Original Word: מַסְלוּל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: macluwl
Pronunciation: mahs-LOOL
Phonetic Spelling: (mas-lool')
KJV: highway
NASB: highway
Word Origin: [from H5549 (סָלַל - build)]

1. a thoroughfare (as turnpiked)

highway

From calal; a thoroughfare (as turnpiked) -- highway.

see HEBREW calal

Word Origin
from salal
Definition
a highway
NASB Translation
highway (1).

מַסְלוּל noun masculine highway; — Isaiah 35:8 (following ודרך corrupt; ᵐ5 ὁδὸς καθαρά).

II. סלל (√ of following; compare Late Hebrew סִלְסֵל plait, curl hair; Late Hebrew סַל ᵑ7 סַלָּא, Talmud סִילְתָּא, Syriac Christian-Palestinian Aramaic , all = basket; **compare sull, a round wicker basket used by women in Palestine for carrying fruit on their heads to market, Baldensperger^{PEF 1904, 135}. Arabic , probably loan-word Frä^75f.; compare Schw^{Idioticon 63}).

Biblical Setting

מַסְלוּל appears once, in Isaiah 35:8, within an oracle promising the restoration of Zion: “And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in that Way—and fools will not stray onto it”. The word designates a raised, prepared roadway. In Isaiah it is not merely topographical; it is eschatological, moral, and covenantal.

Historical Background

In the ancient Near East, a royal highway was built up above surrounding terrain so that messengers, armies, and pilgrims could travel swiftly and safely. During Judah’s exile the image of such a road carried hope of return. Isaiah’s audience heard מַסְלוּל as a promise that the Lord Himself would engineer an unobstructed route for His people’s homecoming, reversing the judgment that had scattered them (compare Isaiah 40:3; Jeremiah 31:21).

Theological Significance

1. Holiness as Access

The highway is “called the Way of Holiness.” Access to God’s restored Zion is inseparable from moral purity. The exclusion of “the unclean” parallels Psalms 15 and 24, where only those with clean hands and pure hearts may ascend the hill of the Lord.

2. Divine Protection and Guidance

The assurance that “fools will not stray onto it” highlights divine safeguarding. Even the inexperienced are kept from stumbling as they trust the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6).

3. Eschatological Fulfilment in Christ

Isaiah’s highway anticipates the New Testament proclamation that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Through His atoning work He inaugurates “a new and living way” into God’s presence (Hebrews 10:20), fulfilling the prophetic vision of secure passage for the redeemed.

Connection to Wider ‘Way’ Motifs

• Messianic Preparation – Isaiah 40:3 pictures a “way for our God” in the wilderness. John the Baptist applies this to his own ministry, preparing hearts for the Messiah (Matthew 3:3).

• Pilgrimage and Return – Jeremiah 31:21 urges Israel to “set up road markers” for the journey home, echoing the imagery of a prepared highway.

• Early Church Identity – Believers were known as followers “of the Way” (Acts 9:2), grounding their communal life in the prophetic promise of a sanctified path.

Implications for Ministry and Discipleship

1. Call to Holiness

Isaiah’s highway challenges the church to proclaim salvation that transforms conduct. Gospel invitation must be coupled with exhortation to walk in purity (1 Peter 1:15-16).

2. Assurance for the Weak

The promise that “fools will not stray” encourages pastoral ministry to new or struggling believers. God’s grace secures the path for all who trust Him, not only the mature.

3. Missional Vision

Just as the highway removes obstacles, so the church is called to “prepare the way” by removing stumbling blocks—cultural, relational, or ethical—so that unbelievers may see the beauty of Christ clearly (Isaiah 57:14).

4. Eschatological Hope

Preaching and teaching should keep before God’s people the final consummation when “the ransomed of the Lord will return” with everlasting joy (Isaiah 35:10). Present obedience is sustained by future certainty.

Key Themes for Reflection

• Holiness as the necessary corridor to fellowship with God.
• God’s initiative in engineering the path of redemption.
• The journey motif uniting exile, return, and the Christian pilgrimage.
• Confidence that the Lord preserves His people from ultimate deviation.

מַסְל֣וּל מסלול mas·lūl masLul maslūlInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts