Lexical Summary
aphar: Dust, ashes, earth, ground, powder
Original Word:עָפָר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:`aphar
Pronunciation:ah-far
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-fawr')
KJV: ashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish
NASB:dust, earth, plaster, ashes, debris, heap, dirt
Word Origin:[fromH6080 (עָפַר - threw)]
1. dust (as powdered or gray)
2. (hence) clay, earth, mud
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
ashes, dust, earth, ground, mortar, powder, rubbish
Fromaphar; dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud -- ashes, dust, earth, ground, morter, powder, rubbish.
see HEBREWaphar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiondry earth, dust
NASB Translationashes (2), debris (2), dirt (1), dry soil (1), dust (91), dusty (1), earth (5), ground (1), heap (2), loose earth (1), plaster (3), rubbish (1), rubble (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Leviticus 14:42 ; — absolute
Genesis 2:7 +, construct
Genesis 13:16 +; suffix
Ezekiel 26:12,
Deuteronomy 9:21, etc.; plural construct
Job 28:6;
Proverbs 8:26; —
literally:
dry, loose earth, thrown (in malice)2 Samuel 16:13 ("" );Joshua 7:6 (J E; sign of grief), soEzekiel 27:30;Lamentations 2:10, and (with )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;Job 38:38;Job 39:14;Genesis 26:15 (R), made into siege worksHabakkuk 1:10; of sand-stormDeuteronomy 28:24 (+ ); as serpent's food, token of punishment and humiliation,Genesis 3:14 (J)Isaiah 65:25 (compareMicah 7:17 below);Deuteronomy 32:24 (poem; compare ).
specifically as material of human bodyGenesis 2:7;Genesis 3:19 (J),Ecclesiastes 3:20, compareJob 4:19;Job 8:19;Psalm 103:14, to which it returns ()Genesis 3:19;Job 10:9;Psalm 104:29;Ecclesiastes 3:20; so (with )Job 34:15;Ecclesiastes 12:7.
= surface of groundExodus 8:12;Exodus 8:13 (twice in verse); (P; ),Job 19:25;Isaiah 25:12;Isaiah 26:5 (both "" ), surface of (whole) earthJob 41:25,Isaiah 2:19 (for hiding), so aloneIsaiah 2:10, compareJob 30:6; =soil,Job 5:6;Job 14:8.
powder of anything pulverizedDeuteronomy 9:21 (twice in verse) (compare ""Exodus 32:20),2 Kings 23:6 (twice in verse);2 Kings 23:12,15, so in simile2 Samuel 22:43 =Psalm 18:43, hence = ashesPsalm 18:4;Numbers 19:17.
debris, of ruined city1 Kings 20:10;Ezekiel 26:4,12;Nehemiah 3:34;Nehemiah 4:4;Psalm 102:15. The following are late:
earth of the grave:Job 7:21, so (with )Job 20:11;Job 21:26, compareJob 17:16;Psalm 22:30,Isaiah 26:19,Daniel 12:2;Psalm 22:16; in figurePsalm 30:10.
mortar (i.e. dried mud) for plastering housesLeviticus 14:41,42,45 (P).
(iron-)oreJob 28:2;Job 28:6gold-dust (but see ).
material of earthIsaiah 40:12, compareProverbs 8:26the first of the earth particles of the world.
figurative:
of abundanceGenesis 13:16 (twice in verse);Genesis 28:14 (all J) 2 Chronicles 1:9;Job 27:16;Psalm 78:27 ("" ), compareNumbers 23:10 (JE); with added idea of commonness, worthlessnessZephaniah 1:7;Zechariah 9:3.
of worthlessness (alone)Job 22:24.
simile of the scattered, dispersed2 Kings 13:7;Isaiah 41:2 (so van d. H. Ginsb; Baer ; on meaning see Du Che, reading for ).
Genesis 18:27 (+ ),Job 42:6,Lamentations 3:29.
of humiliation (sitting or lying in dust)Isaiah 47:1; compareIsaiah 29:4 (twice in verse),Job 16:15;Job 40:13;Psalm 7:6;Psalm 44:26;Psalm 119:25, simileJob 30:19; licking dustPsalm 72:9;Isaiah 49:23;Micah 7:17, compare Tel Amarnatikalu ipra (of enemies, see WklAltor. Forsch. iii. 291; also of serpent above); of raising from the dust1 Samuel 2:8 =Psalm 113:7,1 Kings 16:2; of lifting oneselfIsaiah 52:2.
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scopeעָפָר designates loose surface material—dust, powder, dry earth—and thus becomes a vivid theological metaphor. Occurring about 110 times, it ranges from literal soil on the ground to emblematic language for frailty, humiliation, judgment, vast numbers, and resurrection hope.
