מַעֲלֶה19 H4610
Ascent, slope; a geographic rise or uphill road, often part of place names like Scorpion Pass (Akrabbim)
A masculine noun denoting an uphill road, mountain pass, or ascending slope. It frequently appears as a construct element in proper toponyms — most notably 'the ascent of Akrabbim' (Scorpion Pass), marking the southern boundary of Canaan (Num 34:4; Josh 15:3; Judg 1:36). The same word describes the climb to towns and cities in narrative contexts. Across translations, both the common noun sense and the embedded proper-name element are preserved: Hindi transliterates 'Akrabbim' while Spanish and English render the geographic feature as 'subida' or 'ascent.'
Senses
1. Akrabbim (proper name element) — The proper-name element 'Akrabbim' (Scorpion Pass) appears in boundary descriptions of southern Canaan (Num 34:4; Josh 15:3; Judg 1:36). All major translation traditions transliterate it — English 'Akrabbim,' Spanish 'Acrabim,' Hindi 'अक्रब्बीम' — treating it as a fixed toponym rather than translating the scorpion imagery, which shows the name had already lexicalized as a place reference. 3×
AR["الْعَقْرَبِيمَ", "عَقْرَبيمَ", "عَقْرِبيمَ"]·ben["অক্রব্বীমের", "আক্রাব্বীমের"]·DE["Akrabbim"]·EN["Akrabbim"]·FR["Akrabbim"]·heb["עקרבים"]·HI["अक्रब्बीम", "अक्रब्बीम-की"]·ID["Akrabim"]·IT["Akrabbim"]·jav["Akrabim"]·KO["아그랍빔의", "아크라빔의", "전갈의"]·PT["'Aqrabbim", "Aqrabbim"]·RU["Акраббим", "Акраввим", "Акраввима"]·ES["Acrabim", "Akrabim"]·SW["Akrabimu"]·TR["Akrabbim'in", "Akrabbimin", "Akravvim"]·urd["عقربیم", "عقربیم-کی"]
2. ascent, slope (geographic feature) — The common noun sense denotes a physical ascent, slope, or uphill road as a geographic feature. Used with directional prepositions ('to the ascent of,' 'from the ascent of'), it describes terrain one must climb. Spanish 'subida' (climb/ascent) and French 'ascent' both capture the active sense of going upward, distinguishing this from a static hill or mountain designation. 3×
AR["إِلَى-عَقْرَبَةِ", "صُعودِ", "مِنْ-مَصْعَدِ"]·ben["উচ্চে-প্রতি", "উঠান-কাছে", "উত্থান-থেকে"]·DE["ascent-von", "von-der-ascent-von", "zu-ascent-von"]·EN["ascent-of", "from-the-ascent-of", "to-ascent-of"]·FR["ascent-de", "de-le-ascent-de", "à-ascent-de"]·heb["ל-מעלה", "מ-מעלה"]·HI["चढ़ाई", "चढ़ाई-की-ओर", "चढ़ाई-से"]·ID["Pendakian", "dari-pendakian", "ke-pendakian"]·IT["a-ascent-di", "ascent-di", "da-il-ascent-di"]·jav["minggah", "saking-minggahan", "undhak-undhakan-Akrabim"]·KO["에게-오르막", "에서부터-오르막에서부터", "오르막-에게"]·PT["desde-subida-de", "para-subida-de"]·RU["к-подъёму", "от-восхождения", "подъёма"]·ES["a-la-subida-de", "desde-subida-de", "hacia-subida-de"]·SW["kupitia-njia-ya-kupanda-ya", "kutoka-kupanda-kwa", "kwenye-kupanda-kwa"]·TR["-e-yokuşuna", "den-yokuşundan", "yokuşuna"]·urd["چڑھائی", "چڑھائی-سے", "کو-چڑھائی"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)
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…