Lexical Summary
moal: Unfaithfulness, treachery, trespass
Original Word:מֹעַל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:mo`al
Pronunciation:MO-al
Phonetic Spelling:(mo'-al)
KJV: lifting up
NASB:lifting
Word Origin:[fromH5927 (עָלָה - went)]
1. a raising (of the hands)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
lifting up
Fromalah; a raising (of the hands) -- lifting up.
see HEBREWalah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
alahDefinitiona lifting
NASB Translationlifting (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; —
Nehemiah 8:6.
Topical Lexicon
Definition and Scopeמֹעַל (moʿal) denotes an upward or elevated movement. Used once in Scripture, it captures the physical act of raising something aloft—specifically, the worshiper’s hands lifted toward God.
Biblical Occurrence
Nehemiah 8:6. As Ezra blesses “the LORD, the great God,” the assembly answers, “Amen, Amen,” and does so “with uplifted hands”. The preposition בְּ (“with, in”) joined to moʿal pictures hands borne upward as a visible response of agreement and adoration.
Historical Context
Nehemiah chapters 8–10 describe a covenant renewal when the returned exiles gather at the Water Gate in Jerusalem (about 444 B.C.). After years of foreign domination, God’s people stand under open sky and freshly erected wooden platform to hear the Law read. Their raised hands declare both dependence on the Lord and public submission to His word. In a society familiar with oaths and royal acclamations, this posture signals loyalty to the true King.
Theology of Upraised Hands in Scripture
1. Worship and Blessing: “So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift my hands” (Psalm 63:4).
2. Intercession: “Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and bless the LORD” (Psalm 134:2).
3. Devotion and Purity: “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands” (1 Timothy 2:8).
Moʿal links these broader themes, stressing orientation “above” toward the One enthroned in heaven (Psalm 123:1).
Practical Ministry Implications
• Corporate Worship: Moʿal legitimizes bodily expression in congregational settings. Leaders may encourage scriptural freedom to raise hands as a sign of “Amen” to God’s promises.
• Teaching on Posture: Physical actions can reinforce inward realities; explaining moʿal helps congregants understand why ancient and modern believers respond with uplifted hands.
• Confession and Commitment: As in Nehemiah, lifting hands can accompany covenant renewal, baptism vows, or commissioning services, underscoring surrender and allegiance.
Christological and Ecclesiological Reflections
The raised hands of Israel anticipate the exalted hands of the Messiah who, after blessing His disciples, was “carried up into heaven” (Luke 24:50-51). In the church age, believers lift hands not only toward the Lawgiver but toward the risen Lord, acknowledging His finished work and present intercession. Moʿal thus foreshadows the ascension and points forward to corporate worship before the Lamb (Revelation 7:9-12).
Related Concepts
• Amen (affirmation of truth)
• Blessing (verbal and physical)
• Covenant Renewal
• Bodily Worship (kneeling, prostration, dancing)
Concluding Thoughts
Though recorded only once, moʿal encapsulates a timeless principle: genuine agreement with God’s word moves heart, voice, and body together. The single occurrence in Nehemiah provides a canonical anchor for the joyful, reverent practice of lifting hands—an upward gesture that testifies to a people living under, and looking up to, the sovereign Lord.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמֹ֣עַל במעל bə·mō·‘al bəmō‘al beMoal
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
