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).
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 more senses below
Senses
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
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
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…