Baal

Ba'al (Hebrews id. בִּעִל, lord or master), a generic term for god in many of the Syro-Arabian languages. As the idolatrous nations of that race had several gods, this word, by means of some accessory distinction, became applicable as a name to many different deities. See BAAL-BERITH, see BAAL-PEOR; see BAAL-ZEBUB. There is no evidence, however, that the Israelites ever called Jehovah by the name of Baal; for the passage in Ho 2:16, which has been cited as such, only contains the word baal as the sterner, less affectionate representative of husband. It is spoken of the master and owner of a house (Ex 22:7; Jg 19:22); of a landholder (Job 31:39); of an owner of cattle (Ex 21:28; Isa 1:3); of a lender of money, i.e. creditor (De 15:2); also of the head of a family (Le 21:4); and even of the Assyrians (or the princes) as conquerors of nations (Isa 16:8). See BAALIM. It also occurs very frequently as the first part of the names of towns and men, e.g. BAAL-GAD, BAAL-HAMON, BAAL-HANAN, etc., all which see in their alphabetical order, and compare see BAAL. As a strictly proper name, and in its simple form, Baal stands in the Bible for a deity, and also for two men and one village. See GUR-BAAL; see KIRJATH-BAAL; see MERIB-BAAL.

1. This name (with the article, הִבִּעִל, hab-Ba'al, Jg 2:13; Sept. ὁ Βάαλ, but also ἡ Βάαλ, Jer 19:5; Jer 39:18; Ro 11:4) is appropriated to the chief male divinity of the Phoenicians, the principal seat of whose worship was at Tyre, and thus corresponds with ASHTORETH, their supreme female divinity. Both names have the peculiarity of being used in the plural, and it seems that these plurals designate either (as Gesenius, Thes. s.v. maintains) statues of the divinities, or different modifications of the divinities themselves. That there were many such modifications of Baal is certain from the fact that his name occurs with numerous adjuncts, both in the O.T. and elsewhere, as we have seen above. The plural BAALIM is found frequently alone (e.g. Jg 2:11; Jg 10:10; 1Ki 18:18; Jer 9:14; Ho 2:17), as well as in connection with Ashtoreth (Jg 10:6; 1Sa 7:4), and with Asherah, or, as our version renders it, "the groves" (Jg 3:7; Jg 2