עַל H5922
Aramaic preposition: upon, over, on; to, unto; concerning, about; against; because of; more than
An Aramaic preposition found exclusively in the bilingual sections of Ezra and Daniel, functioning as the counterpart to Hebrew 'al. Its spatial core means 'upon' or 'over,' but context stretches it across a wide range: direction ('to, unto'), topic ('concerning'), opposition ('against'), cause ('because of'), and even comparison ('more than'). Nebuchadnezzar's fury burned 'against' the three youths (Dan 3:19), while the same form in the same verse expresses degree — his face changed 'more than' was fitting. Tracing its suffixed forms across the Aramaic chapters reveals how a single preposition anchors an entire web of relational meanings.
Senses
1. upon, on, over — The primary spatial-superessive sense — 'upon, on, over' — accounting for 75 of 103 occurrences. This covers physical position on a surface, authority exercised over a domain, and general superposition. Spanish sobre, French sur, and German ueber all converge on this core spatial meaning, appearing consistently throughout the Aramaic sections of Ezra and Daniel (Ezra 4:11-20; Dan 2:28-46). 75×
AR["عَلَى","عَلَى-"]·ben["-উপর","-উপর-","-উপরে","-উপরে-","-এর-উপরে","-এর-বিষয়ে","-থেকে-"]·DE["ueber"]·EN["against","concerning","on","on-","over","over-","upon","upon-"]·FR["sur"]·heb["על"]·HI["पर","विरुद्ध","विषय-में"]·ID["atas","di","di-atas","mengenai","pada"]·IT["su"]·jav["dhateng-","ing-","ing-Yerusalem","ing-para-pinituha","kangge","kangge-","tumrap-"]·KO["위-에","위에","위에-","위에서-"]·PT["em-","sobre","sobre-"]·RU["на-","над","над-","по-"]·ES["a","en","sobre","sobre-"]·SW["juu-ya","juu-ya-","kwenye"]·TR["uzerinde-","üzerinde","üzerinde-","üzerine","üzerine-"]·urd["علیّ-","پر","پر-"]
2. to, unto — A directional or dative extension meaning 'to, unto' — indicating movement toward or the indirect recipient of an action. Thirteen occurrences carry this sense, as in letters sent 'to' the king (Ezra 4:11-12; 5:7). French sur and German ueber remain unchanged, but Spanish shifts to the directional a, revealing the semantic extension from position to goal. 13×
AR["إِلَى-","إِلَيَّ","إِلَيْنا","إِلَيْنَا","إِلَيْهِ","عَلَى-","عَلَيْنَا","عَلَيْهِ","وَ-عَلَى-"]·ben["-আমাদের-কাছে","-উপরে-","-কাছে-","-তাঁর-কাছে","আমাদের-কাছে","আমার-কাছে","আর-উপরে-","তাঁকে"]·DE["ueber","und-ueber"]·EN["and-to","to-","to-him","to-me","to-us","unto-","upon-us"]·FR["et-sur","sur","sur-moi"]·heb["ו-על","על","עלוהי-ו","עלי","עלינא-נו"]·HI["उसे","और","के-पास","पर","पास-","मुझ-पर","हमारे-पास","हमें"]·ID["dan-kepada","kepada","kepada-kami","kepadaku","kepadanya","menghadap"]·IT["e-su","su"]·jav["dhateng","dhateng-","dhateng-Yerusalem","dhateng-kawula","dhateng-kula","lan-tumrap-","wonten-ing-"]·KO["그리고-위에-","내게","에게","에게-","에게-그","위-에","위에-우리"]·PT["a-ele","a-mim","a-nós","ao-","de-","e-sobre-","sobre","sobre-nós"]·RU["ему","и-на-","к-","к-нам","ко-мне","нам"]·ES["a","a-","a-mí","a-nosotros","a-nosotros.","a-él","ante","y-a"]·SW["kwa","kwa-","kwake","kwangu","kwetu","na-kwa"]·TR["bana","bize","ona","ve-uzerinde-","üzerine-"]·urd["اور-علیّ-","علیّ-اُس-پر","علیّ-ہم-پر","میرے-پاس","پاس"]
3. concerning, about — A topical or referential sense meaning 'concerning, about, regarding' — the preposition marks the subject under discussion. Daniel's companions declare they need not answer the king 'concerning' the matter (Dan 3:16); Daniel is praised for wisdom found 'in' him 'concerning' interpretation (Dan 5:14). Eight occurrences carry this discourse-framing function. 8×
