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Hebrew noun (feminine) · H4546

מְסִלָּה

mesillahmes-il-law'

highway

27 uses in the Hebrew text, one for each word STEP Bible has tagged with this key

Concordance spelling: mᵉçillâh

Word page · Part of the concordance, one page for every word of the Hebrew and Greek text. Strong's H4546is this word's number in James Strong's 1890 index of the King James Bible.

  • 12 of 39
    Old Testament books
  • 25
    spellings

The definition in full

Strong's key (1890) · H4546

a thoroughfare (as turnpiked), literally or figuratively; specifically a viaduct, a staircase

The King James renders it: causeway, course, highway, path, terrace.

James Strong, The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), public domain. Strong indexed the King James text, and this site quotes his entry as that index.

Summary

mesillah is rendered "highway". It stands 27 times in the Hebrew text, across twelve books.

  • Nine of the uses stand in Isaiah, more than in any other book.
  • Its first use in canonical order opens the ledger below.Numbers 20:19“We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”
  • The Greek text spells it twenty-five different ways.

The first use

“We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”

Numbers 20:19בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה

The first use, in the order of the Old Testament's books.

Where the word stands

Nine of the word's twenty-seven uses are in Isaiah.

The other 27 Old Testament books never use the word.

What the word means

Each meaning, and the words it is translated by

How the Greek text is glossed, word by word

  • the highway4
  • a highway3
  • highway of2
  • highways2
  • in the highways2
  • on highway of2
  • on the highway2
  • and highways my1
  • for the highway1
  • from highways their1
  • of highway1
  • on a highway1

and 5 more, 27 uses in all

The words built on the same word-part

Each word below begins with the same letters this one begins with. A shared word-part shows a family. It does not settle what any one of them means, so each word carries its own uses on its own page. Scholars call that shared part the stem.

All 27, in canonical order

Every use, in order

Every use, grouped by book, with its verse.

25 spellings and their grammar

STEP Bible tags every word of the Hebrew and Greek text with its spelling and its grammar. Both lists below count the rows printed underneath, written out in English, with the code beside each one as it was tagged.

How it is spelled

  • בִּמְסִלַּ֖ת2
  • הַֽמְסִלָּ֑ה2
  • בִּמְסִלָּ֣ה1
  • בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה1
  • בַּֽמְסִלָּ֖ה1
  • בַּֽמְסִלּוֹת֙1
  • בַּֽמְסִלּ֔וֹת1
  • בִּמְסִלּוֹתָֽם׃1
  • בִּמְסִלָּת֖וֹ1
  • הַֽמְסִלָּ֤ה1
  • הַֽמְסִלָּה֙1
  • הַֽמְסִלּֽוֹת׃1

and 13 more spellings in the ledger below.

The grammar of each form

  • preposition with the article + noun · feminine singular4HRd/Ncfsa
  • the definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singular4HTd/Ncfsa
  • noun · feminine plural3HNcfpa
  • noun · feminine singular3HNcfsa
  • noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)2HNcfsc
  • preposition + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine plural2HR/Ncfpc/Sp3mp
  • preposition + noun · feminine singular2HR/Ncfsa
  • preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)2HR/Ncfsc
  • preposition with the article + noun · feminine plural2HRd/Ncfpa
  • conjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singular1HC/Ncfpc/Sp1bs
  • preposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singular1HR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms
  • the definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine plural1HTd/Ncfpa

Numbers

one use
  • “We will stay on the main road,” the Israelites replied, “and if we or our herds drink your water, we will pay for it. There will be no problem; only let us pass through on foot.”

    Numbers 20:19

    • בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣הbamsilahpreposition with the article + noun · feminine singulartagged: on the highway

Judges

five uses
  • From the heavens the stars fought; from their courses they fought against Sisera.

    Judges 5:20

    • מִמְּסִלּוֹתָ֔םmimesilotampreposition + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: from highways their
  • The Benjamites came out against them and were drawn away from the city. They began to attack the people as before, killing about thirty men of Israel in the fields and on the roads, one of which led up to Bethel and the other to Gibeah.

    Judges 20:31

    • בַּֽמְסִלּוֹת֙bamsilotpreposition with the article + noun · feminine pluraltagged: in the highways
  • “We are defeating them as before,” said the Benjamites. But the Israelites said, “Let us retreat and draw them away from the city onto the roads.”

    Judges 20:32

    • הַֽמְסִלּֽוֹת׃hamsilotthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine pluraltagged: the highways
  • Then the Benjamites turned and fled toward the wilderness to the rock of Rimmon, and Israel cut down 5,000 men on the roads. And they overtook them at Gidom and struck down 2,000 more.

    Judges 20:45

    • בַּֽמְסִלּ֔וֹתbamsilotpreposition with the article + noun · feminine pluraltagged: in the highways
  • “But look,” they said, “there is a yearly feast to the LORD in Shiloh, which is north of Bethel east of the road that goes up from Bethel to Shechem, and south of Lebonah.”

