אֶשְׁבַּעַל (esh.ba.al)
esh.ba.al
Eshbaal
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
Eshbaal is a proper name found in two verses, primarily within 1 Chronicles, referring to the fourth son of King Saul and brother of Jonathan. The name means "a man of Baal," linking the individual directly to the Canaanite deity Baal, who was a rival to Yahweh in ancient Israelite religion.
This figure is identical to Ish-bosheth, a name used for him in the Book of Samuel. While Eshbaal preserves the original theophoric element honoring Baal, Ish-bosheth translates that element into "shame" or "disgrace." This shift likely reflects later editorial sensitivity to the idolatrous connotations of Baal, replacing the divine name with a term expressing contempt for the false god.
The variation in naming highlights how biblical scribes handled theological tensions. By using Ish-bosheth in Samuel and Eshbaal in Chronicles, the text preserves both the historical reality of Saul’s family allegiance to Baal and the later Israelite rejection of that deity. The name itself serves as a linguistic marker of the struggle between worshiping Yahweh and maintaining traditional Canaanite practices.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Eshbaal appears in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles, listing him as a son of King Saul alongside his brothers Jonathan and Malchishua. This simple record places him within the royal family line, reminding us that history is made up of real people whose lives were shaped by their heritage and the spiritual climate of their time.
Interestingly, this same figure is called Ish-bosheth in the books of Samuel. The change from a name meaning "man of Baal" to one meaning "man of shame" shows how later writers handled difficult theological history. They preserved the original identity while also marking a clear break from idolatry. This duality invites us to consider how faith evolves and how communities remember their past with honesty.
For your own life, this offers a gentle reminder that our backgrounds do not define our final standing before God. Just as the biblical text navigates these complex names with care, we can trust that God sees the whole story of each person's journey, including the struggles and the shifts in understanding.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Eshbaal2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֶשְׁבָּֽעַל\׃2×
Key Verses
-
I Chronicles 8:33
Ner became the father of Kish. Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
This verse lists Eshbaal as a son of Saul, establishing his place in the royal lineage during a time when Israel was navigating its identity between Canaanite traditions and worship of Yahweh.
-
I Chronicles 9:39
Ner became the father of Kish. Kish became the father of Saul. Saul became the father of Jonathan, Malchishua, Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
The repetition of this genealogy reinforces the historical record of Saul's family, preserving the name Eshbaal as a marker of the era before the full rejection of Baal worship in Israel.