Baal In The Old Testament
The word baal means "lord"; the plural is baalim. In general, Baal was a fertility god who was believed to enable the earth to produce crops and people to produce children. Different regions worshiped Baal in different ways, and Baal proved to be a highly adaptable god.
Even those who have vaguely heard of the name Baal in the Bible know it doesn't have a good connotation. But who is Baal? What do we know about the religion surrounding this Canaanite deity, and how did it affect those in the Old Testament? In this article, we'll discuss what Scripture says about Baal, what we know from history about Baal, and why this ultimately matters to us today. The spelling of the English term "Baal" derives from the Greek Báal (Βάαλ) which appears in the New Testament [16] and Septuagint, [17] and from its Latinized form Baal, which appears in the Vulgate.
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[17] These forms in turn derive from the vowel-less Northwest Semitic form BʿL (Phoenician and Punic: 𐤁𐤏𐤋). [18] The word's biblical senses as a Phoenician deity and false gods. The fight against Baal worship is a major theme in the Old Testament, showing the ongoing battle against idolatry.
Baal first shows up in the Book of Numbers, where the Israelites "yoked themselves to Baal of Peor." This act sparked divine anger, leading to a devastating plague. Only after two major reformations aimed at the elimination of Baal worship (2 Kings 18:4-6; 23:4-15) and the chastisement involved in the national disaster of 587 b.c., did a majority of the Jews finally forsake the last vestiges of Baal worship and turn in contrition to Yahweh, the covenant. Baal Lord, 1.
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In the Old Testament denotes an idol of the Phoenicians, and particularly of the Tyrians, whose worship was also introduced with great solemnities among the Hebrews, and especially at Samaria, along with that of Astarte, Jud 6:25-32 2 Kings 10:18,28. See ASHTORETH, plural ASH-TAROTH. The plural, Baalim, signifies images or statues of Baal, Jud 2:11 10:10.
Of the extent to which. When Baal is mentioned in the Old Testament, most references and meanings point to the singular pagan deity. It is important to note, however, that the word "baal" was earlier used as a common.
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God used Gideon to drive out Baal and the Midianites, though worship of Baal did return sporadically during the days of the judges. The worship of Baal seems to have been at its height during the times when Israel was two kingdoms and the prophets were active. The Old Testament (OT) law forbade Ahab's marriage to Jezebel and the construction of temples for Baal, but the king didn't let this get in his way.
Jezebel didn't just want the freedom to worship Baal in Israel, she wanted Baal to replace Yahweh (the LORD) in Israelite worship (1 Kings 18:1-15; 19:1-10). Baal (בעל): This Hebrew word, used in the Old Testament, refers to the Canaanite deity associated with fertility and storms. Idolatry (εἰδωλολατρία): A Greek term found in the New Testament, it refers to worshipping false gods or idols, akin to Baal worship.
