עָפָר

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

2. figurative:
\ \ a. of abundance 1 Mos 13,16 (twice in verse); 1 Mos 28,14 (all J) 2 Kron 1,9; Job 27,16; Sl 78,27 (|| חוֺל יַמִּים), compare עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב 4 Mos 23,10 (JE); with added idea of commonness, worthlessness Sef 1,7; Zak 9,3.
\ \ b. of worthlessness (alone) Job 22,24.
\ \ c. simile of the scattered, dispersed 2 Kong 13,7 ׳כֶּע Es 41,2 (so van d. H. Ginsb; Baer ׳כֵּע; on meaning see Du Che, reading תְּשִׂימֵם for יִתֵּן).
\ \ d. of self-abasement 1 Mos 18,27 (+ אֵפַר), ׳וְנִחַמְתִּי עַלעֿ וָאֵפֶר Job 42,6, פִּיהוּ ׳יִתֵּן בֶּע Klg 3,29.
\ \ e. of humiliation (sitting or lying in dust) Es 47,1 compare Es 29,4 (twice in verse), Job 16,15; Job 40,13; Sl 7,6; Sl 44,26; Sl 119,25, simile Job 30,19 licking dust Sl 72,9; Es 49,23; Mik 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 1 Sam 2,8 = Sl 113,7, 1 Kong 16,2 of lifting oneself Es 52,2.