Of the
ground, or
basis, on which a thing is done, as
Genesis 24:9 על הדבר הזה,
Leviticus 7:12 if he offers it
עַל תּוֹדָה on the ground of a thanksgiving,
Numbers 6:21 עַל נִזְרוֹ, v b
Ezekiel 16:15;
Ezekiel 28:17;
Daniel 8:25 עַל שִׂכְלוֹ,
Daniel 9:18 על צדקותינו (with
عَلَى this use is extended so as to denote explicitly
on condition of). Hence (
a) the basis being conceived as
regulative,
על comes to denote the
norm or
standard (cf. Germ. ‘
auf die Art’; W
AG ii. § 59 i): the transition may be seen in a passage like
Exodus 24:8 the covenant which
י׳ made with you
on the basis of (על), or
in agreement with, all these words (cf. על פי
Exodus 34:27),
Numbers 35:24 על המשׁפטים האלה,
Deuteronomy 17:11;
Jeremiah 30:18 the palace shall sit (i.e. be inhabited: v.
ישׁב)
עַל מִשְׁפָּטוֹ in accordance with its manner,
Psalms 94:20 who frames mischief
עֲלֵי־חֹק in accordance with a law,
על פי …
according to the mouth (i.e. command,
Genesis 45:21 + often, evidence
Deuteronomy 17:6;
Deuteronomy 19:15, sentence
Deuteronomy 21:5) of …;
עַל שֵׁם …
according to the name of … (mostly with
call, be called)
Genesis 48:6;
Exodus 28:21;
II Samuel 18:18 +, cf.
I Chronicles 23:14;
Exodus 6:26;
Exodus 12:51 עַל צִבְאֹתָם according to their hosts (usually
לְ),
Numbers 1:18 על משׁפחתם (usually
לְ), v
Numbers 1:52 Numbers 2:2,
Numbers 2:34;
Numbers 7:3 (‖
ל),
Deuteronomy 18:8 (prob.);
עַל יְדֵי according to the hands (direction) of
Jeremiah 5:31;
Jeremiah 33:13 al. (v. p. 391 b);
Psalms 110:4 עַל דִּבְרָתִי מ׳ after the manner of M.;
Proverbs 25:11 (prob.) a word spoken
עַל אָפְנָיו in accordance with its circumstances = appositely; of the tune
according to which a song is to be sung (RV.
set to)
Psalms 6:1 (
I Chronicles 15:21),
Psalms 8:1;
Psalms 9:1;
Psalms 12:1;
Psalms 45:1;
Psalms 46:1 (
I Chronicles 15:20)
עַל־עֲלָמוֹת (perhaps, however,
in the manner of maidens = for ‘sopranos’),
Psalms 53:1;
Psalms 56:1;
Psalms 60:1;
Psalms 69:1;
Psalms 81:1;
Psalms 84:1;
Psalms 88:1 (cf. in Syriac
ܥܰܠ ܩܳܠܴܐ ܕ). (
b) The basis being conceived as involving the
ground,
על denotes the cause or reason,
on account of, because of,
Genesis 20:3 lo thou shalt die
עַל הָאִשָּׁה on account of the woman,
Genesis 21:12;
Genesis 26:7,
Genesis 26:9;
Genesis 27:41;
Genesis 42:21;
Leviticus 4:3,
Leviticus 4:28;
Leviticus 5:18;
Leviticus 19:17;
Leviticus 26:18,
Leviticus 26:24,
Leviticus 26:28;
Deuteronomy 9:18;
Deuteronomy 24:16 fathers shall not be put to death
על־בנים on account of children,
Deuteronomy 31:18;
Joshua 9:20;
Jeremiah 1:16;
Jeremiah 5:9;
Ezekiel 18:26 עליהם (‖
Ezekiel 33:18 בָּהֶם),
Proverbs 28:21 Psalms 39:12;
Psalms 50:8 + often;
Psalms 44:23 עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ on thy account are we slain all the day,
Psalms 69:8;
Jeremiah 15:15; in the phrases
עַל דְּבַר …,
עַל אוֹדוֹת,
עַל זֹאת and
עַל זֶה on this
account,
עַל מָה on what
account? עַל־כֵּן =
therefore (v.
דָּבָר,
אוֹדָה, etc.); before an inf., as
Exodus 17:7 וְעַל נַסּוֹתָם אֶת־י׳ and
on account of their trying
י׳,
Amos 1:3 עַל דּוּשָׁם on account of their threshing = because they threshed, v
Amos 1:6,
Amos 1:9,
Amos 1:11,
Amos 1:13, etc.,
Jeremiah 2:35 עַל אָמְרֵךֶ because of thy saying,
Jeremiah 9:12;
Jeremiah 16:18 +; and as a conj. both with and without
אֲשֶׁר or
כִּי (v. infr.
III). And so often of the ground or cause of fear, grief, delight, or other emotions, e.g.
