ESTUDIO DE LA PALABRA HEBREA
עָלָה (ʻÂlâh) — Meaning & Usage
עָלָה fundamentally means “to ascend” or “go up,” but its biblical range also includes offering, rising, departing, and being exalted.
Significado de la palabra
The basic sense of עָלָה is movement upward: to ascend, climb, rise, or be high. Depending on context, the one who ascends may be a person, an animal, a plant, a natural phenomenon, or even God in the language of the passage (Genesis 28:12; Genesis 17:22).
The word is also used for offering something, especially a burnt offering: the action is understood as bringing or offering it up (Genesis 8:20; Genesis 22:2; Genesis 22:13). Other contexts use it for morning dawning, smoke rising, mist rising, and people going up from a place (Genesis 2:6; Genesis 19:15; Genesis 19:28; Genesis 13:1).
Uso en las Escrituras
עָלָה appears in many kinds of biblical scenes. It describes a ladder and angels ascending in Genesis 28:12, a journey upward in Genesis 26:23, a woman coming up from a fountain in Genesis 24:16, and Lot’s departure to the mountain in Genesis 19:30. In each case, the shared idea is upward movement or movement away from the starting point.
Its uses are not limited to physical ascent. The word can describe an offering brought up, a mental stirring, exaltation, growth, or being taken up, according to the lexical forms and contexts recorded for H5927. Readers should therefore determine whether the immediate context emphasizes literal rising, an action directed toward God, or a figurative elevation.
La palabra en detalle
- H5927 עָלָה is a broad Hebrew verb centered on ascending or going up. Its forms can express the action itself, being brought or taken up, offering something, and figurative exaltation or stirring. Context determines the precise sense.
Versículos de ejemplo
- Genesis 8:20 Here עָלָה is used for Noah’s offering of burnt offerings on the altar, illustrating the word’s sense of bringing or offering up.
- Genesis 17:22 God went up from Abraham, using the word for upward departure in a divine encounter.
- Genesis 19:28 Smoke going up from Sodom and Gomorrah presents a literal image of rising from the land.
- Genesis 28:12 The angels ascending and descending on the ladder uses עָלָה for visible upward movement.
Preguntas frecuentes
What is the basic meaning of עָלָה?
Its basic meaning is “to ascend” or “go up,” with additional uses such as offering, rising, departing, and exaltation.
Does עָלָה always refer to physical movement upward?
No. It can describe literal ascent, but it is also used figuratively for offering, exaltation, growth, or mental stirring.
How is עָלָה used in the example of Noah?
In Genesis 8:20, it describes Noah offering burnt offerings on the altar.