Lexical Definition

‎עָפָר‎ ʻâphâr (aw-fawr') dust ^H:N-M
from ‎עָפַר‎

ashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.

• dust (as powdered or gray)
• hence, clay, earth, mud

1) dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish
1a) dry or loose earth
1b) debris
1c) mortar
1d) ore

See Greek: ἄμμος · γῆ · ἔδαφος · κονιορτός · πηλός · Χουζᾶς

Brown-Driver-Briggs

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

1. literally:
a. dry, loose earth, thrown (in malice) 2Sam 16:13 (|| ‎אֲבָנִים‎); ‎עַלרֿאֹשׁ‎ ‎׳‎‎וַיַעֲלוּ ע‎ Josh 7:6 (J E; sign of grief), so Ezek 27:30; Lam 2:10, and (with ‎זָרַק‎) Job 2:12 loose earth (on surface of ground) 1Kgs 18:38; Amos 2:7; Mic 1:10; Isa 34:7; Isa 34:9; Lev 17:13 (H) Ezek 24:7 (in figurative), Num 5:17; Job 14:19; Job 38:38; Job 39:14; Gen 26:15 (R), made into siege works Hab 1:10 of sand-storm Deut 28:24 (+ ‎אָבָק‎); as serpent's food, token of punishment and humiliation, Gen 3:14 (J) Isa 65:25 (compare Mic 7:17 2 e below); ‎׳‎‎זֹחֲלֵי ע‎ Deut 32:24 (poem; compare 2 e).
b. specifically as material of human body Gen 2:7; Gen 3:19 (J), Eccl 3:20, compare Job 4:19; Job 8:19; Ps 103:14, to which it returns (‎שׁוּב אֶלֿ‎) Gen 3:19; Job 10:9; Ps 104:29; Eccl 3:20 so (with ‎עַל‎) Job 34:15; Eccl 12:7.
c. = surface of ground Exod 8:12*; Exod 8:13* (twice in verse); (P; ‎הָאָרַץ‎ ‎׳‎‎ע‎), Job 19:25; Isa 25:12; Isa 26:5 (both || ‎אֶרֶץ‎), surface of (whole) earth Job 41:25*, ‎׳‎‎מְחִלוֺת ע‎ Isa 2:19 (for hiding), so ‎׳‎‎ע‎ alone vIsa 2:10, compare ‎׳‎‎חֹרֵי ע‎ Job 30:6 = soil, Job 5:6; Job 14:8.
d. powder of anything pulverized Deut 9:21 (twice in verse) (compare ‎דָּ֑ק‎ || Exod 32:20), 2Kgs 23:6 (twice in verse); 2Kgs 23:12; 2Kgs 23:15, so in simile 2Sam 22:43 = Ps 18:43*, hence = ashes vPs 18:4*; Num 19:17.
e. debris, of ruined city 1Kgs 20:10; Ezek 26:4; Ezek 26:12; Neh 3:34*; Neh 4:4*; Ps 102:15*. The following are late: feminine earth of the grave: ‎אֶשְׁכַּב‎ ‎׳‎‎לֶע‎ Job 7:21, so (with ‎עַל‎) Job 20:11; Job 21:26, compare Job 17:16 ‎׳‎‎יוֺרְדֵי ע‎ Ps 22:30*, ‎׳‎‎שֹׁכְנֵי ע‎ Isa 26:19, ‎׳‎‎יְשֵׁנֵי אַדְמַתעֿ‎ Dan 12:2 ‎עֲפַרמָֿוֶת‎ Ps 22:16* ‎׳‎‎ע‎ in figure Ps 30:10*.
g. mortar (i.e. dried mud) for plastering houses Lev 14:41; Lev 14:42; Lev 14:45 (P).
h. (iron-) ore Job 28:2 ‎עַפְרֹת זָהָב‎ vJob 28:6 gold-dust (but see ‎סַפִּיר‎).
i. material of earth Isa 40:12, compare ‎ראֹשׁ עַפְרֹת תֵּבֵל‎ Prov 8:26 the first of the earth particles of the world.

2. figurative:
a. of abundance Gen 13:16 (twice in verse); Gen 28:14 (all J) 2Chr 1:9; Job 27:16; Ps 78:27 (|| ‎חוֺל יַמִּים‎), compare ‎עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב‎ Num 23:10 (JE); with added idea of commonness, worthlessness Zeph 1:7; Zech 9:3.
b. of worthlessness (alone) Job 22:24.
c. simile of the scattered, dispersed 2Kgs 13:7 ‎׳‎‎כֶּע‎ Isa 41:2 (so van d. H. Ginsb; Baer ‎׳‎‎כֵּע‎; on meaning see Du Che, reading ‎תְּשִׂימֵם‎ for ‎יִתֵּן‎).
d. of self-abasement Gen 18:27 (+ ‎אֵפַר‎), ‎׳‎‎וְנִחַמְתִּי עַלעֿ‎ ‎וָאֵפֶר‎ Job 42:6, ‎פִּיהוּ‎ ‎׳‎‎יִתֵּן בֶּע‎ Lam 3:29.
e. of humiliation (sitting or lying in dust) Isa 47:1 compare Isa 29:4 (twice in verse), Job 16:15; Job 40:13; Ps 7:6*; Ps 44:26*; Ps 119:25, simile Job 30:19 licking dust Ps 72:9; Isa 49:23; Mic 7:17, compare Tel Amarna tikalu ipra (of enemies, see Wkl^{Altor. Forsch. iii. 291}; also of serpent 1 a above); of ‎׳‎‎י‎ raising from the dust 1Sam 2:8 = Ps 113:7, 1Kgs 16:2 of lifting oneself Isa 52:2.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References