Exodus 18:9;
Exodus 32:14 (
נִחַם repent: so often),
I Samuel 4:13;
I Samuel 30:6;
II Samuel 1:26;
II Samuel 3:8;
I Kings 21:4;
II Kings 6:11;
Jeremiah 10:19 Amos 6:6. (
c) Somewhat more strongly,
on behalf of, for the sake of,
Genesis 19:17 escape
על נפשׁך for thy life;
Judges 9:17;
II Kings 10:3 נִלְחַם עַל (usually
ל);
I Kings 2:18 I will speak
on thy behalf to the king, v
I Kings 2:19 (
II Kings 4:13 לְ);
Esther 4:16;
Esther 4:8;
Esther 7:7;
Esther 8:11;
Esther 9:16;
Daniel 12:1 עמד על stand up (in late Heb.)
on behalf of; התפלל על intercede
for (usually
בעד)
Job 42:8;
Nehemiah 1:6;
II Chronicles 30:18;
II Chronicles 29:21 Ezra 8:35; and very often with
כִּפֶּר (q.v.) make atonement
for. (Not very common with other verbs.) (
d) Sometimes it acquires almost a final force,
for; Exodus 12:4;
Exodus 29:36;
Exodus 30:16;
Deuteronomy 27:13 these shall stand
עַל־הַקְּלָלָה (‖ v
Deuteronomy 27:12 לְבָרֵךְ),
Psalms 89:48 עַל־מַה־שָּׁוְא בָּרָאתָ כָל־בְּנֵי־אָדָם unto what vanity hast thou created, etc.!
Proverbs 29:5;
II Chronicles 23:18;
Ecclesiastes 3:17. (
e) Of a
condition, or
attendant circumstances (rare; so
عَلَى, W
AG ii. § 59 e):
Psalms 50:5 עֲלֵי זָ֑נַח ׃ upon, with sacrifice,
Psalms 92:4 עֲלֵי עָשׂוֹר וגו׳ with a ten-stringed instr.,
with a harp,
with sounding music on a lyre;
עַל רִיב upon occasion of a lawsuit
Exodus 23:2;
Ezekiel 44:24,
עַל יוֹם טוֹב I Samuel 25:8 (cf.
عَلَى حِينِ at a time of … Qor 28:14),
Nehemiah 12:22 (? read
עַד BeRy),
Isaiah 18:4 כְּחֹם צַח עֲלֵי אוֹר at time of sunshine,
Isaiah 64:11 עַל אֵלֶּה,
Jeremiah 8:18 עֲלֵי יָגוֹן at time of sorrow,
Jeremiah 16:7 (but Gie
עַל אָבֵל to): with abstr. substs. to form a periphr. for adverbs,
Leviticus 5:22 and swear
עַל שֶׁקֶר upon falseness = falsely,
Jeremiah 6:14 =
Jeremiah 8:11 to heal a wound
עַל נְקַלָּה lightly, easily,
Psalms 31:24 עַל יֶתֶר =
abundantly,
Isaiah 60:7 עַל רָצוֹן =
acceptably (cf.
عَلَى لَذَّةٍ =
with delight). (
f) It hence acquires the force of
in spite of, notwithstanding (so
عَلَى, W
AG ii. § 59 h),
Job 10:7 עַל דַּעְתְּךָ in spite of thy knowing,
Job 34:6 על משׁפטי notwithstanding my right I am to be a liar (Di De Da RV: otherwise Hi RV
m). cf. below,
III c b. (
g)
Upon, concerning, with vbs. of speaking, as
דִּבֶּר Judges 9:3;
I Kings 5:13,
אָמַר Jeremiah 16:3;
Jeremiah 27:19 (‖
אל)
Jeremiah 33:4, hearing
Genesis 41:15 שָׁמַעְתִּי עָלֶיךָ I have heard
concerning thee, saying, etc.,
I Kings 10:6;
Isaiah 37:9 (‖
II Kings 19:9 אל), disputing
Genesis 26:21, telling
I Samuel 27:11;
Joel 1:3, commanding
II Samuel 14:8;
I Kings 11:10, being vexed
I Kings 21:4;
II Kings 6:11, crying
II Kings 8:5, confessing
Psalms 32:5 Nehemiah 1:6; of the object of a prophecy or vision
I Kings 22:8;
Isaiah 1:1;
Isaiah 2:1; and often with similar verbs. (
h) In a somewhat weaker sense,
in the matter of, as regards,
Genesis 41:32 וְעַל הִשָּׁנוֹת הַחֲלוֹם,
Exodus 22:8;
Ruth 4:7;
Leviticus 5:22,
Leviticus 5:26;
Daniel 9:14;
Nehemiah 9:33;
חָטָא עַל Leviticus 4:14 (‖
בָּהּ v
Leviticus 4:23, cogn. acc. v
Leviticus 4:28),
Leviticus 5:5;
Numbers 6:11;
Nehemiah 13:26; …
עַל־דְּבַר in the matter of,
Numbers 25:18;
Numbers 31:16.