מַעֲלֶה19 H4608
Ascent; a geographical slope, hill-road, or mountain pass; also architectural stairs or steps of a structure.
Derived from the root 'to go up,' this noun names a rising path or stairway. In its geographical sense it identifies named passes and hill-roads throughout the land of Israel — the Ascent of Akrabbim on Judah's southern border (Num 34:4; Josh 15:3), the Ascent of Adummim between Jerusalem and Jericho (Josh 15:7; 18:17), and the Ascent of the Mount of Olives where David fled weeping (2 Sam 15:30). Spanish renders these as 'subida de' and English as 'ascent of.' In its architectural sense, Ezekiel's temple vision repeatedly references the stairs of gateways (Ezek 40:31, 34, 37), and Nehemiah 9:4 describes the Levites standing on a raised platform. The semantic thread connecting both senses is upward movement — whether along a hillside or up a staircase.
1. geographical ascent or pass — A geographical ascent, slope, or mountain pass going upward, typically a named topographic feature serving as a landmark or boundary. The Ascent of Akrabbim marks Judah's southern frontier (Num 34:4; Josh 15:3; Judg 1:36), the Ascent of Adummim lies between Jerusalem and Jericho (Josh 15:7; 18:17), and David's retreat up the Mount of Olives is narrated along its 'ascent' (2 Sam 15:30). Spanish 'subida de' and English 'ascent of' consistently convey the idea of an upward-climbing route through terrain. 11×
AR["بِ-المَصعَدِ","بِ-مَصْعَدِ","صُعودِ","صُعُودَ","في مَصعَدِ-","في-عَقَبَةِ-","فِي-مَصْعَدِ","مَصْعَدِ","مِنْ-عَقَبَة"]·ben["-উঠানে","-উদ্ধারে","-চড়াইয়ে","-ঢালে","আরোহণ","আরোহণে","উঠান","উঠানে-","উঠানের","উপর-থেকে"]·DE["[במעלה]","[מעלה]","ascent-von","auf-ascent-von","bei-ascent-von-","bei-der-ascent-von","von-ascent-von"]·EN["ascent-of","at-ascent-of-","at-the-ascent","by-ascent-of","by-the-ascent-of","from-ascent-of","in-ascent-of","on-ascent-of"]·FR["[במעלה]","[מעלה]","ascent-de","de-ascent-de","par-le-ascent-de","sur-ascent-de","à-ascent-de-"]·heb["ב-ה-מעלה","ב-מעלה","ב-מעלה-","ל-מעלה","מ-למעלה","מעלה"]·HI["चढ़ाई","चढ़ाई-पर","चढ़ाई-में","चढ़ाईपर-","चढ़ाईसे","बमअलेह-","में-चढ़ाई"]·ID["Pendakian","dari-pendakian","di-pendakian","di-pendakian-","di-tanjakan","di-tempat-naik","melalui-pendakian","pendakian"]·IT["[במעלה]","[מעלה]","a-salita-di-","ascent-di","da-ascent-di","da-il-salita-di","su-salita-di"]·jav["ing-minggahan","ing-munggahan-","ing-undhak-undhakan","saking-minggahipun","undhak-undhakan","wonten-ing-inggilan","wonten-ing-minggahan","wonten-ing-pendakian"]·KO["에-오르막에서","에-오름","에-올라가는-길","에게-오르막","오르막","오르막길을","오르막에-","오르막에서","오르막을","오르막을-","위-에서"]·PT["a-subida-de","da-subida-de","na-subida","na-subida-de","pela-subida-de","subida-de"]·RU["на-возвышении","на-подъём","на-подъёме","на-подъёме-","от-подъёма","по-подъёму","подъёма"]·ES["desde-subida-de","en-la-subida","en-la-subida-de","en-subida-de","la-subida-de","por-la-subida-de","subida-de"]·SW["bּmaaleh","katika-kupanda","katika-kupanda-kwa-","katika-njia-ya","kupanda-kwa","kutoka-kupanda-kwa","kwenye-mwinuko","kwenye-upandaji","mwpando-wa"]·TR["-yokuşunda","den-öncesinden","yokusunu","yokuşu","yokuşunda","yokuşunun"]·urd["چڑھائی","چڑھائی-سے","چڑھائی-میں","چڑھائی-پر","چڑھائی-پر-"]
Josh 15:7, Josh 18:17, Judg 8:13, 1 Sam 9:11, 2 Sam 15:30, 2 Kgs 9:27, 2 Chr 20:16, 2 Chr 32:33, Neh 12:37, Isa 15:5, Jer 48:5
▼ 1 more sense below
Senses
2. stairs or steps of structure — Architectural stairs, steps, or a raised platform belonging to a built structure. Ezekiel's temple vision uses the term repeatedly for the stairs of gateway structures (Ezek 40:31, 34, 37), and Nehemiah 9:4 and 12:37 reference stairs or elevated platforms in the context of public assembly. The semantic shift from natural terrain to built environment is reflected in translation: Spanish moves from 'subida' (ascent) to 'plataforma' or 'gradas' (stairs), and English from 'ascent' to 'stairs.' 7×
AR["صُعُودُهُ","مِنْبَرِ"]·ben["(তার-সিঁড়ি)","[তার-সিঁড়ি]","সিঁড়ি"]·DE["[מעלו]","[מעליו]","von-Brandopfer"]·EN["[ketiv]","its-ascents","the-stairs-of"]·FR["[מעלה]","[מעלו]","[מעליו]"]·heb["מעלה","מעליו"]·HI["उसकी-सीढ़ियाँ","सीढ़ियों"]·ID["[]","tangga","tangganya"]·IT["[מעלה]","[מעלו]","[מעליו]"]·jav["*","minggah-ipun","undhak-undhakan"]·KO["단의","올라가는계단들-그의"]·PT["(suas-subidas)","[suas-subidas]","plataforma-de"]·RU["возвышение","подъёма-его"]·ES["(sus-subidas)","[sus-subidas]","plataforma-de"]·SW["[kupanda]","ngazi-ya","za-kupanda-kwake"]·TR["(merdiveni)","[merdiveni]","yükseltisinin"]·urd["اُس-کی-سیڑھیاں","سیڑھیوں"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
מַעֲלֶה19 n.m. Is 15:5 ascent;—מ׳ Ne 12:37; cstr. מַעֲלֵה Jos 10:10 + 14 times; מַעֲלָו֯ Ez 40:31, 34, 37; 1. ascent of hill or city: Ju 8:13; 1 S 9:11, to the royal sepulchres (in Jerus.) 2 Ch 32:33; מ׳ הַזֵּיתִית 2 S 15:30 (v. זַיִת 3); מ׳עַקְרַבִּים = Scorpion-pass, on S. border of Pal., Ju 1:36; Nu 34:4; Jos 15:3 (both P), i.e. prob. the Naḳb eṣ-ṣafâ SW. from Dead Sea BuhlGeogr. 16, 66 Di and…