AR["[عَنْكَ]","عَلَى-","عَنِ-","عَنْ-","وَ-عَنِ-"]·ben["-বিষয়ে-","[তোমার-বিষয়ে]","এবং-বিষয়ে-"]·DE["ueber","und-ueber"]·EN["[ketiv:about-you]","and-concerning-","concerning-"]·FR["et-sur","sur","sur-toi"]·heb["[עליך]","ו-על","על"]·HI["[तेरे-बारे-में]","और-के-बारे-में-","के-बारे-में","के-बारे-में-","के-विषय-में"]·ID["Dan-tentang","[tentang-engkau]","mengenai","tentang"]·IT["e-su","su"]·jav["Lan-bab-","[bab-panjenengan]","bab-","babagan-","kangge-"]·KO["[당신-에-대하여]","그리고-에대해","에-대하여-","에-대해","에대해","위-에"]·PT["E-sobre-","[sobre-ti]","sobre","sobre-"]·RU["[о-тебе]","и-о-","на-","о-"]·ES["Y-sobre-","[de-ti]","sobre","sobre-"]·SW["Na-kuhusu-","[kukuhusu]","kuhusu","kuhusu-"]·TR["[senin-hakkında]","hakkında-","ve-hakkında-"]·urd["اور-بارے-میں","بارے-میں","تیرے-بارے-میں"]
4. against — An adversative sense meaning 'against' — expressing opposition or hostility. Rehum and Shimshai write 'against' Jerusalem (Ezra 4:8); Nebuchadnezzar's expression changes 'against' Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan 3:19). Four occurrences, consistently rendered by Spanish contra, distinguishing this from the neutral spatial sense. 4×
AR["عَلَى","عَلَى-"]·ben["-থেকে-","-বিরুদ্ধে","-বিরুদ্ধে-"]·DE["ueber"]·EN["against","against-"]·FR["sur"]·heb["על"]·HI["के-विरुद्ध","पर","विरुद्ध"]·ID["mengenai","terhadap"]·IT["su"]·jav["dhateng","dhateng-","dhateng-Artahsasta","mbalela"]·KO["에-대하여","에-대하여-","위에-"]·PT["contra","sobre"]·RU["на-","против-"]·ES["contra","contra-"]·SW["dhidi-ya","dhidi-ya-"]·TR["aleyhine","aleyhine-","üzerine-"]·urd["خلاف","علیّ-","پر"]
5. because of, on account of — A causal sense meaning 'because of, on account of' — indicating reason or grounds for an action. Daniel asks Arioch 'why' (literally 'on account of what') the decree is so harsh (Dan 2:15), and the vision was given not 'because of' Daniel's own wisdom but for the king's sake (Dan 2:30). Only two clear occurrences, both in Daniel 2. 2×
AR["عَلَى-"]·ben["-জন্য-"]·DE["ueber"]·EN["concerning-","for-"]·FR["sur"]·heb["על"]·HI["के-लिए","पर"]·ID["atas"]·IT["su"]·jav["kangge-","supados-"]·KO["에-대하여-"]·PT["por","sobre"]·RU["о-","ради-"]·ES["para","¿por-qué"]·SW["kwa-nini","kwa-sababu-ya"]·TR["için-","üzerine-"]·urd["خاطر","کیوں-کر"]
6. more than, beyond — A comparative-superlative sense meaning 'more than, beyond' — a single occurrence in Daniel 3:19 where Nebuchadnezzar orders the furnace heated seven times 'more than' was customary. Spanish mas de explicitly marks the comparative, while the other languages use their standard rendering, showing how context alone disambiguates this rare extension. 1×
AR["عَلَى"]·ben["-থেকে"]·DE["ueber"]·EN["times"]·FR["sur"]·heb["על"]·HI["से-अधिक"]·ID["lebih-dari"]·IT["su"]·jav["langkung"]·KO["위에"]·PT["sobre"]·RU["сверх"]·ES["más-de"]·SW["zaidi-ya"]·TR["kat"]·urd["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×)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×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
עַל prep. upon, over, on account of, above, to, against (BH and general Aramaic id.);—sf. 1 s. עֲלַי; 2 ms. עליך Kt (so Egyptian Aramaic, CookeNo. 77, A 5, 6, B 8, S-CPap.A 3, B 5 +), עֲלָךְ, Qr (𝔗 עֲלַךְ, Dalm§ 47, 2) Dn 3:12 + 6 times Dn, Ezr 7:18; 3 ms. עֲלוֹהִי (so Nab. Palm.; Egyptian Aramaic עלוי S-CA 6 +) Dn 3:28 +, עֲלֹהִי †Ezr 6:11; 3 fs. עליה Kt (so Egyptian Aramaic, S-CD 24), עֲלַהּ…