עַלʻal

I. height, (poetry) (Hosea 7:16; Hosea 11:7; 2 Samuel 23:1)

II. upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against (Genesis 49:17; Genesis 49:22; Numbers 24:6)

1. of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed (Genesis 1:11; Genesis 1:26; Genesis 7:6)

a. clothing, upon (Genesis 37:23; Joshua 9:5; 1 Kings 11:30)

b. upon (Isaiah 1:14; Job 7:20; 2 Samuel 15:33)

c. upon (Exodus 5:8; Exodus 21:22; Exodus 21:30)

d. upon me (Psalms 42:6; Psalms 42:7; Psalms 42:12)

e. upon (Isaiah 3:1; Deuteronomy 8:3; Isaiah 38:16)

f. And so often of the ground or cause of fear, grief, delight, or other emotions, on behalf of, for the sake of, Upon, concerning (Genesis 24:9; Leviticus 17:12; Numbers 6:21)

2. It expresses excess (Genesis 48:22; Exodus 16:5; Numbers 3:46)

3. It denotes elevation or pre-eminence (Deuteronomy 26:19; Deuteronomy 28:43; Proverbs 31:29)

4. It expresses addition

a. upon, to (Psalms 61:7; Genesis 30:40; Numbers 18:24)

b. in addition to (Genesis 28:9; Genesis 31:50; Leviticus 18:18)

c. together with, with (Exodus 35:22; Job 38:32; 1 Kings 15:20)

5. above, over, It expresses the idea of being suspended, or extended, over anything, without however being in contact with it (Genesis 1:20; Genesis 19:23; Exodus 22:2)

6. From the sense of inclining or impending over, על comes to denote contiguity or proximity, English by (or sometimes on)

a. with reference to persons (Genesis 14:16; Genesis 16:17; Genesis 24:13)

b. at (2 Samuel 9:7; 2 Samuel 9:10; Exodus 16:3)

c. by, over (Genesis 18:2; Genesis 18:8; Genesis 24:30)

7. In connection with verbs of motion (actual or figurative)

a. down upon (Genesis 2:5; Genesis 19:24; Genesis 15:11)

b. up upon, up to (Exodus 20:26; 1 Samuel 2:28; 1 Kings 12:33)

c. towards, against (Exodus 34:12; Exodus 18:23; Numbers 11:12)

d. upon, against (Genesis 34:25; Genesis 34:27; Genesis 34:30)

8. By writers of the silver age, על is sometimes used with the force of a dative (1 Chronicles 13:2; Nehemiah 2:5; Nehemiah 2:7)

9. With other particles (Ezekiel 41:15; Ezekiel 19:11; Ezekiel 31:10)

III. As conjunction

a. because (Exodus 32:35; Numbers 20:24; Deuteronomy 29:24)

b. עַל כִּי similar in meaning, but less frequent (Deuteronomy 31:17; Judges 3:12; Jeremiah 4:28)

c. because, notwithstanding that, although (Genesis 31:20; Psalms 119:136; Isaiah 53:9)

IV. Compounds

1. with כְּ

a. as concerning, as upon (Psalms 119:14; 2 Chronicles 32:19)

b. (pleonastic for כְּ) (Isaiah 59:18; Numbers 15:15; Hosea 4:9)

2. from upon, from over, from by, מֵעַל, used with much delicacy of application in many different connections, corresponding mostly with the different senses of על

a. from upon, surface (Genesis 4:14; Genesis 6:7; Genesis 7:4)

b. from, on (Exodus 10:17; Numbers 21:7; Numbers 25:8)

c. From, nuances (Genesis 17:22; Genesis 35:13; Genesis 18:3)

d. above (2 Kings 25:28; Jeremiah 52:32; Esther 3:1)

e. (a), upon, over (Genesis 1:7; Ezekiel 1:26; Ezekiel 1:25)