H1168a H1168a
Baal — the Canaanite storm deity; in the plural Baalim, the various local cult manifestations of Baal worship.
Ba'al as a divine name refers to the chief Canaanite storm and fertility god whose worship constituted Israel's most persistent spiritual rival. When Elijah confronts the prophets on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs 18:21), the singular ha-Ba'al denotes this specific deity. The plural form Be'alim — rendered by Spanish los Baales, French le Baalim, and German der Baale — appears in Judges and the Deuteronomistic summaries to name the many local shrine manifestations of this cult, each town having its own 'Baal.' The recurring refrain 'they served the Baalim' (Judg 2:11; 3:7; 10:6) functions as a shorthand for the whole history of Israel's apostasy.
Senses
1. Baal (the deity) — The singular Canaanite deity Ba'al, the storm god whose worship rivaled YHWH. All translations treat this as a proper name: spa. el-Baal, fra. le-Baal, deu. der-Baal, with the definite article marking the specific god. Elijah's challenge on Carmel (1 Kgs 18:21) and Gideon's destruction of Baal's altar (Judg 6:25-32) are defining passages. 54×
AR["ال-بَعْلَ", "ال-بَعْلِ", "البَعلَ", "الْبَعْلَ", "الْبَعْلُ", "الْبَعْلِ", "يا-بَعْلُ", "ٱلْبَعْلَ", "ٱلْبَعْلِ"]·ben["বাল", "বালের", "সেই-বাল", "সেই-বালের", "হে-বাল"]·DE["der-Baal"]·EN["the-Baal"]·FR["le-Baal"]·heb["ה-בעל"]·HI["बआल-ה", "बाल", "बाल-का", "बाल-की", "हब्बअल"]·ID["-Baal", "Baal"]·IT["il-Baal"]·jav["Baal"]·KO["그-바알", "그-바알을", "그-바알의", "그-바알이면", "바알-을", "바알-의", "바알의", "바알이", "바알이여"]·PT["o-Ba'al", "o-Baal"]·RU["-Баала", "Баал", "Баала", "Баалу", "Ваал", "Ваала", "Ваалу"]·ES["el-Baal", "¡Oh-Baal"]·SW["Baali"]·TR["Baal", "Baal'a", "Baal'ın", "mı-", "oğlu", "söyledi"]·urd["بعل", "بعل-کا", "بعل-کی", "بعل-کے", "ہ-بعل", "ہ-بعل-کے"]
Judg 6:25, Judg 6:28, Judg 6:30, Judg 6:32, 1 Kgs 16:31, 1 Kgs 16:32, 1 Kgs 16:32, 1 Kgs 18:19, 1 Kgs 18:21, 1 Kgs 18:22, 1 Kgs 18:25, 1 Kgs 18:26 (+38 more)
2. the Baals (cult manifestations) — The plural Be'alim — the various local manifestations, cult images, or regional forms of Baal worship across Canaan. Spanish los Baales and French le Baalim preserve the plural, signaling multiplicity. The Deuteronomistic formula 'they abandoned the LORD and served the Baalim' (Judg 2:11; 10:6) uses this plural as a collective indictment of syncretic worship across Israel's history. 22×
