H0080 H0080
Dust, fine powder; airborne particles raised by wind or feet, used literally of soot and debris and figuratively of divine judgment.
Avaq refers to fine, airborne dust or powder—lighter and more volatile than the common afar, which typically denotes ground-level earth or soil. In Exodus 9:9, it describes the fine soot Moses flings skyward to trigger the plague of boils. Deuteronomy 28:24 warns that God will turn rain into dust and powder falling from the sky. Isaiah uses it in both directions: the straw of the wicked becomes avaq consumed by flame (5:24), while the ruthless are reduced to avaq scattered by wind (29:5). Nahum 1:3 offers a striking image: clouds are the dust of God's feet. The translations converge neatly: Spanish polvo, French poudre/poussiere, German Staub.
Senses
1. dust, fine powder — Fine dust or powder, particularly the kind raised into the air by wind, feet, or combustion—distinguished from the more generic afar ('earth, ground-dust'). In Exodus 9:9 it is the soot of the furnace that becomes a plague, and in Deuteronomy 28:24 (parallel with afar) it falls as cursed rain. Isaiah deploys it as an image of sudden, total destruction (5:24; 29:5), while Nahum 1:3 uses it figuratively of clouds beneath Yahweh's feet. The multilingual glosses (Spanish polvo, French poudre/poussiere, German Staub) all point to a single concrete sense of fine, airborne particulate matter. 6×
AR["غُبَارًا", "غُبَارُ", "غُبَارُهَا", "كَالغُبَارِ", "كَـ-غُبَارٍ"]·ben["-ধুলোর-মতো", "তাদের-ধূলি", "ধূলা-", "ধূলিতে", "ধূলো", "যেমন-ধূলা"]·DE["Staub", "[אבק]", "[אבקם]", "[כאבק]", "fein-Staub"]·EN["as-the-dust", "dust", "fine-dust", "is-the-dust-of", "like-fine-dust", "their-dust"]·FR["[כאבק]", "fin-poussière", "poudre", "poussière"]·heb["אבק", "אבקם", "כ-אבק", "ל-אבק"]·HI["जैसे-धूल", "धूल", "धूल-करके"]·ID["debu", "debu-mereka;", "seperti-debu"]·IT["[כאבק]", "fine-polvere", "polvere"]·jav["bledug", "dados-lebu", "kados-bledug", "kados-lebu", "lebu", "lebu-piyambakipun-sedaya"]·KO["같이-가는-먼지", "먼지", "먼지-같이", "먼지가-그들의", "먼지로"]·PT["como-pó", "pó", "seu-pó", "é-pó"]·RU["как-пыль", "пыль", "пыль-их", "пылью"]·ES["como-polvo", "polvo", "polvo-de", "su-polvo"]·SW["kama-vumbi", "vumbi", "vumbi-la", "vumbi-lao"]·TR["toz", "toz-gibi", "tozları", "tozu"]·urd["خاک", "دھول-میں", "غبار-کی-طرح", "گرد", "گرد-اُن-کی"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אָבָק n.m. Ez 26:10 dust—א׳ Dt 28:24 + 3 textual; cstr. אֲבַק Na 1:3; sf. אֲבָקָם Ez 26:10—dust (?fleeing, flying; syn. עָפָר = oft. dust lying on or composing ground) Ex 9:9 Ez 26:10 Dt 28:24 (‖ עָפָר) Is 5:24 (‖ מָק) 29:5 (‖ מֹץ); fig. of clouds under Yahweh’s feet Na 1:3.