H4295 H4295
Downward, below, beneath — adverb of spatial direction indicating lower position or descent
An adverb derived from the root natah ('to stretch, incline') with the locative he ending, indicating downward direction, a lower position, or 'beneath.' It often pairs with its antonym ma'alah ('upward') to express totality of spatial range. In Deuteronomy 28:43 the term is dramatically doubled — 'downward, downward' — to depict the covenant curses of progressive decline. Combined with prepositions it yields phrases like 'from below' (describing the base of the tabernacle altar in Exod 27:5; 38:4) and 'root downward' (Isa 37:31). German and French both render it with locative adverbs reflecting the same directional semantics.
Senses
1. downward, below, beneath — An adverb of spatial direction meaning 'downward,' 'below,' or 'beneath,' derived from natah ('to stretch, incline') with the locative he ending. Frequently paired with ma'alah ('upward') to express the full vertical axis. Used with prepositions in architectural descriptions of the tabernacle (Exod 26:24; 27:5; 38:4), in the covenant curses of progressive decline (Deut 28:13, 43), and in prophetic imagery of rooting 'downward' (Isa 37:31; 2 Kgs 19:30). Spanish 'abajo/debajo' and French 'au-dessous' both map to this directional sense. 19×
AR["أَسْفَلَ", "إِلَى-أَسْفَلَ", "إِلَى-أَسْفَلَ-", "تَحْتُ", "لِ-تَحْتَ", "مِن-أَسفَلَ", "مِنْ-أَسْفَلَ", "مِنْ-أَسْفَلُ", "نُزُولًا", "هِيَ", "وَ-إلى-أَسْفَلُ", "وَ-فَمَا-دُونَ"]·ben["আর-নীচে", "আর-নীচের", "ও-নীচে", "থেকে-নিচে", "থেকে-নীচে", "নিচে", "নিচের-জন্য", "নীচ-থেকে", "নীচে", "নীচে-", "নীচে-থেকে", "নীচে-দিকে-"]·DE["[ולמטה]", "[למטה]", "[מטה]", "hinab-ward", "senken", "unterhalb", "von-unterhalb"]·EN["and-downward", "and-under", "below", "down-ward", "downward", "downward-", "from-below", "less-than", "lower"]·FR["[ולמטה]", "[למטה]", "de-au-dessous", "en-bas-garde", "en-dessous", "plus-bas", "à-למטה", "מטה"]·heb["ו-ל-מטה", "ל-מטה", "מ-ל-מטה", "מ-למטה", "מטה"]·HI["और-नीचे", "कम", "नीचे", "नीचे-", "नीचे-की-ओर", "नीचे-से", "नीचे।", "से-नीचे"]·ID["dan-ke-bawah", "dari-bawah", "di-bawah", "ke-bawah", "ke-bawah-", "lebih-rendah"]·IT["[ולמטה]", "[למטה]", "abbassare", "da-sotto", "giù-custodia", "per-downward", "sotto"]·jav["dhateng-ngandhap", "dhateng-ngandhap-", "ing-ngandhap", "lan-dhateng-ngandhap", "lan-langkung-alit", "lan-mandhap", "langkung-entheng", "langkung-ngandhap", "mangandhap", "ngandhap", "saking-ngandhap", "saking-ngandhap,"]·KO["(전)-아래로", "그리고-아래로", "그리고-아래로는", "그리고-아래쪽으로", "아래-의", "아래로", "아래로부터", "아래에서", "에-아래로", "에서-아래쪽", "으로-아래-에"]·PT["abaixo", "de-baixo", "e-para-baixo", "para-baixo", "para-baixo-", "por-baixo"]·RU["вниз", "вниз-", "внизу", "и-вниз", "и-ниже", "ниже", "снизу"]·ES["abajo", "de-abajo-de", "debajo", "desde-abajo", "hacia-abajo", "hacia-abajo-", "y-hacia-abajo", "y-para-abajo"]·SW["chini", "chini-ya", "lmataּh", "na-chini"]·TR["alttan", "asagi", "asagiya", "aşağı-", "aşağıda", "aşağıdan", "aşağıya", "belinin", "ve-aşağısını", "ve-görünüşünden"]·urd["اور-نیچے", "اور-نیچے-کی-طرف", "نیچے", "نیچے-", "نیچے-سے", "نیچے-کو"]
Exod 26:24, Exod 27:5, Exod 28:27, Exod 36:29, Exod 38:4, Exod 39:20, Deut 28:13, Deut 28:43, Deut 28:43, 2 Kgs 19:30, 1 Chr 27:23, 2 Chr 32:30 (+7 more)
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מַ֫טָּה, מָ֑֫טָּה adv. downwards (from [מַט] for [מַטֶּה] a place of declension (cf. נָטֶה, 3 a), with ה—ָ loc., Ol222 b Köii. 260: cf. the opp. מַ֫עְלָה, sub עָלָה):— 1. alone, Dt 28:43 and thou shalt descend מַ֫טָּה מָ֑֫טָּה downwards, downwards, i.e. lower and lower, Pr 15:24 לְמַעַן סוּר מִשְּׁאוֹל מ׳. 2. לְמַ֫טָּה: a. downwards Dt 28:13 וְלֹא תִהְיֶה למ׳, Is 37:31 = 2 K 19:30 שֹׁרֶשׁ למ׳…