Βάαλ (Baal)
Baal
Baal
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The Greek word Baal appears only once in the New Testament, in Romans 11:4. It is a direct borrowing from Hebrew, where it simply means "lord" or "master." In the ancient Near East, this title was used for the supreme male deity of Canaanite and Phoenician cultures, standing alongside the goddess Ashtoreth.
Paul uses this term to quote the Old Testament prophet Elijah. In the original Hebrew text, scribes sometimes substituted a different word meaning "shame" when writing about Baal, likely out of reverence or disgust for the idol. The Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, reflects this complex history by using the feminine article with the name, a grammatical quirk that Paul preserves in his letter to the Romans.
This single occurrence highlights how early Christians engaged with Jewish scripture while living in a Roman world familiar with pagan gods. By referencing Elijah’s struggle against Baal worship, Paul connects the faithfulness of a few remnant believers in Israel to the larger story of God’s sovereign choice. The word serves as a reminder of the spiritual conflicts that defined the biblical narrative.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Baal appears just once in the New Testament, tucked inside Paul’s letter to the Romans. He quotes Elijah from an ancient time when Israel faced intense pressure to worship false gods. This single word reminds us that faithfulness often looks like standing alone against a culture that demands compromise.
God’s answer to Elijah was not silence but preservation. He kept seven thousand people who refused to bow down. This shows that God always sees and saves His own, even when the majority seems lost in error. You are never truly alone in your convictions.
When you face pressure to conform to values that clash with your faith, remember this remnant. God’s grace is sufficient to keep you steady. His choice rests on His mercy, not human strength, offering you hope in any season of testing.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to Baal.1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- Βάαλ.1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 11:4
But how does God answer him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”
Paul uses this quote to prove that God has preserved a faithful remnant in Israel despite widespread idolatry.