H1167 H1167
Owner, master, lord; husband; lords/citizens of a city; one possessing a quality (idiomatic 'ba'al of X')
Perhaps no Hebrew noun better illustrates how a single word can anchor an entire social world than ba'al. At its core it means 'owner' or 'master' — the man responsible for an ox that gores (Exod 21:28-29), the proprietor of a house that shelters guests (Judg 19:22-23), the creditor who holds a debt (Deut 15:2). Yet the same word designates the leading citizens or lords of a city, as with the infamous 'lords of Shechem' whose treachery dominates Judges 9. In domestic life, ba'al is the natural word for 'husband,' and Hosea 2:16 plays brilliantly on the tension: 'You will call me ishi (my man) and no longer call me ba'ali (my ba'al)' — rejecting the word's association with the Canaanite storm god. The idiomatic construction 'ba'al of X' creates a versatile attributive: ba'al of dreams (Gen 37:19), ba'al of a covenant (Gen 14:13), even ba'al of wings (Prov 1:17).
4. one characterized by a quality — The idiomatic attributive construction 'ba'al of X' meaning 'one characterized by or possessing a quality' — two occurrences in the data, though the pattern is widespread in Hebrew. Proverbs 1:17 speaks of a ba'al of wings (a winged creature), and Isaiah 41:15 describes a new threshing-sledge as a ba'al of teeth (having sharp edges). Arabic dhu (possessor of) functions identically, and this construction underlies compound expressions throughout the Hebrew Bible like ba'al of dreams (Gen 37:19), ba'al of anger (Prov 22:24), and ba'al of a covenant (Gen 14:13). 2×
AR["ذَا","ذِي"]·ben["অধিকারী","যের-আছে"]·DE["Herr","in-ueber"]·EN["having-teeth","owner-of"]·FR["dans-sur","maître"]·heb["בעל"]·HI["पक्षी","वाली"]·ID["pemilik","yang-punya"]·IT["Baal","padrone"]·jav["ingkang-gadhah","manuk"]·KO["가진","가진-자-의"]·PT["senhor-de"]·RU["владеющего","имеющим"]·ES["ave","dueño"]·SW["chenye","mwenye"]·TR["sahibi","sahibinin"]·urd["دوہری","مالک"]
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
1. owner or master of property — The primary legal-economic sense of owner or master of property — 40 occurrences spanning ownership of animals (Exod 21:28-29, 34; 22:8-14), houses (Judg 19:22-23), fields (Job 31:39), pits (Exod 21:34), and debts (Deut 15:2). The Covenant Code in Exodus 21-22 alone accounts for a dense cluster, establishing ba'al as the default legal term for a property holder with attendant liability. Spanish dueno, Hindi malik, Korean juin, and Swahili mwenye all converge on this proprietary core, while German Herr preserves the 'lord/master' overtone that English 'owner' flattens. 40×
AR["إِنْ-","الشَّرُّ","بِ-صاحِبِهِ","زَوجُ","صاحِبَ","صاحِبُ","صاحِبُها","صاحِبُهُ","صَاحِبَهَا","صَاحِبُ","صَاحِبِ"]·ben["কর্তা","তার-মালিকের","তার-মালিকের-মধ্যে","মালিক","মালিকদের-তার","মালিকদের-তার-জন্য","স্বামী"]·DE["Herr","Herr-von","[בעל]","der-Herr","gegen-sein-owner","in-ueber","in-ueber-ihn","in-ueber-sie","owner-von","possessor-von","sein-owner"]·EN["against-its-owner","is-master-of","its-owner","its-owners","master-of","owner-of","possessor-of","to-its-owners"]·FR["contre-son-maître","dans-sur","maître-de","possessor-de","propriétaire-de","sa-maître-elle","son-maître-lui","son-propriétaire","à-sa-maître-elle"]·heb["ב-בעליו","בעל","בעליה","בעליו","ל-בעליה"]·HI["अपने-मालिकों-को","उसका-स्वामी","उसके-मालिकों-को","को-मालिकों-उसके","पति","मालिक","मालिक-उसका","मालिक-उसके-ने","वाला","वाले","स्वामी"]·ID["Pemilik","bagi-pemiliknya","berbulu","pemilik","pemiliknya","suami","tuan"]·IT["Baal","[בעל]","contro-suo-owner","owner-di","padrone-di","padrone-sua","padrone-suo","per-padrone-sua","possessor-di