8:26

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

26a before He made the land or fields,

26b or any of the dust of the earth.

8:26a–b

before He made the land or fields, or any of the dust of the earth: All three of the terms used in this verse refer to the ground in some way.

8:26a

the land: The word land refers to the dry land, as opposed to the oceans and rivers.

fields: The word fields (literally “its outsides”) refers to open country outside towns and cities. For example:

the countryside (New Jerusalem Bible)

8:26b

any of the dust of the earth: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “the head of the dusts of the world.” Most scholars agree that this refers to the soil in some way, but the exact meaning is not clear. Most versions understand “head” to mean “first.” For example:

even the first dust of the earth (New Century Version)
-or-
the world’s first bits of soil (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the first handfuls of soil (New Living Translation (2004))

Notice that the New Living Translation (2004) leaves implied the phrase “of the earth.” Consider whether it is natural to make this phrase implicit in your language.

In some languages, it may be better to use a general phrase such as:

even the dust/soil

This may avoid a wrong implied comparison between the first dust and later dust.

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