עָפָר

n.m. Lv 14:42 dry earth, dust;—abs. ע׳ Gn 2:7 +, cstr. עֲפַר Gn 13:16 +; sf. עֲפָרֵךְ Ez 26:12, עֲפָרוֹ Dt 9:21, etc.; pl. cstr. עַפְרֹת Jb 28:6; Pr 8:26;— lit.: dry, loose earth, thrown (in malice) 2 S 16:13 (‖ אֲבָנִים); וַיַּעֲלוּ ע׳ עַל־רֹאשׁ Jos 7:6 (JE; sign of grief), so Ez 27:30; La 2:10, and (c. זָרַק) Jb 2:12; loose earth (on surface of ground) 1 K 18:38; Am 2:7; Is 34:7, 9; Lv 17:13 (H) Ez 24:7 (in fig.), Nu 5:17; Jb 14:19; 38:38; 39:14; Gn 26:15 (R), made into siege works Hb 1:10; of sand-storm Dt 28:24 (+ אָבָק); as serpent’s food, token of punishment and humiliation, Gn 3:14 (J) Is 65:25 (cf. Mi 7:17 2 e infr.); ז̇חֲלֵי ע׳ Dt 32:24 (poem; cf. 2 e). specif. as material of human body Gn 2:7; 3:19 (J), Ec 3:20, cf. Jb 4:19; 8:19 ψ 103:14, to which it returns (שׁוּב אֶל־) Gn 3:19; Jb 10:9 ψ 104:29 Ec 3:20; so (c. עַל) Jb 34:15; Ec 12:7. = surface of ground Ex 8:12, 13(×2) (P; ע׳ הָאָרֶץ), Jb 19:25; Is 25:12; 26:5 (both ‖ אֶרֶץ), surface of (whole) earth Jb 41:25, מְחִלוֹת ע׳ Is 2:19 (for hiding), so ע׳ alone v 10, cf. חֹרֵי ע׳ Jb 30:6; = soil, Jb 5:6; 7:5; 14:8. powder of anything pulverized Dt 9:21(×2) (cf. דָּ֑ק ‖ Ex 32:20), 2 K 23:6(×2), 12, 15, so in sim. 2 S 22:43 = ψ 18:43, hence = ashes v 4; Nu 19:17. debris, of ruined city 1 K 20:10; Ez 26:4, 12; Ne 3:34; 4:4 ψ 102:15. The foll. are late: earth of the grave: לֶע׳ אֶשְׁכַּב Jb 7:21, so (c. עַל) 20:11; 21:26, cf. 17:16; יוֹרְדֵי ע׳ ψ 22:30, שֹׁכְנֵי ע׳ Is 26:19, יְשֵׁנֵי אַדְמַת־ע׳ Dn 12:2; עֲפַר־מָוֶת ψ 22:16; ע׳ in fig. ψ 30:10. mortar (i.e. dried mud) for plastering houses Lv 14:41, 42, 45 (P). (iron-) ore Jb 28:2; עַפְרֹת זָהָב v 6 golddust (but v. סַפִּיר). material of earth Is 40:12, cf. ראֹשׁ עַפְרֹת תֵּבֵל Pr 8:26 the first of the earth- particles of the world. fig.: of abundance Gn 13:16(×2); 28:14 (all J) 2 Ch 1:9; Jb 27:16 ψ 78:27 (‖ חוֹל יַמִּים), cf. עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב Nu 23:10 (JE); with added idea of commonness, worthlessness Zp 1:17; Zc 9:3. of worthlessness (alone) Jb 22:24. sim. of the scattered, dispersed 2 K 13:7; כֶּע׳ Is 41:2 (so van d. H. Ginsb; Baer כֵּע׳; on meaning v. Du Che, reading תְּשִׂימֵם for יִתֵּן). of self-abasement Gn 18:27 (+ אֵפֶר), וְנִחַמְתִּי עַל־ע׳ וָאֵפֶר Jb 42:6, יִתֵּן בֶּע׳ פִּיהוּ La 3:29. of humiliation (sitting or lying in dust) Is 29:4; 47:1; Mi 1:10; Jb 16:15; 40:13 ψ 7:6; 44:26; 119:25, sim. Jb 30:19; licking dust ψ 72:9 Is 49:23; Mi 7:17, cf. TelAm. tikalu ipra (of enemies, v. WklAltor. Forsch. iii. 291; also of serpent 1 a supr.); of י׳ raising from the dust 1 S 2:8 = ψ 113:7, 1 K 16:2; of lifting oneself Is 52:2.