Lexical Summary salal: To lift up, to exalt, to cast up, to build a highway Original Word: סָלַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cast up, exalt self, extol, make plain, raise up A primitive root; to mound up (especially a turnpike); figurative, to exalt; reflexively, to oppose (as by a dam) -- cast up, exalt (self), extol, make plain, raise up. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to lift up, cast up NASB Translation build (6), exalt (1), highway (1), highway* (1), lift (1), pile (1), prize (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [סָלַל] verb lift up, cast up (Late Hebrew סִלְסֵל esteem highly, סִלְסוּל loftiness, distinction; סוּלָּם ladder; ᵑ7 סוּלְּמָא id.; MI26 מסלת highway; Phoenician סלמת stair (?) Lzb329; Assyrian sellu, sillu, perhaps breast-works DlHWB 501; Arabic  is draw out, forth Lane1395 = שָׁלַל, but  ladder (a loan-word according to SchwZMG liii (1899), 197), compare סֻלָּם; see also ‰rry, siege-wall, Egyptian loan-word from סֹלְלָה according to WMMAs.u.Eur.101); — Qal Imperfect וַיָּסֹ֫לּוּ Job 19:12; Job 30:12; Imperative masculine plural סֹ֫לּוּ Isaiah 57:14 4t.; suffix סָלּוּהָ Jeremiah 50:26 (compare סֶ֫לָה); Passive participle סְלוּלָה Jeremiah 18:15; סְלֻלָה Proverbs 15:19; — 1 cast up a highway: מְסִלָּה ׳ס Isaiah 62:10 (twice in verse), without object Isaiah 57:14 (twice in verse), דֶּרֶךְ לֹא סְלוּלָה Jeremiah 18:15; figurative of path of upright Proverbs 15:19. 2 cast up a way: דֶּרֶךְ with על against, Job 19:12 (of besieger, in figure), ארה Job 30:12 (of besetting foe); Babylonian as a heap of garbage Jeremiah 50:26. 3 lift up (a song) Psalm 68:5, with לְ person ("" שׁיר, זמּר; most as 1). Pilpel Imperative suffix סַלְסְלֶהָ Proverbs 4:8 exalt her (i.e. Wisdom), i.e. (compare Toy) esteem highly, prize. Hithpa`el Participle מִסְתּוֺלֵל Exodus 9:17 (J) exalt oneself, with בְּ against (denominative from סֹלְלָה according to Gerber52); compare Ecclus 39:24; Ecclus 40:28. Topical Lexicon Concept and Range of Use סָלַל conveys the action of lifting, raising, or banking up. In Scripture it is applied to military siege ramps, to the construction of raised roadways, to personal self-exaltation, and to the exaltation of God. Across its dozen occurrences the term moves from physical earthworks to spiritual attitudes, creating a rich theological tapestry of elevation—either of the Lord, of wisdom, or of human pride. Military Engineering Job 19:12 and Job 30:12 picture hostile forces that “build up their ramp” against Job. The word evokes the common Near-Eastern tactic of piling earth against a fortified wall to breach it. Jeremiah 50:26 uses the same imagery in Babylon’s coming judgment: “Pile her up like heaps of grain; destroy her completely.” In all three texts the raised mound is an instrument of assault, underscoring how what is physically elevated can become morally destructive when directed against the innocent. Worship and Exaltation Psalm 68:4 calls the congregation to “Sing to God… Exalt Him who rides on the clouds.” Here סָלַל moves from earthwork to heart-work; the believer lifts high the name of the covenant LORD. The same dynamic appears in Proverbs 4:8 where wisdom’s embrace “will exalt you,” promising that those who treasure divine instruction will themselves be lifted. Wisdom and Moral Formation Proverbs 15:19 contrasts a “hedge of thorns” with a “highway” (mesillah, a noun drawn from the root). Laziness leaves life clogged and painful; uprightness clears a raised, direct road. The verse illustrates how moral choices either impede or elevate a person’s way, turning the physical picture of a built-up causeway into an ethical lesson. Prophetic Highway Motif Isaiah 57:14 and Isaiah 62:10 repeat the rallying cry: “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way… remove every obstacle.” The prophets envisioned returning exiles traveling on a purpose-built route that Yahweh Himself commands to be raised. Jeremiah 18:15 laments that idolatry diverted the people “not on the highway.” Together these texts set סָלַל within God’s redemptive plan: He levels terrain for His ransomed nation, while sin detours them into ruts and bypaths. Historical Background Raised roadways were vital for ancient royal processions and commerce. Large stones and packed earth provided durability during seasonal rains. Siege ramps, likewise, were critical siegecraft, famously exemplified at Lachish. The word therefore carried immediate, concrete resonance for original audiences: whether the king’s parade, the trader’s route, or an army’s assault, the act of building up earth changed destinies. Ministry and Theological Reflections 1. Elevation belongs to God. Any self-exaltation, as in Pharaoh’s arrogance in Exodus 9:17, invites judgment. Practical Application • Examine personal pride; tear down every ramp of self-exaltation before the Lord does. Through סָלַל Scripture teaches that what is lifted can either oppose God or honor Him, hinder travelers or speed them home. The wise heart chooses to build up what magnifies the Lord and blesses His people. Forms and Transliterations וַיָּסֹ֣לּוּ וַיָּסֹ֥לּוּ ויסלו מִסְתּוֹלֵ֣ל מסתולל סְלֻלָֽה׃ סְלוּלָֽה׃ סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ סָלּ֥וּהָ סֹ֖לּוּ סֹ֡לּוּ סֹ֣לּוּ סֹ֤לּוּ סֹֽלּוּ־ סלו סלו־ סלוה סלולה׃ סללה׃ סלסלה mis·tō·w·lêl mistoLel mistōwlêl sāl·lū·hā sal·sə·le·hā salLuha sāllūhā salseLeha salsəlehā sə·lu·lāh sə·lū·lāh seluLah səlulāh səlūlāh sōl·lū sōl·lū- Sollu sōllū sōllū- vaiyaSollu way·yā·sōl·lū wayyāsōllūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 9:17 HEB: עוֹדְךָ֖ מִסְתּוֹלֵ֣ל בְּעַמִּ֑י לְבִלְתִּ֖י NAS: Still you exalt yourself against My people KJV: As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, INT: Still exalt my people not Job 19:12 Job 30:12 Psalm 68:4 Proverbs 4:8 Proverbs 15:19 Isaiah 57:14 Isaiah 57:14 Isaiah 62:10 Isaiah 62:10 Jeremiah 18:15 Jeremiah 50:26 12 Occurrences |
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