Physical Creation and Cosmic Order
Dust belongs to the ordered cosmos God speaks into being. InGenesis 2:7 the Creator "formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." The same material is employed in miracles that proclaim divine supremacy; Moses cast handfuls of dust heavenward and it became boils (Exodus 9:9-10), and Aaron struck the dust and it became gnats (Exodus 8:17-18).Psalm 147:16 depicts snow "like wool" and "frost like ashes," integrating dust-imagery into God’s governance of nature. Scripture therefore presents dust as both humble and instrumental—ordinary matter responsive to extraordinary command.
Human Origin, Mortality, and Resurrection
Dust defines human beginning and end. "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19). Job echoes, "Remember that You moulded me like clay. Will You now turn me to dust again?" (Job 10:9). Yet dust’s account does not conclude with dissolution. The prophets foresee awakening: "Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and shout for joy" (Isaiah 26:19).Daniel 12:2 expands the vision: "Many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake—some to everlasting life, and others to shame and everlasting contempt." Dust thus frames the entire arc of human existence—creation, fall, and final restoration.
Dust in Covenant Promises
God links dust with covenantal multiplication:
•Genesis 13:16 – "I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth."
•Genesis 28:14 – "Your offspring will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and east."
The image communicates uncountable abundance, rooting the Abrahamic promise in tangible earthiness while pointing beyond any census.
Dust as a Symbol of Humility and Repentance
Kneeling or sitting in dust expresses contrition and dependence. Job "sat among the ashes" (Job 2:8) and later confesses, "Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes" (Job 42:6). Abraham intercedes for Sodom saying, "I have ventured to speak to the Lord, though I am but dust and ashes" (Genesis 18:27). The Ninevites’ repentance (though narrated in Aramaic) mirrors the pattern: covering in dust signifies brokenness before God.
Dust in Ritual and Legal Contexts
Numbers 5:17 incorporates tabernacle dust in the ordeal for suspected adultery, underscoring holiness that permeates even the floor of the sanctuary. InDeuteronomy 9:21 Moses grinds the golden calf "until it was fine as dust," erasing idolatry and returning illicit gold to worthless powder. Priestly and judicial uses of dust highlight the interface between visible matter and invisible covenant standards.
Dust in Divine Judgment and Desolation
Prophets use dust to portray ruin:
•Jeremiah 17:13 compares apostasy to "names written in the dust."
•Isaiah 29:5 warns, "Your many foes will be like fine dust, the ruthless like blowing chaff."
•Lamentations 3:29 invites the sufferer: "Let him bury his face in the dust—perhaps there is hope."
Cities reduced to dust dramatize total overthrow (Ezekiel 26:4;Nahum 1:3). The imagery assures that every proud structure can be pulverized under divine sentence.
Fragility and Insignificance
Psalm 103:14 consols, "For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." The figure tempers human pride (Isaiah 40:15: "The nations are like a drop in a bucket, they are considered as dust on the scales") and tempers despair, for God "raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap" (Psalm 113:7). Dust testifies to smallness while inviting reliance on grace.
Dust in Praise and Restoration
MessianicPsalm 22 juxtaposes agony and triumph: "You lay me in the dust of death" (22:15), yet "those who go down to the dust will kneel before Him" (22:29). Zion is summoned, "Shake yourself from the dust, arise; sit enthroned, O Jerusalem" (Isaiah 52:2), portraying redemption as rising from degradation to dignity. When God vindicates His people, dust is trampled, not endured (Malachi 4:3).
Eschatological Overtones
Beyond individual resurrection, cosmic renewal includes release from dust-bound decay.Romans 8:21 (though Greek) echoes Old Testament expectation: creation will be liberated. The dust-to-glory motif culminates when the last enemy, death, is destroyed (1 Corinthians 15). The first man was of dust; the second Man is from heaven (1 Corinthians 15:47) and guarantees believers a transformed body impervious to corruption.
Ministry and Practical Application
1. Mortality and Stewardship. Remembering that we are dust fosters humility, gratitude, and wise use of fleeting days (Psalm 90:12).
2. Evangelism. Dust-imagery supplies bridge language to explain sin’s penalty and resurrection hope (Genesis 3:19;Daniel 12:2).
3. Worship and Liturgy. Ash Wednesday, though post-biblical, echoes biblical practice: "Dust you are." Corporate confession may incorporate such symbolism responsibly.
4. Social Concern. God lifts the needy from the dust; imitating His compassion mandates advocacy for the marginalized (Psalm 113:7).
