a.vaq denotes dust, whether present as a covering substance or used in comparisons of what is slight or vanishing.

The attested use chiefly denotes dust as a material spread, raised, or associated with natural and military scenes; it also appears in comparisons that portray a crowd or a blossom in terms of dust.

1. Dust as a spread or raised substance · dominant

   In Deuteronomy 28:24 the noun occurs in the announcement that rain from heaven will come down as dust; in Exodus 9:9 the APB renders the result as dust over all Egypt. Ezekiel 26:10 places the construct form in the clause about the abundance of horses and their dust covering the city, while Nahum 1:3 describes cloud as the dust of his feet.

   Deuteronomy 28:24Exodus 9:9Ezekiel 26:10Nahum 1:3
2. Dust in comparative imagery · common

   In Isaiah 29:5 the noun occurs in the comparison of the crowd of strangers with thin dust. In Isaiah 5:24 it appears in the comparison that follows fire consuming stubble and dry grass sinking into flame: the APB renders the blossom as rising like dust.

   Isaiah 29:5Isaiah 5:24

In the Anselm Paraphrase: The APB consistently uses “dust” in these verses, including “their dust,” “thin dust,” and “dust of his feet.” Because the paraphrase is not word-aligned, these renderings confirm the clauses' overall presentation rather than establish every nuance of the noun.