מְסִלָּה

Numbers 20:19 בַּֽמְסִלָּ֣ה on the highway

“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.”

Judges 5:20 מִמְּסִלּוֹתָ֔ם from highways their

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

Here: 'From their highways': a mesillah is a built-up road. The stars' set paths across the sky are pictured as military roads, and the stars march down them, or strike from their stations along them, into the battle.

Judges 20:31 בַּֽמְסִלּוֹת֙ in the highways

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 20:32 הַֽמְסִלּֽוֹת׃ 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 20:45 בַּֽמְסִלּ֔וֹת in 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 21:19 לִמְסִלָּ֔ה of [the] highway

“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.”

1 Samuel 6:12 בִּמְסִלָּ֣ה on a highway

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.

2 Samuel 20:12 הַֽמְסִלָּ֑ה הַֽמְסִלָּ֤ה the highway

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 20:13 הַֽמְסִלָּ֑ה 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 Kings 18:17 בִּמְסִלַּ֖ת [is] on [the] highway of

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.

Here: 'On the road of…'. A mesillah is a built, raised road, from a root meaning 'to heap up'. It was a main approach road, not a footpath.

1 Chronicles 26:16 בַּֽמְסִלָּ֖ה on the highway

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 26:18 לַֽמְסִלָּ֔ה for the highway

As for the court on the west, there were four at the highway and two at the court.

2 Chronicles 9:11 מְסִלּ֤וֹת tracks

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.)

Psalm 84:5 מְ֝סִלּ֗וֹת [whom] highways

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

Here: Built roads, made by piling up and levelling earth: the main roads, not footpaths. Here they are the roads up to Jerusalem's temple that the pilgrims walk (verses 6–7). The Hebrew does not add 'to Zion' or 'pilgrimage'. Those are translators' explanations.

Proverbs 16:17 מְסִלַּ֣ת [the] highway of

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

Here: A raised, graded public road, built up and cleared of stones, not a footpath. It sets up the picture of a well-made road where travel is safe and direct.

Isaiah 7:3 מְסִלַּ֖ת [the] highway of

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 11:16 מְסִלָּ֔ה a highway

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.

Here: A built road, banked up and cleared, not a footpath worn by walking. The picture is a proper, engineered route for a large company to travel safely.

Isaiah 19:23 מְסִלָּ֤ה 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.

Here: A built-up road, banked and cleared, made for through traffic. In Isaiah this is a loaded image. The prophet's highways usually carry God's scattered people home (11:16; 35:8). Here one links Israel's two great oppressors to each other.

Isaiah 33:8 מְסִלּ֔וֹת highways

The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. The treaty has been broken, the witnesses are despised, and human life is disregarded.

Isaiah 36:2 בִּמְסִלַּ֖ת on [the] highway of

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.

Here: "On the road of." A mesillah is a built-up road, made by heaping and grading earth. It was a proper public road, not a footpath.

Isaiah 40:3 מְסִלָּ֖ה a highway

A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.

Here: A built road with a raised bed, from a verb meaning to heap up. It is an engineered highway, not a footpath, the kind built for kings and processions.

Isaiah 49:11 וּמְסִלֹּתַ֖י and highways my

I will turn all My mountains into roads, and My highways will be raised up.

Here: An engineered road, not a footpath worn by use, and the word itself carries the idea of earth heaped up. 'My' again claims ownership, the way a king might speak of royal roads.

Isaiah 59:7 בִּמְסִלּוֹתָֽם׃ [are] on highways their

Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.

Here: A built-up, banked road or causeway, not a footpath. Wherever they travel, ruin goes along. It also sounds a bitter note against Isaiah's 'highway for our God' (40:3; 62:10).

Isaiah 62:10 הַֽמְסִלָּה֙ the highway

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!

Here: The noun comes from the same root as the verb just shouted twice: 'heap up the heaped-up road'. It means an engineered, built-up main road, as opposed to a footpath.

Jeremiah 31:21 לַֽמְסִלָּ֖ה to the highway

“Set up the road markers, put up the signposts. Keep the highway in mind, the road you have traveled. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to these cities of yours.

Joel 2:8 בִּמְסִלָּת֖וֹ on track its

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