Protos

Who was Baal in the Bible?

A male deity in the Old Testament

Baal-berith, also known as El-berith, was a Canaanite god whose name means "Lord of the Covenant" or "God of the Covenant." This deity is mentioned in the book of Judges in connection with the Israelites' idolatry and the rule of Abimelech, a son of Gideon. Baal appears in 52 verses across 11 books of the Bible.

What does the Bible say about Baal?

Baal-berith, also known as El-berith, was a Canaanite god whose name means "Lord of the Covenant" or "God of the Covenant." This deity is mentioned in the book of Judges in connection with the Israelites' idolatry and the rule of Abimelech, a son of Gideon. After Gideon's death, the Israelites turned away from the Lord and began worshipping Baal-berith (Judges 8:33). Abimelech, seeking to establish his rule over Shechem, received silver from the temple of Baal-berith to hire worthless and reckless men to support him (Judges 9:4). Later, when the people of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech, they put their trust in the temple of El-berith (Judges 9:46). The worship of Baal-berith/El-berith by the Israelites demonstrates their recurring tendency to stray from the Lord and embrace the idolatrous practices of the surrounding Canaanite culture. This unfaithfulness to the covenant with the Lord led to various conflicts and consequences throughout the period of the judges. The name Baal-berith/El-berith suggests that this deity was associated with the concept of a covenant or agreement, possibly related to treaties or alliances between cities or nations. However, the biblical account emphasizes that the true covenant relationship is between the Lord and His people, and any devotion to other gods is a violation of this covenant.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Baal appear in the Bible?

Baal is referenced in 52 verses across 11 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

2 Kings 16Jeremiah 101 Kings 9Judges 7Hosea 3Numbers 22 Chronicles 1Deuteronomy 1Psalms 1Romans 1Zephaniah 1

Showing the first 24 of 52.

Open all 52 references in Protos

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Baal.

AsherahJehuTempleElijahBullIncense

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Baal?

Baal appears in 52 verses across 11 books, most often in 2 Kings, which accounts for 16 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Baal?

2 Kings, Jeremiah, 1 Kings, Judges, Hosea, Numbers, 2 Chronicles, Deuteronomy, and 3 more.

Where can I read every verse about Baal?

This page lists 24 of them. Protos carries all 52, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read 2 Kings with Baal explained on the verse.

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