בַּעַל (ba.al)
ba.al
Baal; (Bamoth)-baal
N:N-M-TQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 65 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-T
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun baal literally means "owner," "lord," or "husband." In everyday usage, it described a person’s relationship to property or family, such as a landowner or a man married to a woman. However, in the biblical narrative, the word carries a heavy historical weight because it became the primary title for the supreme male deity worshipped by Phoenician and Canaanite peoples.
Scripture uses baal in several distinct ways. It appears as a common noun for human masters or husbands, but it also names specific individuals, such as a Benjaminite ancestor of King Saul (1 Chronicles 8:30) and a Reubenite leader (1 Chronicles 5:5). Additionally, it identifies places like a town in the tribe of Simeon. Most frequently, however, the texts use baal to refer to the foreign god whose worship Israel was repeatedly commanded to reject.
The prophets, particularly Jeremiah and the authors of Kings, highlight the tension between Yahweh and Baal. By using the same word for both the true God’s title as Lord and the pagan deity, the biblical writers emphasized that all authority belongs to God alone. The narrative consistently portrays the shift toward baal worship as a betrayal of the covenant, marking a decline in spiritual fidelity during the periods of the divided monarchy.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word Baal originally meant owner or husband, a title of respect in everyday life. Yet in Scripture, it became the name of a false god that led Israel away from their covenant with Yahweh. This shift shows how easily human loyalty can be misplaced when we give ultimate authority to anything other than God.
When Elijah stood on Mount Carmel, he asked the people to choose whom they would serve: Yahweh or Baal (1 Kings 18:21). The story reminds us that divided loyalty creates confusion. True peace comes from recognizing that God alone is worthy of our trust and devotion.
May you find rest in knowing that your true Lord never fails you. Let this word encourage you to examine where your heart places its highest allegiance, and to return to the One who holds all authority.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 65 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ Baal31×
- to <the>/ Baal11×
- the/ Baals10×
- <of the>/ Baal5×
- by <the>/ Baal4×
- Baal4×
- for <the>/ Baal3×
- to the/ Baals2×
- for the/ Baals2×
- and/ Baal2×
- O/ Baal1×
- <to> the/ Baals1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/בַּ֔עַל13×
- הַ/בַּ֖עַל6×
- לַ/בַּ֗עַל4×
- הַ/בַּ֗עַל4×
- לַ/בָּ֑עַל3×
- לַ/בְּעָלִֽים\׃3×
- הַ/בָּֽעַל\׃3×
- הַ/בָּ֑עַל3×
- הַ/בַּ֜עַל3×
- הַ/בְּעָלִ֖ים3×
- לַ/בָּֽעַל\׃\ \ס2×
- לַ/בַּ֖עַל2×
Key Verses
-
Judges 2:13
They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.
This verse marks a turning point where Israel actively abandons Yahweh for Baal, showing how spiritual decline begins with shifting loyalty.
-
Judges 6:25
That same night, Yahweh said to him, “Take your father’s bull, even the second bull seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the Asherah that is by it.
God commands Gideon to destroy the altar of Baal, illustrating that true obedience requires removing competing idols from one’s life.