קִרְיַת בַּעַל (qir.yat ba.al)
qir.yat ba.al
Kiriath-baal
N:N--LQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N--L
Word Overview
The name Qiryat-Baal translates to "City of Baal," identifying a specific settlement located on the border between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. This location appears in the book of Joshua as part of the territorial assignments for these tribes, marking it as a significant point on the northern edge of Judah and the western or southern limits of Benjamin.
Lexical sources clarify that this name is an alternative designation for Qiryat-Ye’arim, which literally means "City of Forests." The variation in names reflects different historical layers or local traditions associated with the place. While one name highlights its geographical setting among trees, the other references the deity Baal, indicating a past cultural or religious association before the city’s later identification with the Ark of the Covenant.
This dual naming convention illustrates how biblical places often carry multiple identities across different texts. The shift from "City of Baal" to "City of Forests" or simply Qiryat-Ye’arim in other passages shows a transition in how the location was understood by Israelite writers, moving away from Canaanite religious associations toward its role in Israel’s tribal geography and sacred history.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Kiriath-baal, meaning 'City of Baal,' appears in the tribal boundaries of Joshua. It marks a place where Israel’s history intersected with Canaanite culture. This location was later known as Kiriath-jearim, or 'City of Forests.' The shift in names reflects how God redeems places and people, turning former centers of pagan worship into sites of sacred memory.
For believers today, this reminds us that no place is beyond God’s reach. Even locations tied to false gods can become part of His story when surrendered to Him. Just as the Ark of the Covenant rested in Kiriath-jearim, so too can our lives—once marked by worldly associations—become dwellings for His presence.
When we read these ancient borders, we see a God who reclaims and repurposes. He does not discard what was broken but transforms it into something holy. This hope invites us to trust that He can bring beauty from any past, no matter how tangled or distant from Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Kiriath2×
- Baal2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- קִרְיַת\־2×
- בַּ֙עַל֙1×
- בַּ֗עַל1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 15:60
Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), and Rabbah; two cities with their villages.
This verse lists Kiriath Baal as part of Judah’s inheritance, showing its early role in tribal territory before its later association with the Ark.
-
Joshua 18:14
The border extended, and turned around on the west quarter southward, from the mountain that lies before Beth Horon southward; and ended at Kiriath Baal (also called Kiriath Jearim), a city of the children of Judah. This was the west quarter.
Here the border ends at Kiriath Baal, identifying it as a landmark between Judah and Benjamin, highlighting its strategic and symbolic importance in Israel’s land division.