Baal
בַּעַל · ba.al · H1168AΒάαλ · Baal · G08961 other spelling“master; lord” Hitchcock's 186970 mentions in 12 books, most in 2 Kings (16)
Who they were
Baal-berith, also known as El-berith, was a Canaanite god whose name means "Lord of the Covenant" or "God of the Covenant." This deity is mentioned in the book of Judges in connection with the Israelites' idolatry and the rule of Abimelech, a son of Gideon.
After Gideon's death, the Israelites turned away from the Lord and began worshipping Baal-berith (Judges 8:33). Abimelech, seeking to establish his rule over Shechem, received silver from the temple of Baal-berith to hire worthless and reckless men to support him (Judges 9:4). Later, when the people of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech, they put their trust in the temple of El-berith (Judges 9:46).
The worship of Baal-berith/El-berith by the Israelites demonstrates their recurring tendency to stray from the Lord and embrace the idolatrous practices of the surrounding Canaanite culture. This unfaithfulness to the covenant with the Lord led to various conflicts and consequences throughout the period of the judges.
The name Baal-berith/El-berith suggests that this deity was associated with the concept of a covenant or agreement, possibly related to treaties or alliances between cities or nations. However, the biblical account emphasizes that the true covenant relationship is between the Lord and His people, and any devotion to other gods is a violation of this covenant.
Article: STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0
Every mention
70 references, counted from STEPBible, Tyndale House Cambridge · CC BY 4.0 · verse text: World English Bible (public domain)
Numbers2 mentions
Deuteronomy1 mention
Judges11 mentions
Judges 2:11The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals.Judges 2:13They abandoned Yahweh, and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.Judges 3:7The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.Judges 6:25That 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…Judges 6:28When the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was broken down, and the Asherah was cut down that was by it, and the second bull was offered on the altar…Judges 6:30Then the men of the city said to Joash, “Bring out your son, that he may die, because he has broken down the altar of Baal, and because he has cut down the Asherah that was by it.”Judges 6:31Joash said to all who stood against him, “Will you contend for Baal? Or will you save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death by morning! If he is a god, let him contend…Judges 6:32Therefore on that day he named him Jerub-Baal, saying, “Let Baal contend against him, because he has broken down his altar.”Judges 8:33As soon as Gideon was dead, the children of Israel turned again and played the prostitute following the Baals, and made Baal Berith their god.Judges 10:6The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and served the Baals, the Ashtaroth, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the…Judges 10:10The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, saying, “We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals.”
1 Samuel2 mentions
1 Samuel 7:4Then the children of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and served Yahweh only.1 Samuel 12:10They cried to Yahweh, and said, ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken Yahweh and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will…
1 Kings11 mentions
1 Kings 16:31As if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal…1 Kings 16:32He raised up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.1 Kings 18:18He answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house, in that you have forsaken Yahweh’s commandments and you have followed the Baals.1 Kings 18:19Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and four hundred fifty of the prophets of Baal, and four hundred of the prophets of the Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”1 Kings 18:21Elijah came near to all the people, and said, “How long will you waver between the two sides? If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people didn’t say a word.1 Kings 18:22Then Elijah said to the people, “I, even I only, am left as a prophet of Yahweh; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred fifty men.1 Kings 18:25Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves, and dress it first, for you are many; and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under it.”1 Kings 18:26They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, “Baal, hear us!” But there was no voice, and nobody…1 Kings 18:40Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal! Don’t let one of them escape!” They seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.1 Kings 19:18Yet I reserved seven thousand in Israel, all the knees of which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”1 Kings 22:53He served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked Yahweh, the God of Israel, to anger in all the ways that his father had done so.
2 Kings16 mentions
2 Kings 3:2He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, but not like his father and like his mother, for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.2 Kings 10:18Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much.2 Kings 10:19Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all of his worshipers, and all of his priests. Let no one be absent, for I have a great sacrifice to Baal. Whoever is absent, he shall…2 Kings 10:20Jehu said, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal!” So they proclaimed it.2 Kings 10:21Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that didn’t come. They came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled…2 Kings 10:22He said to him who kept the wardrobe, “Bring out robes for all the worshipers of Baal!” So he brought robes out to them.2 Kings 10:23Jehu went with Jehonadab the son of Rechab into the house of Baal. Then he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that none of the servants of Yahweh are here with you, but only…2 Kings 10:25As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, “Go in and kill them! Let no one escape.” So they struck them with the edge of the…2 Kings 10:26They brought out the pillars that were in the house of Baal and burned them.2 Kings 10:27They broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it a latrine, to this day.2 Kings 10:28Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.2 Kings 11:18All the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and broke it down. They broke his altars and his images in pieces thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.…2 Kings 17:16They abandoned all the commandments of Yahweh their God, and made molten images for themselves, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served Baal.2 Kings 21:3For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he raised up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as Ahab king of Israel did, and worshiped all the army of…2 Kings 23:4The king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the threshold, to bring out of Yahweh’s temple all the vessels that were made for Baal…2 Kings 23:5He got rid of the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places around Jerusalem; those also who…
2 Chronicles6 mentions
2 Chronicles 17:3Yahweh was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and didn’t seek the Baals,2 Chronicles 23:17All the people went to the house of Baal, broke it down, broke his altars and his images in pieces, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.2 Chronicles 24:7For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up God’s house; and they also gave all the dedicated things of Yahweh’s house to the Baals.2 Chronicles 28:2but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and also made molten images for the Baals.2 Chronicles 33:3For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he raised up altars for the Baals, made Asheroth, and worshiped all the army of the sky, and served them.2 Chronicles 34:4They broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence; and he cut down the incense altars that were on high above them. He broke the Asherah poles, the engraved images, and the molten…
Psalms1 mention
Jeremiah12 mentions
Jeremiah 2:8The priests didn’t say, ‘Where is Yahweh?’ and those who handle the law didn’t know me. The rulers also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal and followed things…Jeremiah 2:23“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled. I have not gone after the Baals’? See your way in the valley. Know what you have done. You are a swift dromedary traversing her ways,Jeremiah 7:9Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods that you have not known,Jeremiah 9:14but have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them.”Jeremiah 11:13For according to the number of your cities are your gods, Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to burn…Jeremiah 11:17For Yahweh of Armies, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done to themselves in…Jeremiah 12:16It will happen, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As Yahweh lives;’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in…Jeremiah 19:5and have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I didn’t command, nor speak, which didn’t even enter into my mind.Jeremiah 23:13“I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.Jeremiah 23:27They intend to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they each tell his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name because of Baal.Jeremiah 32:29The Chaldeans, who fight against this city, will come and set this city on fire, and burn it with the houses on whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal, and poured out drink…Jeremiah 32:35They built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through fire to Molech, which I didn’t command them. It…
Hosea6 mentions
Hosea 2:8For she didn’t know that I gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied to her silver and gold, which they used for Baal.Hosea 2:13I will visit on her the days of the Baals, to which she burned incense when she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers and forgot me,” says Yahweh.Hosea 2:17For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name.Hosea 9:10I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the fig tree at its first season; but they came to Baal Peor, and consecrated themselves to the…Hosea 11:2They called to them, so they went from them. They sacrificed to the Baals, and burned incense to engraved images.Hosea 13:1When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling. He exalted himself in Israel, but when he became guilty through Baal, he died.
What the dictionary says
Lord.
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897)
Read the article →Sources
- STEPBible TIPNR · Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References · CC BY 4.0 · github.com/STEPBible/STEPBible-Data
- Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary (1869) · Public domain