בָּעַל (ba.al)
ba.al
Married
N:N-F-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 13 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-F-P
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb ba‘al carries the core meaning of owning or having authority over something, which naturally extends to the idea of being married. In this sense, a husband is viewed as the one who holds rights and responsibility for his wife. This usage appears in passages like Deuteronomy 22:23-29, where legal texts discuss the status of women in relation to their husbands, framing marriage through the lens of possession and covenantal duty.
While the word can simply denote marital relationship, it is also the root for the name Baal, a title used for various Canaanite deities. This dual usage highlights a significant theological tension in the Old Testament: the exclusive covenant between Yahweh and Israel is often described using marriage imagery, yet the people frequently turn to worship these foreign "lords." The prophets, particularly Hosea, use this linguistic connection to condemn idolatry as spiritual adultery, contrasting true devotion with the empty ownership claimed by other gods.
Translators typically render ba‘al as "married" or "husband" in domestic contexts, but must navigate its religious weight when it appears in names or titles. The word’s presence in Isaiah and Jeremiah often underscores the breach of this covenantal bond, reminding readers that fidelity to God is not merely ritualistic but relational. Understanding this term helps clarify why the prophets were so fierce in their rejection of Baal worship—it was seen as a betrayal of the very identity of Israel as God’s chosen partner.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word ba‘al carries a weight that stretches far beyond simple ownership. In its domestic sense, it describes the covenantal bond of marriage, where a husband holds responsibility and care for his wife. This usage appears in legal texts like Deuteronomy 22:22, framing marriage as a serious commitment with clear duties. It reminds us that relationships are built on fidelity and mutual respect, not just casual affection.
Yet this same word becomes deeply troubling when applied to false gods. The prophets used it to condemn Israel’s spiritual adultery, where the people traded their exclusive covenant with Yahweh for empty idols. When Isaiah says in 54:5 that "Yahweh is your husband," he is reclaiming a term often associated with pagan worship to show that only God deserves our ultimate loyalty.
For believers today, this duality offers a powerful lesson. We are called to reflect the faithfulness of God in our own marriages and relationships. By honoring the sanctity of marriage and rejecting the idolatry of putting anything above our devotion to Christ, we live out the true meaning of this ancient word.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 13 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they will marry/ you1×
- they ruled1×
- they have ruled over/ us1×
- she will be married1×
- married of1×
- married1×
- it will be married1×
- husband<s>/ your1×
- he marries1×
- and/ it has married1×
- and/ he will marry/ her1×
- a married [woman]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תִּבָּעֵֽל\׃1×
- תִבָּעֵ֑ל1×
- יִבְעָל֖וּ/ךְ1×
- יִבְעַ֤ל1×
- וּ/בָעַ֖ל1×
- וּ/בְעָלָ֑/הּ1×
- בָּעַ֥לְתִּי1×
- בָּעַ֣לְתִּי1×
- בָּעֲל֥וּ1×
- בְּעוּלָ֑ה1×
- בְּעֻ֥לַת1×
- בְּעָל֥וּ/נוּ1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both die, the man who lay with the woman and the woman. So you shall remove the evil from Israel.
This verse uses ba‘al to define the legal and moral seriousness of adultery, showing that marriage is a protected covenant in Israel's law.
-
Isaiah 54:5
For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth.
Here, God reclaims the title 'husband' for Himself, contrasting His faithful love with the broken covenants of the past.
-
Jeremiah 31:32
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says Yahweh.
God refers to Himself as 'a husband' to remind Israel that He was the active partner in their covenant, even when they failed.
-
Malachi 2:11
Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the holiness of Yahweh which he loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god.
This verse uses ba‘al negatively to describe Judah’s betrayal by marrying into foreign idolatry, highlighting the spiritual danger of mixed allegiances.