📖 Biblical Definition
The olah (עוֹלָה, "that which ascends") is the Mosaic burnt offering, prescribed in Leviticus 1 — the sacrifice entirely consumed by fire on the bronze altar, ascending as smoke to YHWH. It was the most fundamental Levitical sacrifice and the only one that was wholly the LORD’s portion: nothing was eaten, nothing retained, all consumed. It symbolized total dedication. The continual tamid burnt-offering (a lamb morning and evening, Numbers 28:3-4) ran perpetually in Israel’s tabernacle and temple, so that smoke ascended from the altar without break. Christ is the supreme olah: "who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God" (Hebrews 9:14) — wholly consumed, wholly ascending, wholly accepted. The smoke of His offering rises still.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
The Mosaic burnt-offering — entirely consumed; total dedication.
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The Mosaic burnt-offering described in Leviticus 1. The sacrifice entirely consumed by fire on the altar, ascending as smoke to YHWH (hence the name olah, "that which goes up"). The most fundamental and frequent Levitical sacrifice. Symbolized total dedication; the worshipper kept nothing back. Christ as olah (Eph 5:2) gave Himself wholly.
📖 Key Scripture
Leviticus 1:9 — "But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice (olah), an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD."
Genesis 22:2 — "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering."
Ephesians 5:2 — "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Sacrifice-language in modern usage carries either negative connotation (giving something up bitterly) or self-congratulatory connotation ("I sacrificed for them"); the total-dedication-to-God shape of olah gets dropped.
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Modern "sacrifice" sounds either bitter or self-congratulatory. Hebrew olah is total dedication — everything ascending, nothing kept. The worshipper gives the whole animal; God receives the whole. Christ is the perfect olah: He gave Himself wholly.
Recover the total-ness: living-sacrifice in Romans 12:1 is olah-language. Present your bodies, the whole.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew olah.
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['Hebrew', 'H5930', 'olah', 'burnt-offering, that which ascends']
['Hebrew', 'H5927', 'alah', 'to ascend']
Usage
"Olah is total ascending dedication."
"Christ is the perfect olah."
"Living-sacrifice is olah-language."