Word Study for H4608 (מַעֲלֶה)

maʻăleh /mah-al-eh'/ Ask about this word

Meaningan elevation, i.e. (concretely) acclivity or platform; abstractly (the relation or state) a rise or (figuratively) priority

KJV usageascent, before, chiefest, cliff, that goeth up, going up, hill, mounting up, stairs.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of maʻăleh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word maʻăleh, represented by H4608, refers to an elevation or ascent. It is derived from the root word for "to ascend" and appears 18 times in 18 unique verses. While often referring to a literal incline, its meaning extends to include concepts like a cliff, a hill, stairs, and figuratively, a state of priority or rank.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H4608 is primarily used to describe physical topography. It marks specific geographical locations, such as the "ascent of Akrabbim" which defines a border Numbers 34:4, or the "hill to the city" where young maidens were found drawing water 1 Samuel 9:11. It is also the site of significant events, like the "ascent of mount Olivet" where David went up weeping as he fled 2 Samuel 15:30, and the "going up to Bethhoron" where Israel chased and slew their enemies Joshua 10:10. In an architectural context, it refers to man-made structures like the "stairs" upon which the Levites stood to cry out to God Nehemiah 9:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of elevation and movement:

H5927 ʻâlâh (to ascend, intransitively (be high) or actively (mount)): This is the primitive root from which H4608 is derived. It signifies the very act of going up, as seen when the angels of God were "ascending and descending" on the ladder in Jacob's dream Genesis 28:12.
H4609 maʻălâh (elevation, i.e. the act... or the condition... a step or grademark... a climactic progression): This feminine form is a close counterpart to H4608 and is often translated as "steps" or "degrees." The two words appear together in Ezekiel's vision, describing how the "going up" H4608 to the court had eight "steps" H4609 Ezekiel 40:31.
H4174 môwrâd (a descent; going down, steep place): As the opposite of an ascent, this word provides a direct contrast. In Jeremiah's prophecy against Moab, the "going up H4608 of Luhith" is paired with weeping, while in the "going down H4174 of Horonaim," a cry of destruction is heard Jeremiah 48:5.

Theological Significance

The word carries more than just a literal, geographical weight; it often appears in contexts of high significance.

Figurative Priority: The most abstract use of H4608 is to denote rank or honor. When King Hezekiah died, he was buried in the "chiefest" H4608 of the sepulchres of the sons of David, signifying his esteemed position 2 Chronicles 32:33.
Sites of Conflict and Grief: An ascent is frequently the setting for intense human emotion. It is a place of military pursuit (Joshua 10:10, 2 Kings 9:27) and a place of sorrow, as seen in the "mounting up of Luhith" which is accompanied by "weeping" (Isaiah 15:5, Jeremiah 48:5).
Platforms for Worship: The term can describe a raised place for public religious activity. The Levites stood upon the "stairs" H4608 to lead the people in worship, using the elevation to project their voices to God Nehemiah 9:4.
Temporal Rise: In one unique instance, the word is used to mark the passage of time. Gideon returned from battle "before H4608 the sun was up," linking the concept of ascent to the rising of the sun Judges 8:13.

Summary

In summary, H4608 is a versatile term that illustrates how physical elevation is tied to human experience in scripture. It moves from a simple description of a path, hill, or cliff to a designation for man-made stairs. Figuratively, it conveys the abstract concepts of priority and honor. Whether marking a border, setting the stage for battle, or providing a platform for worship, maʻăleh consistently points to a place of significance.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun and an adjective across 17 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מַעֲלֵה
מַעֲלֵה
מַעְלָ
מַּעֲלֶה

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 18 verses across 11 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Joshua and Ezekiel (3 verses each); never once in the other 28.

Numbers

Joshua

Judges

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

2 Kings

2 Chronicles

Nehemiah

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.