סָלַל
to mound up (especially a turnpike); figurative, to exalt; reflexively, to oppose (as by a dam)
Definition
The Hebrew verb סָלַל (sālal) primarily means 'to cast up' or 'to heap up,' often referring to the construction of a raised road or highway, as in Isaiah 57:14 and Isaiah 62:10. In a figurative sense, it means 'to exalt' or 'to lift up,' used for praising God (Psalm 68:4) or, negatively, for human self-exaltation (Exodus 9:17). Reflexively, it can imply 'to oppose' or 'to set up as an obstacle,' as seen in Job 19:12 and Job 30:12, where it describes hostile forces building siege works or barriers against someone.
Biblical Usage
This verb appears 10 times in the Old Testament, primarily in poetic and prophetic books. Its literal usage for road-building is found in Isaiah (Isaiah 57:14; 62:10) and Proverbs (Proverbs 15:19). The figurative sense of exaltation appears in Psalms (Psalm 68:4) and Proverbs (Proverbs 4:8), while the reflexive sense of opposition is specific to Job (Job 19:12; 30:12). Exodus 9:17 uses it for Pharaoh's self-exaltation against God, blending the figurative and oppositional nuances.
Etymology
סָלַל is a primitive root meaning 'to heap up' or 'to mound.' It is related to the noun סֹלְלָה (sōlĕlâ, H5550), meaning 'mound' or 'siege ramp,' used in military contexts. Cognates in other Semitic languages, like Akkadian, support the sense of piling up earth or stones, indicating its core idea of elevation or construction through accumulation.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it connects physical acts like road-building with spiritual concepts of exaltation and opposition. Literally, it describes preparing a 'highway' for God (Isaiah 62:10), symbolizing repentance and divine return. Figuratively, it highlights the contrast between exalting God (Psalm 68:4) and the folly of self-exaltation against Him (Exodus 9:17). Understanding סָלַל enriches reading by revealing how biblical authors used construction imagery to discuss spiritual posture, whether in worship, pride, or conflict.
In ancient Israel, building raised roads or highways was a significant engineering effort, often for royal or military purposes, facilitating travel and trade. The reflexive sense of 'opposing' derives from constructing siege ramps (סֹלְלָה) in warfare, a common practice in the ancient Near East. This cultural background helps modern readers grasp why the word naturally extends to metaphors of spiritual barriers or exaltation.
רוּם (rûm, H7311) — a more general term for 'to be high' or 'exalted,' often used for lifting up in praise or pride, without the specific connotation of heaping or building. נָשָׂא (nāśā', H5375) — means 'to lift up' or 'carry,' frequently used for exalting God or bearing burdens, but lacks the constructive, mounding aspect of סָלַל. פָּלַס (pālas, H6424) — means 'to make a path' or 'weigh,' sometimes overlapping in the idea of preparing a way, but focuses more on measuring or directing rather than heaping up.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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