AR["ال-بَعْليم", "البَعليمِ", "الـ-بَعليمَ", "الـ-بَعْلِيم", "الـ-بَعْلِيمَ", "الـ-بَعْلِيمِ", "الْبَعْليمَ", "الْبَعْلِيمَ", "بِ-الْبَعْلِ", "بِالْبَعْلِ", "بِـ-الـ-بَعْلِ", "لِـ-الْبَعْلِيمِ", "لِلْبَعْلِيمَ", "لِلْبَعْلِيمِ"]·ben["-বালদেবতাদের", "-বালদেবতাদের-জন্য", "-বালদের-জন্য", "-বালদেরকে", "-বালে", "-বালে।", "বাল-দেবতাদের", "বালদেবতাদের-জন্য", "বালদের", "বালদের-", "বালদের।", "বালের-দ্বারা", "বালের-নামে"]·DE["Baal", "der-Baale", "der-Baalim", "der-Baals", "die-Baale"]·EN["by-the-Baal", "for-the-Baalim", "for-the-Baals", "the-Baalim", "the-Baals"]·FR["Baal", "le-Baalim", "le-Baals", "les-Baals"]·heb["ב-בעל", "ה-בעלים", "ל-ה-בעלים"]·HI["बआलों-ה", "बआलों-के", "बाल-के-कारण", "बाल-के-द्वारा", "बाल-में", "बाल-से", "बालिमों", "बालों", "बालों-की", "बालों-की।", "बालों-के", "बालों-के-लिए"]·ID["Baal-Baal", "Baal-baal", "demi-Baal", "karena-Baal", "oleh-Baal", "para-Baal", "untuk-Baal-baal", "untuk-berhala-berhala-Baal"]·IT["Baal", "i-Baal", "il-Baalim", "il-Baals", "per-Baal"]·jav["Baal", "Baal-Baal", "Baal-sedaya", "dhateng-Baal", "déning-Baal", "kanggé-para-Baal", "para-Baal"]·KO["그-바알들", "그-바알들-을-위하여", "그-바알들-의", "그-바알들과", "그-바알들을", "그-바알들의", "바알-로", "바알-으로", "바알들의", "에-바알로", "에게-그-바알들"]·PT["os-Baalim", "os-Baals", "os-Be'alim", "os-ba'alim", "para-os-Baalim", "pelo-Baal,", "por-Ba'al", "por-Baal"]·RU["Баалам", "Ваалам", "Ваалов", "Ваалом", "баалами", "в-Баала", "ваалам", "ваалами", "ваалов", "для-Ваалов", "от-Ваала", "ради-Ваала"]·ES["los-Baales", "los-baales", "para-los-baales", "por-Baal", "por-el-Baal"]·SW["Mabaali", "habּaliym", "kwa-Baali", "kwa-Mabaali", "labּaliym"]·TR["-Baalleri", "Baal'la-", "Baal-ile", "Baal-için", "Baal-üzerine-", "Baallar'in", "Baallar-a", "Baallar-için", "Baallara", "Baalların", "Baallerin", "de-Baallara"]·urd["بعل-سے", "بعل-کی", "بعل-کے-نام-سے", "بعلوں", "بعلوں-کی", "بعلوں-کی۔", "بعلوں-کے", "بعلوں-کے-لیے", "بعلیم-کی", "کے-سبب-بعل", "ہ-بعلوں-کے"]
Judg 2:11, Judg 3:7, Judg 8:33, Judg 10:6, Judg 10:10, 1 Sam 7:4, 1 Sam 12:10, 1 Kgs 18:18, 2 Chr 17:3, 2 Chr 24:7, 2 Chr 28:2, 2 Chr 33:3 (+10 more)
Related Senses
H3548 1. priest, cultic officiant (750×)G5547 1. Christ, Messiah, Anointed One (540×)H5030 1. Prophet, divine spokesperson (317×)H5930a 1. burnt offering (sacrifice) (286×)H3881 1. Levites (priestly class) (283×)G4396 1. prophet, spokesperson of God (146×)H6944 1. sanctuary, holy place (129×)G0749 1. high priest, chief priest (123×)H6944 2. holiness, sacredness (abstract quality) (123×)G5330 1. Pharisee (99×)G4336 1. pray to God (86×)H6944 3. holy things, sacred offerings (plural) (86×)H3722a 1. make ritual atonement (Piel) (85×)H6912 1. bury (Qal active) (82×)H6419 1. pray (Hitpael) (80×)H6944 4. holiness (with possessive pronoun) (77×)H6942 1. sanctify, consecrate (Piel factitive) (76×)H2930a 1. Qal: be/become unclean (75×)H7819a 1. slaughter an animal (Qal active) (72×)H1486 1. lot (object cast for decisions) (71×)
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 +…