5952. allith or illi

Lexical Summary

allith or illi: Upper room, upper chamber, roof chamber

Original Word: עַלִּית
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `alliyth
Pronunciation: al-leeth or il-lee
Phonetic Spelling: (al-leeth')
KJV: chamber
NASB: roof chamber
Word Origin: [from H5927 (עָלָה - went)]

1. a second-story room

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

chamber

From alah; a second-story room -- chamber. Compare aliyah.

see HEBREW alah

see HEBREW aliyah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
(Aramaic) from a root corresponding to alah
Definition
a roof chamber
NASB Translation
roof chamber (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[עֲלִי] noun feminine roof-chamber (compare Dr; Biblical Hebrew עֲלִיָּה); — suffix עֲלִיתֵהּ Daniel 6:11.

Topical Lexicon

Word and Concept Overview

עַלִּית (Strong’s 5952) designates an elevated, enclosed space built atop or alongside a flat-roofed house—an “upper room” or “attic.” Though the term itself occurs only once, Scripture’s broader witness to upper chambers illuminates its meaning and importance.

Architectural Background in the Ancient Near East

• Houses from the Iron Age through the Persian period commonly featured exterior stairways leading to a second-story room added for ventilation, privacy, and security.
• Built of mudbrick or dressed stone with a timber-and-plaster roof, the space benefited from prevailing breezes and morning light through lattice windows.
• Because it was detached from daily household traffic, the upper room became ideal for prayer, study, lodging honored guests, and storing valuables. Archaeological strata at sites such as Lachish and Arad reveal such rooms outfitted with niches and benches, corroborating the biblical picture.

Old Testament Context: Daniel’s Upper Room

Daniel 6:10: “Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks before his God, just as he had done before.”
• The prophet’s deliberate ascent underscores his unwavering allegiance to the covenant God despite Medo-Persian edicts.
• Windows “opened toward Jerusalem” show continuity with Solomon’s temple prayer (1 Kings 8:47-49), affirming faith in exile.
• The quiet chamber facilitated Daniel’s disciplined rhythm—“three times a day”—linking private devotion with public courage (Daniel 6:13).
• The lions’ den episode follows directly, highlighting how holy habits forged in unseen places sustain believers under persecution.

Parallel Terminology and Usage in the Hebrew Bible

Other Hebrew words translate “upper room” (especially עֲלִיָּה, Strong’s 5944), yet the functions overlap:
• Elijah carried the widow’s son to an upper room for resurrection prayer (1 Kings 17:19-24).
• The Shunammite couple prepared an upper chamber for Elisha, equipping it with a bed, table, chair, and lamp—tools of rest, study, and prophetic ministry (2 Kings 4:10-11).
• King David fled to the “roof chamber” to weep over Absalom (2 Samuel 18:33), demonstrating the space’s suitability for intense, personal communion with God.

These passages confirm that Daniel’s choice of locale fits an established biblical pattern of seeking God in elevated solitude.

New Testament Continuity

The Greek ὑπερῷον (hyperōon) carries the tradition forward:
• Jesus ate the Passover with His disciples in a “large upper room, furnished and ready” (Mark 14:15).
• After the Ascension, the disciples gathered in an upper room for persistent prayer, awaiting Pentecost (Acts 1:13-14).
• Eutychus fell from an upper room in Troas while Paul preached late into the night, again indicating the room’s regular use for teaching and fellowship (Acts 20:8-9).

The spiritual activities that dominated these upper rooms—prayer, instruction, communion, and revival—mirror Daniel’s solitary petition.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Separation unto God: The physical elevation symbolizes the believer’s call to rise above worldly pressures, echoing Colossians 3:1-2.
2. Discipline in Devotion: Daniel’s routine encourages intentional scheduling of prayer, demonstrating that spiritual vitality thrives on constancy, not convenience.
3. Courage through Communion: Private worship fortified Daniel to face public trial, teaching that faithfulness in hidden places precedes victory in visible arenas.
4. Continuity of Redemptive History: From Elijah to the apostles, the upper room motif threads through Scripture, reinforcing God’s unchanging method of meeting His people in consecrated spaces.

Practical Applications for the Church Today

• Believers should designate uninterrupted times and, where possible, physical spaces for focused prayer and study.
• Churches can model the upper-room principle by fostering small groups and prayer meetings that prioritize intimacy with God over programmatic busyness.
• Under cultural pressures hostile to biblical convictions, Daniel’s example calls Christians to maintain visible, unwavering devotion while trusting God with the consequences.

Summary

Though עַלִּית appears but once, its single mention in Daniel 6:10 concentrates a theology of elevated devotion that echoes throughout Scripture. The upper room stands as a timeless witness to the power of private prayer, the necessity of spiritual discipline, and the triumph of faith amid opposition.

Forms and Transliterations

בְּעִלִּיתֵ֔הּ בעליתה bə‘illîṯêh bə·‘il·lî·ṯêh beilliTeh

Englishman's Concordance

Daniel 6:10
HEB: פְּתִיחָ֥ן לֵהּ֙ בְּעִלִּיתֵ֔הּ נֶ֖גֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶ֑ם
NAS: his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows
KJV: being open in his chamber toward
INT: had windows open his roof toward Jerusalem

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5952
1 Occurrence

bə·‘il·lî·ṯêh — 1 Occ.