Lexical Summary
maaleh: Ascent, going up, elevation, upward journey
Original Word:מַעֲלֶה
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:ma`aleh
Pronunciation:mah-al-eh'
Phonetic Spelling:(mah-al-eh')
KJV: ascent, before, chiefest, cliff, that goeth up, going up, hill, mounting up, stairs
NASB:ascent, stairway, platform, slope, upper section
Word Origin:[fromH5927 (עָלָה - went)]
1. an elevation
2. (concretely) acclivity or platform
3. (abstractly, the relation or state) a rise
4. (figuratively) priority
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
ascent, cliff, going up, hill, mounting up,
Fromalah; an elevation, i.e. (concretely) acclivity or platform; abstractly (the relation or state) a rise or (figuratively) priority -- ascent, before, chiefest, cliff, that goeth up, going up, hill, mounting up, stairs.
see HEBREWalah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
alahDefinitionan ascent
NASB Translationascent (9), platform (1), slope (1), stairway (4), upper section (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
19Isaiah 15:5 ; —
Nehemiah 12:37; construct
Joshua 10:10 14t.;
Ezekiel 40:31,34,37;
ascent of hill or mountain: to a city1 Samuel 9:11, to the royal sepulchers (in Jerusalem) 2Chronicles 32:33;2 Samuel 15:30 (see
); =Srorpion-pass, on southern border of Palestine,Judges 1:36;Numbers 36:4;Joshua 15:3 (both P), i.e. probably theNa‡b eƒ-ƒafâ southwest from Dead Sea BuhlGeogr. 16. 66 Di and GFM on the passage, and references; often defined by proper name, of a location:Joshua 15:7;Joshua 18:17, south of valley of Achor, between Jerusalem and Jericho, compare modernTel`at ed-dâm BuhlGeogr. 98.; see also I. , II. , , II. .Ezekiel 40:31,34,37; to a wallNehemiah 12:27;Nehemiah 9:4. p.111, 158, 357, 532, 851
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope of Usageמַעֲלֶה denotes an “ascent” or “slope,” a place where one goes upward. Across its fifteen appearances it can describe:
1. A named pass or roadway.
2. A physical flight of steps.
3. A figurative rise, expressing emotional or spiritual movement.
Strategic Passes and Roadways
•Joshua 15:7 andJoshua 18:17 locate tribal boundaries at an ascent near Adummim, marking Judah-Benjamin borders. The term fixes covenant allotments on the very terrain of the promise.
•Judges 8:13 records Gideon’s return “from the ascent of Heres,” celebrating victory achieved by divine strategy rather than human might.
•2 Kings 9:27 depicts King Ahaziah fleeing “by way of the ascent of Gur”; even royal flight cannot escape divine judgment.
•2 Chronicles 20:16 pinpoints the “ascent of Ziz,” where Judah’s army stood still and watched the LORD defeat Moab and Ammon—an enduring lesson that deliverance is “not by might nor by power.”
Personal Journeys of Covenant Figures
• “They went up the ascent to the city” (1 Samuel 9:11). Saul’s first encounter with Samuel occurs while ascending; divine appointment meets him on the upward road.
• “David continued up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went” (2 Samuel 15:30). The slope becomes a backdrop for repentance and foreshadows the greater Son of David praying on that same mount.
• In2 Chronicles 32:33 Hezekiah is buried “in the upper tombs of the sons of David,” the royal ascent becoming a testimony to faithfulness rewarded.
Temple Architecture and Future Hope
Ezekiel 40:31, 34, 37 describes the visionary temple gates, each “with eight steps going up to it.” The prophet’s repeated mention of mַעֲלֶה underscores ordered access to the holy presence. Holiness requires ascent under God’s design, anticipating the ultimate approach opened by Christ.
Corporate Worship and Reform
•Nehemiah 9:4 shows Levites crying out on “the stairs” during national confession; physical elevation aids corporate humility.
•Nehemiah 12:37 recounts choir processions above the Water Gate, illustrating restored worship that rises in thanksgiving.
Prophetic Lament over Moab
• “My heart cries out for Moab…on the ascent of Luhith they go up with weeping” (Isaiah 15:5).
• Jeremiah echoes, “In the ascent of Luhith continual weeping goes up” (Jeremiah 48:5).
The same topographical term that frames Israel’s hope becomes a stage for judgment on prideful nations, affirming the moral constancy of the covenant God.
Theological and Ministry Significance
1. Pilgrimage: Ascents mark the journey from ordinary ground to covenant fulfillment. Every believer’s walk mirrors this upward call (Philippians 3:14).
2. Humility and Dependence: Gideon, Jehoshaphat, and David each encounter mַעֲלֶה in moments of weakness, proving that “power is perfected in weakness.”
3. Worship Order: Temple steps in Ezekiel and the Levites’ stairs in Nehemiah model reverent approach; ministry today still requires preparation of heart as we “draw near with a sincere heart.”
4. Warning and Compassion: The weeping ascents of Moab teach that persistent sin turns upward progress into an uphill lament; proclamation of the gospel must hold judgment and mercy together.
Homiletical Windows
• “Lessons on the Ascent of Ziz” – Standing firm while the Lord fights.
• “Weeping Upward: David on the Mount of Olives” – Repentance that climbs toward restoration.
• “Temple Steps and Gospel Access” – From eight steps in Ezekiel to the torn veil in Jerusalem.
Recognizing מַעֲלֶה throughout Scripture invites readers to trace the consistent pattern of God meeting His people on the upward path, turning ordinary slopes, stairs, and passes into testimonies of covenant faithfulness and redemptive hope.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּֽמַעֲלֵה֮ בְּמַֽעֲלֵה־ בְּמַעֲלֵ֣ה בְמַעֲלֵ֨ה בַּֽמַּעֲלֶ֖ה במעלה במעלה־ לְמַעֲלֵ֣ה למעלה מִֽלְמַעֲלֵ֖ה מַֽעֲלֵ֣ה מַעֲלֵ֣ה מַעֲלָֽיו׃ מלמעלה מעלה מעליו׃ bam·ma·‘ă·leh bamma‘ăleh bammaaLeh bə·ma·‘ă·lêh ḇə·ma·‘ă·lêh bə·ma·‘ă·lêh- bəma‘ălêh ḇəma‘ălêh bəma‘ălêh- bemaaLeh lə·ma·‘ă·lêh ləma‘ălêh lemaaLeh ma‘ălāw ma‘ălêh ma·‘ă·lāw ma·‘ă·lêh maaLav maaLeh mil·ma·‘ă·lêh milma‘ălêh milmaaLeh vemaaLeh
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