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
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×)H0776 1. land, country, territory (2323×)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×)H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)
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…