    Judges 21:19

    • לִמְסִלָּ֔הlimsilahpreposition + noun · feminine singulartagged: of highway

1 Samuel

one use
  • And the cows headed straight up the road toward Beth-shemesh, staying on that one highway and lowing as they went, never straying to the right or to the left. The rulers of the Philistines followed behind them to the border of Beth-shemesh.

    1 Samuel 6:12

    • בִּמְסִלָּ֣הbimsilahpreposition + noun · feminine singulartagged: on a highway

2 Samuel

three uses
  • But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.

    2 Samuel 20:12

    • הַֽמְסִלָּ֑הhamesilahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the highway
    • הַֽמְסִלָּ֤הhamsilahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the highway
  • As soon as Amasa’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

    2 Samuel 20:13

    • הַֽמְסִלָּ֑הhamsilahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the highway

2 Kings

one use
  • Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced up to Jerusalem and stationed themselves by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.

    2 Kings 18:17

    • בִּמְסִלַּ֖תbimsilatpreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: on highway of

1 Chronicles

two uses
  • The lots for the West Gate and the Shallecheth Gate on the ascending highway fell to Shuppim and Hosah. There were guards stationed at every watch.

    1 Chronicles 26:16

    • בַּֽמְסִלָּ֖הbamsilahpreposition with the article + noun · feminine singulartagged: on the highway
  • As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court.

    1 Chronicles 26:18

    • לַֽמְסִלָּ֔הlamsilahpreposition with the article + noun · feminine singulartagged: for the highway

2 Chronicles

one use
  • The king made the algum wood into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers. Never before had anything like them been seen in the land of Judah.)

    2 Chronicles 9:11

    • מְסִלּ֤וֹתmesilotnoun · feminine pluraltagged: tracks

Psalms

one use
  • Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

    Psalms 84:5

    • מְ֝סִלּ֗וֹתmesilotnoun · feminine pluraltagged: highways

Proverbs

one use
  • The highway of the upright leads away from evil; he who guards his way protects his life.

    Proverbs 16:17

    • מְסִלַּ֣תmesilatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: highway of

Isaiah

nine uses
  • Then the LORD said to Isaiah, “Go out with your son Shear-jashub to meet Ahaz at the end of the aqueduct that feeds the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field,

    Isaiah 7:3

    • מְסִלַּ֖תmesilatnoun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: highway of
  • There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.

    Isaiah 11:16

    • מְסִלָּ֔הmesilahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a highway
  • In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.

    Isaiah 19:23

    • מְסִלָּ֤הmesilahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a highway
  • The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. The treaty has been broken, the witnesses are despised, and human life is disregarded.

    Isaiah 33:8

    • מְסִלּ֔וֹתmesilotnoun · feminine pluraltagged: highways
  • And the king of Assyria sent the Rabshakeh, with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. And he stopped by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.

    Isaiah 36:2

    • בִּמְסִלַּ֖תbimsilatpreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”)tagged: on highway of
  • A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

    Isaiah 40:3

    • מְסִלָּ֖הmesilahnoun · feminine singulartagged: a highway
  • I will turn all My mountains into roads, and My highways will be raised up.

    Isaiah 49:11

    • וּמְסִלֹּתַ֖יumesilotaiconjunction (“and”) + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 1st person masculine or feminine singulartagged: and highways my
  • Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.

    Isaiah 59:7

    • בִּמְסִלּוֹתָֽם׃bimsilotampreposition + noun · feminine plural · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine pluraltagged: on highways their
  • Go out, go out through the gates; prepare the way for the people! Build it up, build up the highway; clear away the stones; raise a banner for the nations!

    Isaiah 62:10

    • הַֽמְסִלָּה֙hamsilahthe definite article (“the”) + noun · feminine singulartagged: the highway

Jeremiah

one use
  • “Set up the roadmarks, establish the signposts. Keep the highway in mind, the road you have traveled. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to these cities of yours.

    Jeremiah 31:21

    • לַֽמְסִלָּ֖הlamsilahpreposition with the article + noun · feminine singulartagged: to the highway

Joel

one use
  • They do not jostle one another; each proceeds in his path. They burst through the defenses, never breaking ranks.

    Joel 2:8

    • בִּמְסִלָּת֖וֹbimsilatopreposition + noun · feminine singular · in construct (“…of”) + pronoun suffix · 3rd person masculine singulartagged: on track its

The letters

Where it leads

How the numbers are counted

Every count on this page comes from STEP Bible's tagged Hebrew and Greek text, the same text the ledger prints. A use is counted once each time the tagging marks a word with this key.

Spellings are counted as the Greek text spells them, with the sentence's own punctuation taken off the word first, so a form that ends a clause is not counted as a second spelling.

The words it stands beside are the nouns, verbs and adjectives immediately before or after it, counted in every verse where the word stands. The article, the conjunctions and the prepositions are left out, because they stand beside every word.

Hebrew and Greek text, word tagging and grammar: STEP Bible (www.STEPBible.org), Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0. Their grammar codes are written out in English here and shown as tagged beside each one.

Meaning and senses: STEP Bible TBESH gloss (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary key: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890, public domain). English verse text: Berean Standard Bible (public domain, 2023).

Revised 2026-09-05. Every cited work, the sources registry →