Baʿal

A form of baal — A false deity or idol.

Meanings

proper nounBaʿal (plural Baʿals or Baʿalim)

plural Baʿals · plural Baʿalim · alternative Ba'al

  1. alternativeAlternative spelling of Baal, showing its original pharyngeal consonant.

    More carnally, on his way to face Mot, Baʿal mates with a cow, engendering bull offspring.

    2015, Eric Orlin, Routledge Encyclopedia of Ancient Mediterranean Religions, →ISBN, page 119
    2 more examples

    By the same token, in the cycle of Baʿal, it is a matter of worship that actually generates the divine confrontation. The event which triggers the clash between Baʿal and Yam (the Sea god), appears to be Yam's command over the other gods and their disobedience to Baʿal.

    2013, Dragoş Giulea, Pre-Nicene Christology in Paschal Contexts, →ISBN

    Elijah's total opposition to Baʿal had limited immediate effect. Although the people on Carmel declared that Yahweh was god and killed the 450 prophets of Baʿal (1 Kgs 18:39-40), Ahab's son Ahaziah worshiped Baʿal and consulted Baʿal-zebub (1 Kgs 22:53; 2 Kgs 1:2-16).

    2016, John L. McLaughlin, What are They Saying about Ancient Israelite Religion?, →ISBN

Origin

  1. Hebrewבעל
  2. EnglishBaʿal

Unadapted borrowing from Hebrew בעל.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Baʿal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ba%CA%BFal

MLA

“Baʿal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ba%CA%BFal. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Baʿal,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ba%CA%BFal.

Source: Baʿal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.