Lexical Definition

‎עֹלָה‎ ʻôlâh (o-law') burnt offering ^H:N-F
or עוֹלָה ʻôwlâh (o-law'); feminine active participle of ‎עָלָה‎

ascent, burnt offering (sacrifice), go up to. See also ‎עֶוֶל‎.

• a step or (collectively, stairs, as ascending)
• usually a holocaust (as going up in smoke)

1) whole burnt offering
2) ascent, stairway, steps

See Greek: ἀδικία · θυσία · ὁλοκαύτωμα

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: a.lah (‎ע‎ֲ‎ל‎ָ‎ת‎ "burnt offering" עֲלָה)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. ‎עֹלָה‎₂₈₆ noun feminine whole burnt-offering (that which goes up ( √ 6) to heaven (al. on altar)); — ‎׳‎‎ע‎ Gen 22:3 + 141 t.; ‎עוֺלָה‎ Num 28:37 + 33 t.; construct ‎עֹלַת‎ Exod 29:42 + 27 t., ‎עוֺלַת‎ Num 28:24 + 2 t.; suffix ‎עוֺלָֽתְךּ‎ Ps 20:4*, etc.; plural ‎עֹלוֺת‎ Josh 8:31 + 42 t., ‎עֹלֹת‎ Gen 8:20 + 3 t.; ‎עוֺלֹת‎ Deut 27:6, ‎עוֺלוֺת‎ Amos 5:22 +; suffix ‎עֹלוֺתֵיבֶם‎ Jer 6:20 +, etc.; — the whole burnt-offering (beast or fowl) is entirely consumed and goes up i the flame of the altar to God expressing the ascent of the soul in worship. All of the victim is laid on the altar except the hide and such parts as could not be washed clean. If beast the ‎׳‎‎ע‎ must be a male without blemish Lev 1:3; Lev 1:10; Lev 22:18; Lev 22:19, of herd or flock; if of flock, either sheep or goad; if fowl, either turtle-dove or young pigeon Lev 1:14, the latter usually offered by the poor Lev 5:7; Lev 12:8; Lev 14:22; Lev 15:14; Lev 15:15; Lev 15:29; Lev 15:30; Num 6:10; Num 6:11. A lamb was offered by individuals Lev 12:6; Num 6:14, and by the nation at the ‎עֹמֶר‎ offering Lev 23:12, and daily at the ‎עֹלַת הַכֹּקֶר‎ Lev 9:17; Num 28:23; 2Kgs 16:15; Ezek 46:13, and at morning and evening ‎עלח תמיד‎ Num 28:3, ‎(הַ)תָּמִיד‎ ‎עֹלַת‎ Exod 29:42; Num 28:6; Num 28:10; Num 28:15; Num 28:23; Num 28:24; Num 28:31; Num 29:6; Num 29:11; Num 29:16; Num 29:19; Num 29:22; Num 29:25; Num 29:28; Num 29:31; Num 29:34; Num 29:38; Ezra 3:5 Neh Neh 10:34*; Ezek 46:13. These were doubled at the ‎עֹלַת‎ ‎שַׁכָּת‎ Num 28:10. A ram was offered by Aaron and his sons Exod 29:28; Lev 8:18; Lev 9:2; Lev 16:3; Lev 16:5 but a young bullock was of greater value Num 15:8; Num 15:24; 2Sam 24:22 = 1Chr 21:23, at consecration of Levites Num 8:12, socalves Mic 6:6 on great occasions bullocks + rams Num 23:1-6; Num 23:14; Num 23:15, bullocks + rams + lambs Isa 1:11 one of each kind offered by tribal chiefs Num 7:15; Num 7:21; Num 7:27; Num 7:33; Num 7:39; Num 7:45; Num 7:51; Num 7:57; Num 7:63; Num 7:69; Num 7:75; Num 7:81; Num 7:87. In ritual of ‎עֹלַת (ה)חֹדֶשׁ‎ Num 28:14; Num 29:6 and at ‎מצּות‎ and Pentecost 2 bullocks, 1 ram, and 7 lambs were added to daily offering Num 28:11; Num 28:19; Num 28:27 at offering of new bread at Pentecost 1 bullock, 2 rams, and 7 lambs Lev 23:18 on the 1st and 10th of the 7th month and at ‎עצרת‎ 1 bullock, 1 ram, and 7 lambs, in addition to the offerings of new moon Num 29:2; Num 29:8; Num 29:36 the system culminated in 70 bullocks, 14 rams, 98 lambs for the 7 days of Tabernacles Num 29:13 ff. Acc to Ezek. the prince was to offer on each of 7 days of ‎מצות‎ 7 bullocks