Literally “master”, used to refer to a variety of local gods in the Near East, encountered by Israel in Canaan. In the later period, the word comes to refer especially to the local god of the city of Tyre (Baal Melgart), on account of the increasing importance of that city in the region.
The history of Baal worship
In the exodus period
Numbers 25:3–5 A Moabite deity whose worship involved sexual immorality. See also Numbers 22:41; Deuteronomy 4:3; Psalm 106:28; Hosea 9:10
So Israel joined in worshiping Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD burned against them. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and execute them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that His fierce anger may turn away from Israel.” So Moses told the judges of Israel, “Each of you must kill all of his men who have joined in worshiping Baal of Peor.”
In the time of the judges
Judges 2:12–13 Ashtoreth was the consort of Baal. See also Judges 3:7, Judges 6:31–32, Judges 8:33, Judges 10:6; 1 Samuel 7:4, 1 Samuel 12:10
Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.
In the time of Elijah
1 Kings 17:1 The proclamation of a drought and the contest on Carmel challenged the supposed power of Baal. See also 1 Kings 16:30–33, 1 Kings 18:18–19:1, 1 Kings 22:53; 2 Kings 10:18–29, 2 Kings 11:17–18
Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was among the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As surely as the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there will be neither dew nor rain in these years except at my word!”
During the later monarchy in the north
Hosea 2:2–13 Lovers are gods such as Baal. See also Hosea 11:2, Hosea 13:1
During the later monarchy in the south
2 Chronicles 28:1–2 The Judean kingdom copied the idolatry in the north. See also Jeremiah 2:8, Jeremiah 7:9; Hosea 3:3
Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. And unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the LORD. Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even made cast images of the Baals.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.