feminine from עָלָה; something lofty, i.e. a stair-way; also a second-story room (or even one on the roof); figuratively, the sky; ascent, (upper) chamber, going up, loft, parlour.
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʻălîyâh**, represented by `{{H5944}}`, refers to a lofty place or room. It appears **20 times** in **20 unique verses** and is derived from the verb `{{H5927}}`, meaning "to ascend." Its meaning ranges from a literal stairway or upper room on a house to a figurative description of the sky as God's exalted dwelling.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H5944}}` denotes various elevated spaces. It is used for a private room, such as the "**summer parlour**" where Ehud met with King Eglon alone [[Judges 3:20]]. It can be a place of hospitality, like the "**little chamber**" a Shunamite couple built for the prophet Elisha [[2 Kings 4:10]], or a place of intense personal grief, where King David went to the "**chamber** over the gate" to weep for Absalom [[2 Samuel 18:33]]. The word also describes the "**loft**" where Elijah took the widow's deceased son [[1 Kings 17:19]]. In a figurative sense, the Psalms describe God's heavenly "**chambers**" from which He waters the earth [[Psalms 104:13]] and whose beams are laid in the waters [[Psalms 104:3]]. The term is also used for a path of ascent, as with the "**going up** of the corner" repaired in Nehemiah's time [[Nehemiah 3:31]] and Solomon's "**ascent**" to the house of the LORD [[2 Chronicles 9:4]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the architectural and conceptual context of `{{H5944}}`:
* `{{H5927}}` **ʻâlâh** (to ascend): As the root verb, it directly relates to the idea of "going up." This connection is seen when King David **went up** `{{H5927}}` to the **chamber** `{{H5944}}` [[2 Samuel 18:33]], and when Elijah **carried** the child **up** `{{H5927}}` into a **loft** `{{H5944}}` [[1 Kings 17:19]].
* `{{H1406}}` **gâg** (a roof): This word for a roof or top is linked to `{{H5944}}` as upper chambers were often located on the highest level of a building. In [[2 Kings 23:12]], the altars were on the **top** `{{H1406}}` of the **upper chamber** `{{H5944}}` of Ahaz.
* `{{H1004}}` **bayith** (a house): An `ʻălîyâh` is typically a part of a **house** `{{H1004}}`. Jeremiah condemns the one who builds his **house** `{{H1004}}` with unrighteousness and his **chambers** `{{H5944}}` with wrong [[Jeremiah 22:13]].
* `{{H2315}}` **cheder** (an apartment, inner chamber): This term for a more general or inner room is used alongside `{{H5944}}` in the temple plans, distinguishing the "**upper chambers**" `{{H5944}}` from the "**inner parlours**" `{{H2315}}` [[1 Chronicles 28:11]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H5944}}` is demonstrated through its varied applications, highlighting spaces set apart for specific purposes.
* **Place of Private Encounter:** The `ʻălîyâh` often serves as a secluded space for critical events, whether it is for a private audience [[Judges 3:20]], a place for a prophet to rest [[2 Kings 4:11]], a moment of miraculous resuscitation [[1 Kings 17:23]], or personal mourning [[2 Samuel 18:33]].
* **Symbol of Status and Pride:** The construction of elaborate **chambers** `{{H5944}}` could be a sign of worldly pride and injustice, as condemned by Jeremiah, who rebuked the one who builds "large **chambers**" using unpaid labor [[Jeremiah 22:13-14]].
* **Location for Worship:** As an elevated place, it was used for both holy and idolatrous worship. Josiah tore down the altars that the kings of Judah had made on the **top** `{{H1406}}` of the **upper chamber** `{{H5944}}` of Ahaz [[2 Kings 23:12]]. In contrast, the temple's consecrated **upper chambers** `{{H5944}}` were part of God's holy house and overlaid with gold [[2 Chronicles 3:9]].
* **God's Heavenly Abode:** The term is elevated to describe God's domain, portraying the sky and waters above as His sovereign dwelling from which He governs creation ([[Psalms 104:3]], 13).
### Summary
In summary, `{{H5944}}` **ʻălîyâh** is a multifaceted term that moves from the architectural to the theological. It denotes a literal "high place" such as a loft, parlour, or upper room, which often functions as a private and significant location in biblical events. Figuratively, it expands to represent the highest place of all—the sky, where God establishes His sovereign chambers, underscoring His exalted power over the earth.
TRV