and 7 rams Ezek 45:23, and on Sabbath 6 lambs and 1 ram Ezek 46:4. At the reconsecration of temple 70 bullocks, 100 rams, and 200 lambs were offered 2Chr 29:32, and at the return of exiles 12 bullocks, 96 rams, and 77 lambs Ezra 8:35. In early times whole burnt-offerings of children were sometimes made, e.g. Jephthah's daughter Judg 11:31 Isaac proposed as, Gen 22:2 but ram substituted vGen 22:13 made to other gods 2Kgs 3:27; Jer 19:5 +. The ‎׳‎‎ע‎ was anciently made on any altar used for worship, but in P confined to ‎מִזְבַּח הָעֹלָה‎ Exod 30:28; Exod 31:9; Exod 35:16; Exod 38:1; Exod 40:6; Exod 40:10; Exod 40:29; Lev 4:7; Lev 4:10; Lev 4:18; Lev 4:25 (twice in verse); Lev 4:30; Lev 4:34; 1Chr 6:40*; 1Chr 21:26; 1Chr 21:29; 1Chr 2:18 (not in other literature); ‎מזבח לעלה‎ Josh 22:29; 1Chr 22:1. The offerer imposed his hands on head of animal, then slaughtered it Lev 1:4; Lev 1:5 ‎׳‎‎שׁחט ע‎ Lev 4:24; Lev 4:33; Lev 6:8*; Lev 7:2; Lev 9:12; Lev 14:13; Lev 14:19; Lev 14:31; Ezek 40:39; Ezek 40:42; Ezek 44:11, and flayed it ‎׳‎‎הַפְשִׁיט ע‎ Lev 1:6; 2Chr 29:34. The priest washed the pieces Ezek 40:38 arranged them on the altar above the wood Lev 6:5* the fire devoured them vLev 6:2-6; Lev 9:24; 1Kgs 18:38; 2Chr 7:1, they went up in the flame ‎(ל) ריח ניחח ליהוה‎ Lev 1:9; Lev 1:13; Lev 1:17; Lev 8:21; Num 28:13 ‎לְרָצוֺן‎, according to character of offerer Isa 56:7; Jer 6:20 see also Ps 20:4*; Ps 40:7*; Ps 51:18*; 1Sam 15:22.Phrases: ‎׳‎‎העלה ע‎ Gen 8:20; Exod 32:6 (J) Exod 24:5 (E) Exod 30:9; Exod 40:29; Lev 14:20; Lev 17:8 (P) Deut 12:13; Deut 12:14; Deut 27:6; Josh 8:31; Josh 22:23; Judg 6:26; Judg 20:26; Judg 21:4; 1Sam 6:14; 1Sam 6:15; 1Sam 7:9; 1Sam 7:10; 1Sam 10:8; 1Sam 13:9; 1Sam 13:10; 1Sam 13:12; 2Sam 6:17; 2Sam 6:18; 2Sam 24:24; 2Sam 24:25; 1Kgs 3:4; 1Kgs 3:15; 1Kgs 9:25; 1Kgs 10:5; 2Kgs 3:27; 1Chr 16:2; 1Chr 16:40; 1Chr 21:24; 1Chr 21:26; 1Chr 23:31; 1Chr 29:21; 2Chr 1:6; 2Chr 8:12; 2Chr 9:4; 2Chr 23:18; 2Chr 24:14; 2Chr 29:7; 2Chr 29:27; 2Chr 35:14; 2Chr 35:16; Ezra 3:2; Ezra 3:3; Ezra 3:6; Job 1:5; Job 42:8; Ps 66:15; Jer 14:12; Jer 33:18; Ezek 43:18; Ezek 43:24; Amos 5:22 (compare ‎העלה‎ 9); ‎׳‎‎זבח ע‎ Exod 20:24 (E); ‎׳‎‎עשׂה לע‎ Lev 23:12; Num 6:11; Num 15:24; Num 29:39 ‎׳‎‎עָשָׂה ע‎ Lev 5:10; Lev 9:7; Lev 9:22; Lev 15:15; Lev 15:30; Lev 16:24 (twice in verse); Num 6:16; Num 8:12; Num 15:3; Num 15:8; Num 29:2; Deut 12:27; Judg 13:16; 1Kgs 8:64; 2Kgs 5:17; 2Kgs 10:24; 2Kgs 10:25; 2Chr 7:7; Ezek 43:27; Ezek 45:17; Ezek 45:23; Ezek 46:2; Ezek 46:12 (twice in verse); Ezek 46:13 ‎׳‎‎הִקְרִיב ע‎ Lev 7:8; Lev 9:16; Lev 10:19; Lev 23:37; Num 28:3; Num 28:11; Num 28:19; Num 28:27; Num 29:8; Num 29:13; Num 29:36; 1Chr 16:1; Ezra 8:35; Ezek 46:4 ‎׳‎‎הקריב לע‎ Lev 22:18; Num 6:14 ‎׳‎‎הביא ע‎ Deut 12:6; Deut 12:11; 2Chr 29:31; 2Chr 29:32; 2Chr 30:15; Isa 43:23; Jer 17:26 ‎׳‎‎הקטְיר ע‎ 2Kgs 16:13; 2Kgs 16:15; 2Chr 13:11. — ‎עֹלָתָה‎, ‎עוֺלוֺת‎ see also ‎עַוְלָה‎ below I. ‎עוּל‎.

II. [‎עֹלָה‎] noun feminine ascent, stairway, ‎עלותו‎ Ezek 40:26 Kt, ‎עֹלוֺתָיו‎ Qr; read probably ‎מַעֲלָתוֺ‎ (ᵐ5 Co SS ‎לוֺ‎, Toy ‎עֹלָתוֺ‎).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References