From alah; properly, the upper part, used only adverbially with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top, etc. -- above, exceeding(-ly), forward, on (X very) high, over, up(-on, -ward), very.
see HEBREW alah
H4605. maal
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 1c)
a. as adverb Amos 2:9 מִמֵּעַל מִּרְיוֺ וָאַשְׁמִיד his fruit above (opposed to מִתָּ֑חַת שָׁרָשָׁיו), Job 18:16; 1 Kings 7:3, 20, 29; often in the phrase מִמַּעַל הַשָּׁמַמַיִם Deuteronomy 4:39; 5:8 ( = Exodus 20:4), Joshua 2:11; 1 Kings 8:23; Isaiah 45:8; Jeremiah 4:28; compare מ ׳שְׁחָקִים Psalm 78:23; Proverbs 8:28, מ ׳אֱלוֺהַּ Job 3:4; 31:2, מ ׳אֵל 31:28.
b. לְ מִמַּעַל, as preposition (מן
1c), on the top of, above, Genesis 22:9 לָעֵצִים ממעל above the wood, Exodus 28:27 = 39:20, Leviticus 11:21 לְרַגְלָיו מִמַּעַל כְּרָעַיִם, Isaiah 6:2 לוֺ מִמַּעַל עֹמדים שְׁרָפִים, 14:13; Jeremiah 43:10; Ezekiel 1:26; Daniel 12:6-7, = on higher ground than, Jeremiah 35:4; figurative 52:32 ("" 2 Kings 25:28 מֵעַל).
2 With ָ ה locative מָ֑עְלָה מַ֫עְלָה, upwards (opposed to מַ֫טָּה p. 641) :
a. figurative Deuteronomy 28:43 מָ֫עְלָה מַ֫עְלָה עֶלֶיךָ יַעֲלֶה upwards, upwards, i.e. higher and higher (opposed to מָֽטָה מַ֫טָּה).
b. וָמַ֫עְלָה (a) of direction in space, Judges 1:36 וָמַ֫עְלָה מֵהַסֶּלַע from the rock and upwards (compare Bu), 1 Kings 7:31 (corrupt: see Sta VB Benz), 1 Samuel 9:2 = 10:23 וָמַ֫עְלָה מִשִּׁכְמוֺ from his shoulder and upwards: so ׳וּלְמ, Ezekiel 1:27 וּלְמָ֑עְלָה מָתְנָיו מִמַּרְאֵה 8:2; 43:5. (b) of direction in time, or age: — (a) וָמָ֑עְלָה שָׁנָה עֶשְׂרִים מִבֶּן Exodus 30:14; Numbers 1:3 19t. P, וָמ חֹדֶשׁ חֹדֶשׁ ׳מִבֶּן 3:15, 22 6t. P, simil. 4:3; 8:24 7t. P; elsewhere only 1 Chronicles 23:3, 24; Ezra 3:8, and with וּלְמַעְלָה 1 Chronicles 23:17; 2 Chronicles 31:16-17, וָמ ֗֗֗ ׳לְמִבֶּן25:5; and 2 Kings 3:21 ׳וָמ חֲגֹרָה חֹגֵר מִכֹּל. (β) וָמ ההוא ׳מהיום from that day and onwards, 1 Samuel 16:13; 30:25. (γ) וָמ הזִה היום ׳מן from this day and upwards (i.e. and back), Haggai 2:15, 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) Exodus 25:20 (= 37:9) למ ׳כְנָפַיִם ֹמּרְשֵׂי Judges 7:13 למ ׳ויהפכחו overthrew it upwards, i.e. turned it downside up, Isaiah 7:11 למ הַגְבֵּהַּ ׳אוֺ or make it (the request) high upwards, 8:21 למ ׳וּפָנָה, 37:31 (2 Kings 19:30) ׳למ פרי ועשׂה (compare Amos 2:9, 1a), Ezekiel 41:7 a β (v:a α bis ׳למ ׳למ = higher and higher), Psalm 74:5; figurative למ רַק ׳וְהָיִיתָ Deuteronomy 28:13 (compare
a), Proverbs 15:24 למ חַיִּים ׳אֹרַח (opposed to ׃ מָֽטָּה שְׁאוֺל), compare Ecclesiastes 3:21; followed by a noun, Ezra 9:6 ׳למ רּאשׁ over the head, followed by מֵעַל (compare Aboth 2:1 מִן לְמַעְלָה) = above, 2 Chronicles 34:4: see also
b a, b a. (b) metaphor = exceedingly, only in Chronicles: 1 Chronicles 14:2; 22:5 the house must be built to J. למ ׳לְהַגְדִּיל so as to shew greatness exceedingly, 23:17 ר ׳וּבְנֵי למ ׳רָבוּ, 29:3 (followed by ן מִ; = over and above ...), 29:25; 2 Chronicles 1:1 למ ׳וַיְגַדְּלֵהוּ, 20:19; לְמַ֫עְלָה עַד, 16:12; 17:12; 26:8.
d. מִלְמַ֫עְלָה (see מִן
9a), adverb, above (the more usual prose synonym of מִמַּעַל): Genesis 6:16 ׳מ תְּכַלֶּנָּה אֶלאַֿמָּה 7:20 15cubits ׳מ (i.e. above the mountain-tops), Exodus 25:21 (40:20) מ הארון על אֶתהַֿכַּמֹּרֶת ׳וְנָתַתָּ֫ה upon the ark above, 26:14 (36:19; 40:19; Numbers 4:25) a covering of skins on the tent ׳מ above, Num 39:31; 4:6; 1 Kings 7:11, 25; 8:7 (2 Chronicles 4:4; 5:8), Jeremiah 31:37 מ שָׁמַיִם יִמַּדּוּ ׳אִם (compare 1a), Ezekiel 1:11 מ ׳מְּרֻדוֺת separate above, 1:22; 1:26; 10:19; 11:22; 37:8; from above, Joshua 3:13, 16 מ הַיֹּרְדִים ׳הַמַּיִם.