","suo-owner"]·jav["Ingkang-gadhah","bendara","bèndara","dhateng-ingkang-gadhah-nipun","gadhah","garwa","ingkang-gadhah","ingkang-gadhah-nipun","ingkang-gadhah-nipun,","ingkang-kagungan","kagungan","tumrap-ingkang-gadhah-piyambakipun"]·KO["그의-주인도","그의-주인에게","그의-주인이","남편이","남편인","주인","주인-","주인-의","주인들-그것의","주인들-그것의-에게","주인은","주인이냐","주인이다","주인인"]·PT["Dono-de","a-donos-seus","dono-de","donos-seus","marido-de","para-donos-seus","senhor-de","seu-dono"]·RU["владелец","владельца","владельцев-её.","владельцев-своих.","для-владельцев-его,","имеет","муж","обладатель","хозяин","хозяин-его","хозяину"]·ES["a-su-dueño","a-sus-dueños","dueño-de","el-dueño-de","el-esposo-de","esposo-de","para-sus-dueños","su-dueño","sus-dueños","tenga"]·SW["bwana","bwana-wa","kwa-wamiliki-wake","mwenye","mwenye-nayo","mwenye-wake","wamiliki-wake"]·TR["sahibi","sahibi-","sahibine","sahiplerini"]·urd["اُس-کا-مالک","اُس-کے-مالک-نے","اُس-کے-مالک-کو","بالوں-والا","شوہر","صاحب","مالک","مالک-ہے","مالکوں-کو-اس-کے","والا","والے","کو-اُس-کے-مالکوں"]
Gen 37:19, Exod 21:3, Exod 21:22, Exod 21:28, Exod 21:29, Exod 21:29, Exod 21:34, Exod 21:34, Exod 21:36, Exod 22:8, Exod 22:11, Exod 22:12 (+28 more)
2. lord or ruler of a city — The civic-political sense of lords, rulers, or leading citizens of a city or region — 27 occurrences, most prominently the 'ba'alei Shechem' whose volatile alliance with Abimelech drives the narrative of Judges 9. Also applied to the lords of Jericho (Josh 24:11), the archers who harassed Joseph (Gen 49:23, where ba'alei chitstsim literally means 'masters of arrows'), and the rulers of Moab's high places (Num 21:28). Spanish senores de and French maitres de mark the feudal-civic authority, while the plural construct chain ba'alei + city name functions as a near-technical political designation throughout the Deuteronomistic History. 27×
AR["أَصْحَابُ","بَعْلَيْ","سَادَة"]·ben["প্রভুদের","প্রভুরা","প্রভুরা-","মালিকেরা","হা-ইমোরী"]·DE["Herren-von","Herren-von-","die-Herren","herren-von","lords-von"]·EN["lords-of","lords-of-","masters-of"]·FR["lords-de","lords-de-","maîtres-de"]·heb["בעלי"]·HI["धनुर्धारियों-ने","मालिक","स्वामियो","स्वामियों-के","स्वामियोंको","स्वामियोंने","स्वामी","स्वामी-"]·ID["para-tuan","pemilik","tuan-tuan","tuan-tuan-","warga","warga-"]·IT["lords-di","lords-di-","padroni-di","signori-di"]·jav["bèndara","para-juru","para-pangageng","para-pangageng-","para-pangarsaning"]·KO["주인들-","주인들-이","주인들아","주인들이","주인들이-"]·PT["donos-de","senhores-de","senhores-de-"]·RU["владельцы","господ","господа","господа-","господами","хозяева"]·ES["dueños-de","los-señores-de","señores-de","señores-de-"]·SW["wakazi-wa-","wamiliki-wa","watu","watu-wa","watu-wa-","wenye"]·TR["beyleri","beyleri-","beylerini","beylerinin","ileri-gelenleri","sahipleri","sahipleri-"]·urd["باشندے","سردار","سرداروں","سرداروں-نے","سرداروں-نے-","سرداروں-کو","سرداروں-کے","مالکان","والوں-نے"]
3. husband — The domestic-relational sense of husband or marital lord — 12 occurrences where ba'al designates a woman's spouse. Deuteronomy 22:22 and 24:4 use it in divorce and adultery legislation; 2 Samuel 11:26 applies it to Uriah in the Bathsheba narrative; and Hosea 2:16 famously exploits the word's dual resonance with the Canaanite deity. Arabic ba'l (husband) and Akkadian belu confirm the ancient Semitic breadth of the term. The intimate domestic application of a word meaning 'owner/lord' has generated centuries of feminist and theological commentary. 12×
