Reference: Baal, Baalim
Morish
Ba'al, Ba'alim
The name signifies 'master, possessor;' and whether singular or plural it always has the article. The chief male god of the Phoenicians and the Canaanites, as ASHTORETH was the chief female goddess. The Israelites in coming into the land doubtless found temples, groves, altars and high places set apart to Baal: incense was offered and offerings burnt, and children were sacrificed to him, whilst a great retinue of prophets and priests was maintained in his service, as is manifest by its revival afterwards. Nu 22:41; 1Ki 18:22; Jer 11:13; 19:5; 32:29.
The children of Israel were soon led away to the worship of Baal, Jg 2:11,13; 3:7; 6:31-32; 8:33; 10/6/type/acv'>10:6,10; and though under Samuel they relinquished it, 1Sa 7:4; 12:10, yet after the division of the kingdom it was by Ahab fully established in Israel. 1Ki 16:32. Elijah however stood for Jehovah, and raised the question with Israel whether Jehovah was God, or whether Baal, and established the rights of Jehovah by fire from heaven. This led to the destruction of all the prophets of Baal, 1Ki 18:17-40; but his idolatrous worship continued until the days of Jehu, who slew his worshippers and destroyed his house and images. 2Ki 10:18-28. It however revived again in Israel, and under Ahaziah and Athaliah extended also to Judah, and during the reigns of Ahaz and Manasseh worshippers of Baal are found there. 2Ki 11:18; 16:3-4; 17:16-17; 21:3. Thus did Satan succeed in leading aside to idolatry God's favoured people for whom He had done so much. Balaam's advice was only too successful, the women of Canaan being the snare that led to idolatry.
The word Baal is used in several compounds, at times referring to the god and in other cases to persons or places.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And it came to pass in the morning, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, and he saw from there the outmost part of the people.
And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and served the Baalim.
And the sons of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and forgot LORD their God, and served the Baalim and the Asheroth.
And Joash said to all who stood against him, Will ye contend for Baal? Or will ye save him? He who will contend for him, let him be put to death while [it is] morning. If he be a god, let him contend for himself because he has brok Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal contend against him because he has broken down his altar.
And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the sons of Israel turned again, and played the harlot after the Baalim, and made Baal-berith their god.
And the sons of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of LORD, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the sons of Ammon, and the god
And the sons of Israel cried to LORD, saying, We have sinned against thee, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baalim.
Then the sons of Israel did put away the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, and served LORD only.
And they cried to LORD, and said, We have sinned because we have forsaken LORD, and have served the Baalim and the Ashtaroth, but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee.
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, Is it thou, thou troubler of Israel? And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of LORD, and thou have followed the Baalim. read more. Now therefore send, and gather to me all Israel to mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table. So Ahab sent to all the sons of Israel, and gathered the prophets together to mount Carmel. And Elijah came near to all the people, and said, How long do ye go limping between the two sides? If LORD be God, follow him, but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then Elijah said to the people, I, even I only, am left a prophet of LORD, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks, and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. And I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fi And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of LORD. And the God that answers by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken. And Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first, for ye are many, and call on the name of your god, but put no fire under. And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped about the alt And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is meditating, or he is gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened. And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out upon them. And it was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the [evening] oblation, but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. And Elijah said to all the people, Come near to me. And all the people came near to him. And he repaired the altar of LORD that was thrown down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob to whom the word of LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. And with the stones he built an altar in the name of LORD. And he made a trench around the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid it on the wood. And he said, Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt-offering, and on the wood. And he said, Do it the second time, and they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time, and they did it the third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and he also filled the trench with water. And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the [evening] oblation, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, O LORD, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou are God in Israel, and Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou, LORD, are God, and [that] thou have turned their heart back again. Then the fire of LORD fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. And they said, LORD, he is God, LORD, he is God. and Elijah said to them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them, and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and killed them there.
And Jehu gathered all the people together, and said to them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshippers, and all his priests. Let none be lacking, for I have a great sacrifice [to do] to Baal. Whoever shall be lacking, he shall not live. But Jehu did it in subtlet read more. And Jehu said, Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal. And they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent through all Israel. And all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another. And he said to him who was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought forth for them vestments. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal. And he said to the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only. And they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Now Jehu had appointed for him eighty men outside, and said, If any of the men whom I bring into your hands escape, [he who lets him go], his life shall be for the life of h And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt-offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and kill them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the And they brought forth the pillars that were in the house of Baal, and burned them. And they broke down the pillar of Baal, and broke down the house of Baal, and made it an out-house to this day. Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.
And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and broke it down. They broke in pieces his altars and his images thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. Yes, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom LORD cast out from before the sons of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
And they forsook all the commandments of LORD their God, and made for them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of LORD to provoke him to anger.
For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed. And he reared up altars for Baal, and made an Asherah, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.
For according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah, and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem ye have set up altars to the shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal.
and have built the high places of Baal, to burn their sons in the fire for burnt-offerings to Baal, which I commanded not, nor spoke it, neither did it come into my mind.
And the Chaldeans, who fight against this city, shall come and set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses upon whose roofs they have offered incense to Baal, and poured out drink-offerings to other gods, to provoke me to a