reltext / Hebrew lexicon

H4605

מַ֫עַל

ma.alH:A

above

subst 1) higher part, upper part adv 1a) above prep 1b) on the top of, above, on higher ground than with locative 1c) upwards, higher, above

Full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon entry

מַ֫עַל140 substantive, higher part, only in adverb and preposition phrases, above, upwards (Phoenician מעל, see below מַ֫טּה p. 641: abbreviated from מַעֲלֶה; compare מַ֫עַן in לְמַ֫עַן from ׃עָנָה Köii. 116): —

1. מִמַּ֫עַל = above (see מִן 1 c)
  a. as adverb Amos 2:9 וָאַשְׁמִיד פִּרְיוֺ מִמֵּעַל his fruit above (opposed to שָׁרָשָׁיו מִתָּ֑חַת), Job 18:16; 1Kgs 7:3; 1Kgs 7:20; 1Kgs 7:29 often in the phrase הַשָּׁמַמַיִם מִמַּעַל Deut 4:39; Deut 5:8 ( = Exod 20:4), Josh 2:11; 1Kgs 8:23; Isa 45:8; Jer 4:28 compare ׳שְׁחָקִים מ Ps 78:23; Prov 8:28, ׳אֱלוֺהַּ מ Job 3:4; Job 31:2, ׳אֵל מ Job 31:28.
  b. מִמַּעַל לְ, as preposition (מן 1 c), on the top of, above, Gen 22:9 ממעל לָעֵצִים above the wood, Exod 28:27 = Exod 39:20, Lev 11:21 כְּרָעַיִם מִמַּעַל לְרַגְלָיו, Isa 6:2 שְׁרָפִים עֹמדים מִמַּעַל לוֺ, Isa 14:13; Jer 43:10; Ezek 1:26; Dan 12:6; Dan 12:7 = on higher ground than, Jer 35:4 figurative Jer 52:32 (|| 2Kgs 25:28 מֵעַל).

2. With ָ  ה locative מַ֫עְלָה, מָ֑עְלָה upwards (opposed to מַ֫טָּה p. 641) :
  a. figurative Deut 28:43 יַעֲלֶה עֶלֶיךָ מַ֫עְלָה מָ֫עְלָה upwards, upwards, i.e. higher and higher (opposed to מַ֫טָּה מָֽטָה).
  b. וָמַ֫עְלָה
   (a) of direction in space, Judg 1:36 מֵהַסֶּלַע וָמַ֫עְלָה from the rock and upwards (compare Bu), 1Kgs 7:31 (corrupt: see Sta VB Benz), 1Sam 9:2 = 1Sam 10:23 מִשִּׁכְמוֺ וָמַ֫עְלָה from his shoulder and upwards: so ׳וּלְמ, Ezek 1:27 מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמָ֑עְלָה Ezek 8:2; Ezek 43:5.
   (b) of direction in time, or age: —
   (a) מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמָ֑עְלָה Exod 30:14; Num 1:3 + 19 t. P, ׳מִבֶּן חֹדֶשׁ חֹדֶשׁ וָמ Num 3:15; Num 3:22 + 6 t. P, simil. Num 4:3; Num 8:24 + 7 t. P; elsewhere only 1Chr 23:3; 1Chr 23:24; Ezra 3:8, and with וּלְמַעְלָה 1Chr 23:17; 2Chr 31:16; 2Chr 31:17 ׳לְמִבֶּן ֗֗֗ וָמ 2Chr 25:5 and 2Kgs 3:21 מִכֹּל חֹגֵר חֲגֹרָה ׳וָמ. (β) ׳מהיום ההוא וָמ from that day and onwards, 1Sam 16:13; 1Sam 30:25. (γ) ׳מן היום הזִה וָמ from this day and upwards (i.e. and back), Hag 2:15; Hag 2:18
**and onwards (as β) is more probably: see Now WeKl. Proph. ed. 8 {1898} Marti Dr.
  c. לְמַ֫עְלָךְ upwards, more common than ׳מ alone (a):
   (a) Exod 25:20 (= Exod 37:9) ֹ˜פּרְשֵׂי ׳כְנָפַיִם למ Judg 7:13 ׳ויהפכחו למ overthrew it upwards, i.e. turned it downside up, Isa 7:11 ׳אוֺ הַגְבֵּהַּ למ or make it (the request) high upwards, Isa 8:21 ׳וּפָנָה למ, Isa 37:31 (2Kgs 19:30) ועשׂה פרי ׳למ (compare Amos 2:9, 1 a), Ezek 41:7 a β (v:a α bis ׳למ ׳למ = higher and higher), Ps 74:5 figurative ׳וְהָיִיתָ רַק למ Deut 28:13 (comparea), Prov 15:24 ׳אֹרַח חַיִּים למ (opposed to שְׁאוֺל מָֽטָּה ׃), compare Eccl 3:21 followed by a noun, Ezra 9:6 רּאשׁ ׳למ over the head, followed by מֵעַל (compare Aboth Ezra 2:1 לְמַעְלָה מִן) = above, 2Chr 34:4: see also b a, b a. (b) metaphor = exceedingly, only in Chronicles: 1Chr 14:2; 1Chr 22:5 the house must be built to J. ׳לְהַגְדִּיל למ so as to shew greatness exceedingly, 1Chr 23:17 ׳רָבוּ למ ׳וּבְנֵי ר, 1Chr 29:3 (followed by מִ ן; = over and above ...), v1Chr 29:25; 2Chr 1:1 ׳וַיְגַדְּלֵהוּ למ, 2Chr 20:19 עַד לְמַ֫עְלָה, 2Chr 16:12; 2Chr 17:12; 2Chr 26:8.
  d. מִלְמַ֫עְלָה (see מִן 9 a), adverb, above (the more usual prose synonym of מִמַּעַל): Gen 6:16 אֶלאַֿמָּה תְּכַלֶּנָּה ׳מ Gen 7:20 15 cubits ׳מ (i.e. above the mountain-tops), Exod 25:21 (Exod 40:20) ׳וְנָתַתָּ֫ה אֶתהַֿכַּפֹּרֶת על הארון מ upon the ark above, Exod 26:14 (Exod 36:19; Exod 40:19; Num 4:25) a covering of skins on the tent ׳מ above, Num 39:31; Num 4:6; 1Kgs 7:11; 1Kgs 7:25; 1Kgs 8:7 (2Chr 4:4; 2Chr 5:8), Jer 31:37 ׳אִם יִמַּדּוּ שָׁמַיִם מ (compare 1 a), Ezek 1:11 ׳פְּרֻדוֺת מ separate above, vEzek 1:22 vEzek 1:26; Ezek 10:19; Ezek 11:22; Ezek 37:8 from above, Josh 3:13; Josh 3:16 ׳הַמַּיִם הַיֹּרְדִים מ.

133 occurrences

Genesis (3), Exodus (13), Leviticus (2), Numbers (37), Deuteronomy (4), Joshua (3), Judges (2), I Samuel (4), I Kings (8), II Kings (2), I Chronicles (8), II Chronicles (11), Ezra (2), Job (3), Psalms (2), Proverbs (2), Ecclesiastes (1), Isaiah (6), Jeremiah (5), Ezekiel (10), Daniel (2), Amos (1), Haggai (2)