with עַל‎) 20:11; 21:26, compare 17:16; ע ׳יוֺרְדֵי‎ Psalm 22:30, ע ׳שֹׁכְנֵי‎ Isaiah 26:19, אַדְמַתעֿ ׳יְשֵׁנֵי‎ Daniel 12:2; עֲפַרמָֿוֶת‎ Psalm 22:16; ׳ע‎ in figure 30:10.

g. mortar (i.e. dried mud) for plastering houses Leviticus 14:41-42, 45 (P).

h. (iron-) ore Job 28:2; זָהָב עַפְרֹת‎ 28:6 gold-dust (but see סַמִּיר‎).

i. material of earth Isaiah 40:12, compare תֵּבֵל עַפְרֹת ראֹשׁ‎ Proverbs 8:26 the first of the earth particles of the world.

2 figurative:

a. of abundance Genesis 13:16 (twice in verse); 28:14 (all J) 2 Chronicles 1:9; Job 27:16; Psalm 78:27 ("" יַמִּים חוֺל‎), compare יַעֲקֹב עֲפַר‎ Numbers 23:10 (JE); with added idea of commonness, worthlessness Zephaniah 1:7; Zechariah 9:3.

b. of worthlessness (alone) Job 22:24.

c. simile of the scattered, dispersed 2 Kings 13:7; ׳כֶּע‎ Isaiah 41:2 (so van d. H. Ginsb; Baer ׳כֵּע‎; on meaning see Du Che, reading תְּשִׂימֵם‎ for יִתֵּן‎).

d. of self-abasement Genesis 18:27 (+ אֵפַר‎), וָאֵפֶר עַלעֿ ׳וְנִחַמְתִּי‎ Job 42:6, בֶּע ׳יִתֵּן מִּיהוּ‎ Lamentations 3:29.

e. of humiliation (sitting or lying in dust) Isaiah 47:1; compare 29:4 (twice in verse), Job 16:15; 40:13; Psalm 7:6; 44:26; 119:25, simile Job 30:19; licking dust Psalm 72:9; Isaiah 49:23; Micah 7:17, compare Tel Amarna tikalu ipra (of enemies, see Wkl^{Altor. Forsch. iii. 291}; also of serpent 1a above); of ׳י‎ raising from the dust 1 Samuel 2:8 = Psalm 113:7, 1 Kings 16:2; of lifting oneself Isaiah 52:2.