H5944 H5944
An upper room or roof-chamber for privacy and devotion; God's celestial upper chambers; an ascent or stairway
The noun עֲלִיָּה names the room built on the flat roof of a Near Eastern house — cool, secluded, and elevated above the daily bustle below. In the Judges narrative, Eglon is assassinated in his private עֲלִיָּה (Judg 3:20-25), and Elijah carries a widow's dead son up to the roof-chamber where he prays and the child revives (1 Kgs 17:19). Daniel prays three times daily in his עֲלִיָּה with windows open toward Jerusalem (Dan 6:10). The Syriac cognate ʿellithā and Aramaic ʿălithā confirm the architectural sense across Semitic languages. Remarkably, the Psalms elevate this humble domestic space to cosmic proportions: God 'lays the beams of His upper chambers on the waters' (Ps 104:3).
Senses
1. upper room or chamber — The primary architectural sense of an upper room or roof-chamber — a private, elevated space used for lodging, devotion, or seclusion — covering 17 of 20 occurrences. Eglon's cool summer chamber (Judg 3:20), the Shunammite's guest room built for Elisha 'with walls' (2 Kgs 4:10), and the chamber over the gate where David wept for Absalom (2 Sam 18:33) all share this sense. The Spanish 'aposento alto' and French parallel renderings confirm an upstairs, enclosed space distinct from the main house. Nehemiah 3:31-32 locates such rooms at corners of the Jerusalem wall, showing they could also be fortification chambers. 17×
AR["ال-عُلِّيَّةِ", "الْعُلِّيَّةِ", "بِ-عُلِّيَّةِ", "عُلِّيَّةَ-", "عُلِّيَّةِ", "فِي-عُلِّيَّتِهِ", "وَ-الْعَلَالِي", "وَ-عُلَيَّاتٍ", "وَ-عُلَيَّاتِهِ", "وَعُلِّيَّاتِهِ"]·ben["আর-উপরের-কক্ষগুলি", "আর-তার-উপরতলাসমূহের", "উপরের-কক্ষের", "উপরের-ঘর", "উপরের-ঘরে", "উপরের-ঘরের", "উপরের-ঘরের-", "ও-উপরতলাগুলি", "ও-তার-উপরতলাগুলি", "তার-উপরের-ঘরে", "সিঁড়ি", "সিঁড়ির"]·DE["[והעליות]", "[ועליות]", "[ועליותיו]", "[ועליתיו]", "[עלית]", "der-upper-Raum", "der-upper-room", "in-der-upper-Raum-von", "in-sein-upper-room", "upper-room-von"]·EN["and-its-upper-rooms", "and-the-upper-rooms", "and-upper-rooms", "and-upper-rooms-his", "in-his-upper-room", "in-the-upper-room-of", "the-upper-room", "upper-room-of"]·FR["[והעליות]", "[ועליות]", "[ועליותיו]", "[ועליתיו]", "[עלית]", "dans-le-supérieur-salle-de", "dans-son-supérieur-chambre", "le-supérieur-chambre", "le-supérieur-salle", "supérieur-chambre-de"]·heb["ב-עליית", "ב-עליתו", "ה-עליה", "ה-עלייה", "ו-ה-עליות", "ו-עליות", "ו-עלייותיו", "ו-עליתיו-ו", "עליית", "עלית"]·HI["अटारी-ה", "अपनी-उपरी-कोठरी-में", "अलिय्यत", "ऊपरी-कोठरी", "और-उसकी-अटारियों", "और-कोठरियों", "और-महलों", "और-महलों-अपने-को", "कमरे", "कमरे-के", "कमरे-में", "कोठरी", "कोठरी-पर"]·ID["dan-kamar-kamar-atas", "dan-kamar-kamar-atasnya", "di-kamar-atas", "di-kamar-atas-nya", "kamar-atas"]·IT["[והעליות]", "[ועליות]", "[ועליותיו]", "[ועליתיו]", "[עלית]", "il-superiore-stanza", "il-upper-room", "in-il-upper-room-di", "in-suo-superiore-stanza", "superiore-stanza-di"]·jav["ing-kamar-nginggil", "ing-kamaripun-nginggil", "kamar-alit", "kamar-inggil", "kamar-luhur", "kamar-nginggil", "lan-kamar-inggil", "lan-kamar-kamar-inggil", "lan-kamar-kamar-inggil-ipun", "lan-loteng-lotengipun"]·KO["그-다락방", "그-다락방의", "그리고-그-위쬵들", "그리고-그의-다락들의", "그리고-그의-다락방들을", "그리고-다락방들을", "그의-다락방-에서", "다락", "다락방", "다락의", "에-다락방"]·PT["câmara-alta-de", "e-aposentos", "e-os-cômodos-superiores", "e-seus-aposentos", "e-seus-cômodos-superiores", "em-seu-quarto-superior", "no-quarto-alto-de", "o-quarto", "o-quarto-alto", "quarto-de", "sala-alta-de", "sala-superior-de"]·RU["-комнату", "в-верхней-комнате", "в-верхней-комнате-его", "верхней-комнатой", "верхней-комнаты", "верхнюю-комнату", "горницу", "горницы", "и-горниц-его", "и-горницы", "и-горницы-свои", "комнату-"]·ES["aposento", "aposento-alto-de", "cámara-alta-de", "en-cámara-alta-de", "en