H4546 H4546
Highway, raised road — a prepared thoroughfare for travel; rarely stairway or celestial course
The noun mesillah derives from the root salal ('to raise up, cast up') and names a purpose-built, elevated road — not a city street but a route between settlements or through the wilderness. Israel asks to travel the mesillah through Edom (Num 20:19), fugitives flee along the highway to Gibeah (Judg 20:31-45), and Isaiah's great vision promises a highway from Assyria for the remnant of God's people (Isa 11:16; 19:23). The most theologically charged use appears in Isaiah 40:3: 'prepare in the wilderness a highway for our God.' Two rare extensions appear: stairways in Solomon's temple (2 Chr 9:11) and the celestial courses from which the stars fight (Judg 5:20).
Senses
1. highway, raised road — The principal sense: a highway or raised public road built for inter-city or inter-regional travel. This covers the overwhelming majority of occurrences — from Israel's request to use the king's highway through Edom (Num 20:19) to the escape routes of battle (Judg 20:31-45; 21:19), the road where Amasa's body lay (2 Sam 20:12-13), and the great prophetic highways of Isaiah (11:16; 19:23; 33:8; 40:3; 49:11; 62:10). Spanish calzada and German Strasse consistently render a substantial, prepared thoroughfare. Proverbs 16:17 extends the image morally: 'the highway of the upright turns aside from evil.' 25×
AR["إِلَى-الطَّرِيقِ", "السَّبِيلَ", "الطَّرِيقِ", "الطُّرُقُ", "الطُّرُقِ", "بِ-الْمَصْعَدِ", "سَبِيلًا", "سِكَّةٌ", "طَريقُ", "طَرِيقٌ", "في-مَسْلَكِهِ", "فِي-الطُّرُقِ", "فِي-الْ-طُرُقِ", "فِي-سُبُلِهِمْ", "فِي-طَرِيقِ", "فِي-مَسْلَكٍ", "لِلْمَصْعَدِ", "وَ-سُبُلِي"]·ben["এবং-আমার-রাজপথগুলো", "তাদের-রাস্তায়", "তার-পথে", "রাজপথ", "রাজপথগুলিতে", "রাজপথগুলো", "রাজপথে", "রাজপথে-সেই", "রাজপথের", "রাস্তায়", "রাস্তায়-", "রাস্তার-জন্য"]·DE["Strasse", "[במסלה]", "[במסלתו]", "[למסלה]", "[מסלת]", "auf-der-highways", "auf-highway", "auf-ihren-Strassen", "der-Strasse", "der-highway", "der-highways", "in-highway-von", "und-Strasse", "zu-Strasse"]·EN["a-highway", "and-my-highways", "are-highways", "are-in-their-highways", "at-the-highway", "highway", "highway-of", "in-highway-of", "on-highway", "on-his-highway", "on-the-highway", "on-the-highways", "the-highway", "the-highways", "to-the-highway"]·FR["[במסלה]", "[למסלה]", "dans-highway-de", "et-route", "le-highway", "le-highways", "le-route", "route", "sur-highway", "sur-le-highways", "à-route", "מסלת"]·heb["ב-ה-מסלה", "ב-מסילָּתוֹ", "ב-מסילה", "ב-מסילות", "ב-מסילותם", "ב-מסילת", "ה-מסילה", "ה-מסילות", "ו-מסילותי", "ל-ה-מסלה", "ל-מסילה", "מסילה", "מסילות", "מסילת"]·HI["उनके-रास्तों-में", "और-मेरी-सड़कें", "पर-राजमार्ग", "मार्ग", "मार्ग-के-लिए", "मार्ग-पर", "में-राजमार्ग", "में-राह-अपनी", "राजमार्ग", "सड़क", "सड़क-के", "सड़कों", "सड़कों-पर"]·ID["-jalan-raya", "Jalan-raya", "dan-jalan-jalan-raya-Ku", "di-jalan", "di-jalan-jalan-raya", "di-jalan-jalan-raya-mereka", "di-jalan-raya", "di-jalannya", "jalan-jalan-raya", "jalan-raya", "kepada-jalan-raya"]·IT["[במסלה]", "[במסלתו]", "[למסלה]", "da-Sela", "e-strada", "highway-di", "il-highways", "il-strada-maestra", "in-strada-maestra-di", "strada", "su-il-highways", "su-strada-maestra"]·jav["dalan-ageng", "dalan-gedhe-saking", "dhateng-dalan-gedhé", "dhateng-margi", "ing-dhalanipun", "ing-margi", "ing-margi-ipun", "ing-margi-margi", "lan-margi-margi-ageng-Ingsun", "margi-ageng", "margi-margi", "undhak-undhakan", "wonten-ing-dalan-ageng"]·KO["그-대로를", "그-대로에서", "그-큰-길", "그-큰-길에", "그들의-대로들에-", "그리고-나의-대로들이", "그의-큰길-로", "길들로", "길들에서", "길에", "대로가", "대로는", "대로를", "에-큰-길", "큰-길들이", "큰-길이"]·PT["Caminho-de", "a-estrada", "as-estradas", "e-minhas-estradas", "em-estrada", "em-estrada-sua", "em-estradas-deles", "estrada", "estradas", "na-estrada", "na-estrada-de", "nas-estradas", "para-a-estrada"]·RU["hа-дорогу", "дорога", "дороги", "дорогой-своей", "дорогу", "и-дороги-Мои", "на-дорогах", "на-дорогах-их", "на-дороге", "на-дорогу", "по-одной-дороге"]·ES["Calzada-de", "al-camino", "calzada", "camino", "caminos", "el-camino", "en-calzada-de-él", "en-camino-de", "en-la-calzada", "en-los-caminos", "en-sus-caminos", "la-calzada", "los-caminos", "para-la-calzada", "por-un-sendero", "y-mis-calzadas"]·SW["barabara", "barabara-kuu", "barabara-ya", "katika-barabara-yake", "katika-njia-kuu", "katika-njia-zao", "kwa-njia-ya-kupanda", "kwenye-njia", "na-njia-kuu-zangu", "njia-kuu", "njia-ya-kupanda"]·TR["-caddede", "ana-yoludur", "anayol", "anayola-o", "anayollara", "anayollarda", "anayolun", "caddelerinde", "caddeyi", "ve-caddelerim", "yol", "yola", "yolda", "yollar", "yolunda", "yolunda-"]·urd["اور-میری-شاہراہیں", "اُن-کی-شاہراہوں-میں", "اپنی-سڑک-پر", "راہوں-", "راہوں-پر", "سڑک", "سڑک-پر", "سڑک-کے", "سڑکیں", "شاہراہ", "شاہراہ-پر", "کے-پاس-سڑک"]
Num 20:19, Judg 20:31, Judg 20:32, Judg 20:45, Judg 21:19, 1 Sam 6:12, 2 Sam 20:12, 2 Sam 20:12, 2 Sam 20:13, 2 Kgs 18:17, 1 Chr 26:16, 1 Chr 26:18 (+13 more)
2. stairway, steps — A stairway or flight of steps — a constructed means of ascent within a building. This specialized sense appears only in 2 Chronicles 9:11, where Solomon uses algum wood to make mesillot for the house of the LORD and the royal palace. Spanish escaleras ('stairways') and the architectural context distinguish this from the open-road meaning, though the underlying metaphor of a raised, prepared path connecting levels remains consistent with the root salal. 1×
AR["مَصاعِدَ"]·ben["সিঁড়ি"]·DE["[מסלות]"]·EN["stairways"]·FR["[מסלות]"]·heb["מסלות"]·HI["सीढ़ियाँ"]·ID["tangga"]·IT["[מסלות]"]·jav["undhak-undhakan"]·KO["계단들-을"]·PT["escadas"]·RU["дорогами"]·ES["escaleras"]·SW["ngazi"]·TR["yollar"]·urd["سیڑھیاں"]
3. course, celestial path — The course, orbit, or fixed path of celestial bodies. In the Song of Deborah, 'the stars from their courses (mesillotam) fought against Sisera' (Judg 5:20). Spanish desde-sus-orbitas ('from their orbits') and French de-leur-courses confirm the astronomical reading. The metaphor is vivid: as a highway is a predetermined route, so the stars travel their God-appointed tracks through the sky. 1×
AR["مِنْ-مَسالِكِها"]·ben["তাদের-কক্ষপথ-থেকে"]·DE["von-ihr-courses"]·EN["from-their-courses"]·FR["de-leur-courses"]·heb["מ-מסילותם"]·HI["पथों-से-अपने"]·ID["dari-lintasannya"]·IT["da-loro-courses"]·jav["saking-dalan-piyambakipun"]·KO["궤도들-그들의-에서"]·PT["de-suas-órbitas"]·RU["с-путей-своих"]·ES["desde-sus-órbitas"]·SW["kutoka-njia-zao"]·TR["den-yollarından"]·urd["اپنے-مداروں-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H3212 1. go, depart, travel (884×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מְסִלָּה n.f. highway;—מ׳ Is 11:16 + 12 times; cstr. מְסִלַּת Is 7:3 + 3 times; sf. מְסִלָּתוֹ Jo 2:8; pl. מְסִלּוֹת Is 33:8 + 5 times; sf. מְסִלֹּתַי Is 49:11; מְסִלּוֹתָם Ju 5:20; Is 59:7;—raised way, highway, public road (never of street in city) Nu 20:19; Ju 20:31, 32, 45; 21:19; 1 S 6:12; 2 S 20:12(×2), 13; 2 K 18:17 = Is 36:2, 1 Ch 26:16, 18; Is 7:3; 11:16; 19:23; 33:8; 49:11; 59:7; Je…