BDB6257 [H6083]

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.