-su-aposento-alto", "habitación-de", "la-cámara-alta", "un-aposento-de", "y-aposentos-altos", "y-aposentos-altos-de-él", "y-aposentos-altos-suyos", "y-las-cámaras-altas"]·SW["chumba-cha-juu", "chumba-cha-juu-cha", "chumba-cha-juu-cha-", "chumba-kidogo-cha-", "katika-chumba-cha-juu-cha", "katika-chumba-chake-cha-juu", "na-vyumba-vya-juu", "na-vyumba-vyake-vya-juu"]·TR["de-ust-odasinda", "de-üst-odanın", "de-üst-odasında", "oda", "oda-", "tavan-odası", "tavan-odasına", "ve-üst-katlar", "ve-üst-katlarını", "ve-üst-odaları", "ve-üst-odalarının", "çatı-katının-", "çıkıntısına", "çıkıntısının", "üst-katına"]·urd["اور-اُس-کے-بالاخانوں", "اور-بالاخانوں-اپنے", "اور-بالاخانوں-کو", "اور-بالاخانے", "اپنے-بالاخانے-میں", "بالا-خانہ", "بالا-خانے", "بالاخانے", "بالاخانے-میں", "بالاخانے-کی", "بالاخانے-کے", "ہ-بالا-خانے"]
Judg 3:20, Judg 3:23, Judg 3:24, Judg 3:25, 2 Sam 18:33, 1 Kgs 17:19, 1 Kgs 17:23, 2 Kgs 1:2, 2 Kgs 4:10, 2 Kgs 4:11, 2 Kgs 23:12, 1 Chr 28:11 (+5 more)
2. God's upper chambers (cosmological) — A striking cosmological extension where God's 'upper chambers' become the celestial storehouse of the heavens. In Psalm 104:3 God 'lays the beams of His upper chambers on the waters,' and from those chambers He waters the mountains (Ps 104:13). Amos 9:6 similarly places God's 'upper stories' in the heavens. The Spanish 'de sus altos aposentos' preserves the grandeur — the same word for a humble rooftop room is scaled up to describe the architecture of heaven itself, where God stores and distributes the rain. 2×
AR["عَلاليَهُ", "مِن-عَلاليهِ"]·ben["তাঁর-উপরের-কক্ষ-থেকে", "তাঁর-উপরের-কক্ষগুলি"]·DE["sein-upper-chambers", "von-sein-upper-chambers"]·EN["His-upper-chambers", "from-His-upper-chambers"]·FR["chambre-haute", "de-chambre-haute"]·heb["מ-עליותיו", "עליותיו"]·HI["अपने-ऊपरी-कक्षों-को", "अपने-ऊपरी-कक्षों-से"]·ID["dari-kamar-kamar-atas-Nya", "kamar-kamar-atas-Nya"]·IT["camera-alta"]·jav["kamar-kamaripun-ingkang-inggil", "saking-kamar-kamaripun-ingkang-inggil"]·KO["그-의-다락방-들-에서", "그-의-다락방-들-을"]·PT["Seus-aposentos-superiores", "de-Seus-aposentos-superiores"]·RU["горницы-Свои", "из-горниц-Своих"]·ES["de-sus-altos-aposentos", "desde-sus-altos-aposentos"]·SW["kutoka-vyumba-vya-juu", "vyumba-vyake-vya-juu"]·TR["yukarı-odalarından", "yukarı-odalarını"]·urd["اپنے-بالاخانوں-سے", "اپنے-بالاخانے"]
3. ascent or stairway — A unique sense describing an ascent or stairway rather than a room. In 2 Chronicles 9:4 (parallel to 1 Kings 10:5), the Queen of Sheba is overwhelmed by Solomon's עֲלִיָּה — his 'ascent' or processional stairway by which he went up to the house of the LORD. The Spanish 'su escalera' ('his staircase') marks this as distinct from a dwelling-space, pointing instead to the ceremonial passage of ascent. The etymology from עלה ('to go up') naturally supports both: the room one goes up to and the way by which one ascends. 1×
AR["وَمَصعَدِهِ"]·ben["ও-তাঁর-সিঁড়ি"]·DE["[ועליתו]"]·EN["and-his-upper-chamber"]·FR["[ועליתו]"]·heb["ו-עליתו-ו"]·HI["और-सीढ़ियों-को-उसकी"]·ID["dan-tangganya"]·IT["[ועליתו]"]·jav["lan-minggahè"]·KO["그리고-그-의-다락방"]·PT["e-sua-escadaria"]·RU["и-всход-его"]·ES["y-su-escalera"]·SW["na-ngazi-yake"]·TR["ve-çıkışını-onun"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-چڑھائی"]
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×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)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
† עֲלִיָּה n.f. (c. adj. masc. Je 22:14, cf. AlbrechtZAW xvi (1896), 83 KöSynt. § 251 K) roof-chamber (NH id., 𝔗 עֲלִיתָא, Syriac ܥܶܠܻܝܬܳܐ (whence Arabic عُلِّيَّة dining-room as loan-wd. Frä 20 f.); Sab. עלית DHMEpigr. Denkm. 27);—chamber on roof, cool and secluded: abs. ע׳ Ju 3:23, 24, 25 (cf. NesMarg. 13), 1 K 17:19, 23 2 K 4:11; cstr. עֲלִיַת הַמְּקֵרָה Ju 3:20, ע׳־קִיר 2 K 4:10 roof-chamber…