AR["أَزْوَاجَهُنَّ","بَعلِها","بَعْلٍ","بَعْلُها","بَعْلِ","بَعْلِها","زَوْجٍ","زَوْجُهَا","سَيِّدٌ","لِ-أَزْوَاجِهِنَّ"]·ben["তাদের-স্বামীদের","তার-স্বামী","তার-স্বামীর","স্বামী","স্বামীর"]·DE["Baal","Herr","ein-husband","husband","ihr-Herr","ihr-husband","in-Brandopfer","mit-einem-Ehemann"]·EN["a-husband","her-husband","her-lord","husband","husband-of","their-husbands","to-their-husbands"]·FR["[בעליהן]","[לבעליהן]","dans-sur","husband","mari","sa-husband","sa-maître-elle","sa-seigneur","un-mari"]·heb["בעל","בעל-ה","בעלה","בעליהן-ן","ל-בעליהן-ן"]·HI["अपने-पतियों-को","अपने-स्वामी-के","पति","पति-उसका","पति-कि","पति-की","पति-वाली","स्वामी"]·ID["kepada-suami-mereka","sebagai-pemimpin","suami","suami-suami-mereka","suaminya","tuannya"]·IT["[בעל]","[בעליהן]","[לבעליהן]","husband","lei-husband","lei-signore","marito","padrone-sua","un-husband"]·jav["bendaranipun","bojo","dhateng-para-garwa-ipun","garwa","ingkang-dados-tuan","lakinipun","para-garwa-ipun"]·KO["그녀-의-남편-의","그녀의-남편의","그녀의-남편이","그들의-남편들에게","그들의-남편들을","남편","남편-그녀의","남편의"]·PT["a-maridos-seus","esposo-de","marido","marido-dela","maridos-seus","senhor","seu-marido","seu-senhor"]·RU["господин","господина-своего","за-мужем","муж-её","мужа","мужа-её","муже","мужей-своих","мужьям-своим"]·ES["a-sus-maridos","como-esposo","esposo","esposo-de","esposo-de-ella","marido","su-esposo","su-marido"]·SW["bwana","bwana-arusi-wa","bwana-wake","mlangano","mume","mume-wake","waume-zao"]·TR["efendi-olarak","efendisinin","koca","kocalarına-","kocalarını","kocanın","kocası","kocasının","kocasının-onun"]·urd["اُس-کا-شوہر","اپنے-خاوند","اپنے-شوہروں-کو","خاوند-اُس-کا","خاوند-اُس-کے-کا","شوہر","شوہر-اپنے-کا","شوہر-والی","شوہر-کی","مالک"]
5. sense 5 — A single occurrence in Genesis 14:13 where ba'alei berit designates 'covenant partners' or 'allies' of Abram — Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner. The construct ba'alei berit (literally 'masters/possessors of a covenant') represents a diplomatic-treaty idiom where ba'al extends from property ownership to treaty obligation. Spanish aliados de ('allies of') captures the relational force, while English 'possessors of' retains the literal construct. This bridges Senses 1 and 4: the 'ownership' is metaphorical, applying to a mutual pact rather than property. 1×
AR["أَصْحَابُ"]·ben["মালিকরা"]·DE["waren-Bundesgenossen"]·EN["possessors-of"]·FR["possessors-de"]·heb["בעלי"]·HI["सहभगि"]·ID["sekutu-sekutu"]·IT["possessors-di"]·jav["ingkang-kagungan"]·KO["동맹자들이였다"]·PT["senhores-de"]·RU["владельцы"]·ES["aliados-de"]·SW["walioshirikiana-na"]·TR["sahipleri"]·urd["ساتھی"]
6. sense 6 — A single occurrence in Jeremiah 37:13 where ba'al peqiddut designates a 'captain of the guard' or 'officer of oversight' — literally a 'master/lord of visitation/inspection.' The term applies to Irijah, who arrests Jeremiah at the Benjamin Gate on suspicion of defection. Spanish jefe de ('chief of') and German Hauptmann capture the military-administrative authority. This specialized title extends the ba'al-of-X attributive pattern (Sense 4) into institutional-military terminology, showing the root's productivity in official nomenclature. 1×
AR["رَئِيسُ"]·ben["মালিক"]·DE["in-ueber"]·EN["officer-of"]·FR["dans-sur"]·heb["בעל"]·HI["अध्यक्ष"]·ID["pemilik"]·IT["Baal"]·jav["pangageng-"]·KO["주인이"]·PT["chefe-de"]·RU["начальник"]·ES["jefe-de"]·SW["mkuu-wa"]·TR["sahibi-"]·urd["مالک"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. בַּעַל166 n.m. owner, lord (Ph. בעל; Palm. id. husband Vog62 cf. BaeRel. 72 ff.; Assyrian bêlu l.c. DlGram. Gloss.; Arabic بعْلٌ husband etc., v. especially NöZMG 1886, 174, Sab. בעל CISiv. 1, 2)—Gn 20:3 + 92 times; sf. בַּעְלִי Ho 2:18; בַּעְלָהּ Dt 24:4 + 5 times; pl. בְּעָלִים Ju 2:11 + 17 times; cstr. בַּעֲלֵי Gn 14:13 + 27 times; sf. בְּעָלָיו Ex 21:29 + 14 times; בְּעָלֶיהָ Jb 31:39 +…