5. Eschatological Encouragement. At gravesides, ministers may draw onIsaiah 26:19, assuring that dust will not have the last word.
Dust, then, is more than residue. It is signature material in God’s artistry, a witness to judgment and mercy, a signpost pointing from Eden’s soil through Calvary’s grave toward the New Jerusalem where no dust will mar the streets of gold.
Forms and Transliterations
בֶּֽעָפָ֑ר בֶּֽעָפָר֙ בֶּעָפָ֣ר בֶּעָפָ֥ר בֶּעָפָֽר׃ בֶעָפָ֣ר בעפר בעפר׃ הֶ֣עָפָ֔ר הֶֽעָפָ֔ר הֶֽעָפָ֗ר הֶֽעָפָר֙ הֶעָפָ֑ר הֶעָפָ֖ר הֶעָפָ֛ר הֶעָפָֽר׃ העפר העפר׃ וְֽלַעֲפַר־ וְהֶעָפָ֖ר וְעַפְרֹ֖ת וְעָפָ֑ר וְעָפָ֥ר וַֽעֲפָרֵ֔ךְ וַעֲפַ֥ר וַעֲפָרָ֖הּ וַעֲפָרָ֖ם וּ֝בֶעָפָ֗ר וּ֝מֵעָפָ֗ר וּמֵֽעָפָ֖ר וּמֵעָפָ֖ר ובעפר והעפר ולעפר־ ומעפר ועפר ועפרה ועפרך ועפרם ועפרת כְּעָפָ֥ר כֶּֽעָפָ֔ר כֶּֽעָפָ֖ר כֶּֽעָפָר֙ כֶּעָפָ֣ר כֶּעָפָ֥ר כַּעֲפַ֣ר כַּעֲפַ֥ר כַּעֲפַר־ כעפר כעפר־ לְעָפָ֑ר לְעָפָ֖ר לֶעָפָ֖ר לֶעָפָ֣ר לעפר מֵעֲפַ֖ר מֵעָפָ֛ר מֵעָפָ֜ר מֵעָפָ֣ר מעפר עֲפַ֣ר עֲפַ֥ר עֲפַר־ עֲפָר֔וֹ עֲפָרָ֔הּ עֲפָרָ֖הּ עֲפָרָ֖ם עֲפָרָ֥הּ עֲפָרָ֥ם עָ֭פָר עָֽפָר֙ עָפְר֥וֹת עָפָ֑ר עָפָ֖ר עָפָ֗ר עָפָ֛ר עָפָ֣ר עָפָ֥ר עָפָֽר׃ עָפָר֙ עפר עפר־ עפר׃ עפרה עפרו עפרות עפרם ‘ă·p̄ā·rāh ‘ă·p̄ā·rām ‘ă·p̄ā·rōw ‘ă·p̄ar ‘ā·p̄ār ‘ă·p̄ar- ‘ā·p̄ə·rō·wṯ ‘ăp̄ar ‘āp̄ār ‘ăp̄ar- ‘ăp̄ārāh ‘ăp̄ārām ‘ăp̄ārōw ‘āp̄ərōwṯ aFar afaRah afaRam afaRo afeRot Afor be‘āp̄ār ḇe‘āp̄ār be·‘ā·p̄ār ḇe·‘ā·p̄ār beaFar he‘āp̄ār he·‘ā·p̄ār heaFar ka‘ăp̄ar ka‘ăp̄ar- ka·‘ă·p̄ar ka·‘ă·p̄ar- kaaFar ke‘āp̄ār kə‘āp̄ār ke·‘ā·p̄ār kə·‘ā·p̄ār keaFar le‘āp̄ār lə‘āp̄ār le·‘ā·p̄ār lə·‘ā·p̄ār leaFar mê‘ăp̄ar mê‘āp̄ār mê·‘ă·p̄ar mê·‘ā·p̄ār meaFar ū·ḇe·‘ā·p̄ār ū·mê·‘ā·p̄ār ūḇe‘āp̄ār ūmê‘āp̄ār umeaFar uveaFar vaaFar vaafaRah vaafaRam vaafaRech veaFar veafRot veheaFar velaafar wa‘ăp̄ar wa‘ăp̄ārāh wa‘ăp̄ārām wa‘ăp̄ārêḵ wa·‘ă·p̄ā·rāh wa·‘ă·p̄ā·rām wa·‘ă·p̄ā·rêḵ wa·‘ă·p̄ar wə‘āp̄ār wə‘ap̄rōṯ wə·‘ā·p̄ār wə·‘ap̄·rōṯ wə·he·‘ā·p̄ār wə·la·‘ă·p̄ar- wəhe‘āp̄ār wəla‘ăp̄ar-
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