Word

אֵפֶר

ʼêpher · H665 · Hebrew · 22 occurrences

See all 22 in Search

Meanings

ashes

The powdery residue left after burning, normally deposited outside a village or city and put on the head by mourners, associated with fineness, low status and mortality

Examples
Genesis 18:27 And Abraham replied, “Now behold, I have ventured to speak to the Lord, although I am only dust and ashes.
2 Samuel 13:19 Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went on her way, crying out as she went.
Esther 4:1 When Mordecai learned of everything that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.

How it’s used In 6 roles

Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.

the word studied the word it goes with

Whose, or of whatGenitive or possessive

2 occurrences in 1 groups

פָּרָהcow 2

What it doesIt is the subject

1 occurrences in 1 groups

יַצַעto spread out (as a bed) 1

What is done to itIt is the object

8 occurrences in 7 groups

אָסַףto gather, to assemble 2
הָיָהto be, to become 1
יַצַעto spread out (as a bed) 1
לָבַשׁto put on, to clothe, to wear 1
לָקַחto take, to receive 1
אָכַלto eat, to devour 1

What is said to be itIt is the predicate

1 occurrences in 1 groups

אָנֹכִיI 1

After prepositionsPrepositional phrases

10 occurrences in 5 groups

בin/on/with 8
עַלon, upon, over, against 4
כlike/as 4
תַּחַתunder, below, instead of 2
לto/for 2

In phrases “… of it”It is the genitive

2 occurrences in 2 groups

מָשָׁלsaying 1
תָּוֶךְmiddle 1

When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.

MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Near synonyms 3 words

עָפָר ʻâphâr · H6083 · dirt, dust, powder: עָפָר (ʻâphâr, H6083) is a broad word covering dust, earth and ground, and also ashes, while אֵפֶר (ʼêpher, H665) is the narrower term specifically for ashes; both can denote ashes.
דֶּשֶׁן deshen · H1880 · fatness, fat ashes: דֶּשֶׁן carries the dual sense ‘ashes, fatness,’ while the target lexeme means simply ‘ashes.’ In its ‘ashes’ sense דֶּשֶׁן overlaps genuinely with the target lexeme, making the two near-synonyms.
פִּיחַ pîyach · H6368 · soot: Both words denote the same substance, ashes; they are two distinct Hebrew words for the same material.

In the other Testament 1 word

σποδός spodós · G4700 · ashes: Greek σποδός directly translates Hebrew אֵפֶר as the standard rendering for ashes (residue from combustion), maintaining identical semantic scope across both testament contexts including mourning rituals and divine judgment imagery.

Semantic domains 1 entry

Dust001002005005: אֵפֶר names ashes, as Abraham's self-description as "dust and ashes" before the LORD, or the ashes of the red heifer used for purification.

Word family 2 words

Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.

אֵפֶרʼêpher · H665אֲפֵר ʼăphêr · H666 · band, bandage, cloth · 2×

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H665. epher אֵ֫פֶר noun [masculine] ashes (as light, flying?) — ׳א absolute Gen 18:27 +;…

H665. epher
אֵ֫פֶר noun [masculine] ashes (as light, flying?) — ׳א absolute Gen 18:27 +; construct Num 19:9-10, — ashes of red heifer, used in purifications Num 19:9-10, on head, as sign of humiliation 2Sa 13:19; contrition Dan 9:3 (|| שַׂק צוֺם,), Jon 3:6 (|| שַׂק) compare Job 42:6 (וא ׳עָפָר), Isa 58:5 (|| שַׂק); mourning Est 4:1, Est 4:3(|| שַׂק) compare Job 2:8 (הא בתוך ׳ישׁב), Jer 6:26 (|| שַׂק), Eze 27:30 (|| עפר); in simile scattereth hoarfrost ׳כָּא Psa 147:16; but also as filthy, loathsome וא ׳כעפר Job 30:19 (Di simile of mourning, grief), as worthless, א ׳מִשְׁלֵי Job 13:12 proverbs of ashes; figurative of worthlessness Isa 44:20; insignificance וא ׳עפר Gen 18:27; ignominy Eze 28:18; Malachi 3:21; distress & sorrow ׳א אָכָ֑לְתִּי כַּלָּחֶם Psa 102:10 (so Assyrian compare ZimBP 42) compare Lam 3:16; Isa 61:3 (אֵפֶר תַּחַת מְּאֵר).
II. אפר (enclose, envelope, Assyrian apâru, attire DlPr 54; Thes compare Arabic , cover; MV compare Aramaic , מעפרא, mantle, turban; but connection of √ ()׳מּ ע with אפר is dubious)

Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain

Topical studies with this word 1 entry

Dust22 occurrences

Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.

Sources

eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0