Topical Encyclopedia
Baalim is the plural form of Baal, a term used throughout the Old Testament to refer to various local deities worshiped in the ancient Near East, particularly by the Canaanites. The name "Baal" itself means "lord" or "master" and was often associated with fertility, weather, and agriculture. The worship of Baalim was a recurring issue for the Israelites, as it represented a significant departure from the worship of Yahweh, the one true God of Israel.
Biblical References and ContextThe worship of Baalim is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament as a source of idolatry and apostasy among the Israelites. In
Judges 2:11-13 , it is recorded: "And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths."
The Israelites' attraction to Baalim was partly due to the seductive nature of Canaanite religion, which often included ritualistic practices and ceremonies that appealed to human senses and desires. The worship of Baalim typically involved altars, high places, and sacred groves, where sacrifices and other rites were performed.
Prophetic CondemnationThe prophets of Israel consistently condemned the worship of Baalim, viewing it as a direct violation of the covenant between God and His people. The prophet Hosea, for example, rebuked Israel for their unfaithfulness, likening their idolatry to adultery.
Hosea 2:13 states: "I will punish her for the days of the Baals to which she burned incense. She decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but Me she forgot," declares the LORD.
Similarly, the prophet Jeremiah warned of the consequences of forsaking Yahweh for Baalim. In
Jeremiah 9:14 , it is written: "Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts and gone after the Baals, as their fathers taught them."
Reform and RenewalThroughout Israel's history, there were periods of reform when kings and leaders sought to eradicate the worship of Baalim and restore the worship of Yahweh. One notable example is King Josiah, who initiated significant religious reforms.
2 Kings 23:4-5 records: "Then the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of the second order, and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal, Asherah, and all the host of heaven. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and carried their ashes to Bethel. He also deposed the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the cities of Judah and those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the host of heaven."
Theological SignificanceThe struggle against the worship of Baalim highlights the central biblical theme of monotheism and the exclusive worship of Yahweh. The repeated lapses into idolatry serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of syncretism and the human tendency to turn away from God. The narrative of Baalim underscores the importance of faithfulness to God's commandments and the need for continual spiritual vigilance.
In summary, Baalim represents the persistent challenge of idolatry faced by the Israelites and serves as a reminder of the call to worship the one true God with undivided loyalty.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Baalimidols; masters; false gods
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Baalim[BAAL]
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Plural of Baal; images of the god Baal (
Judges 2:11;
1 Samuel 7:4).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
(
n.) Plural of Baal.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
BAALIMba'-a-lim ha-be`alim: Plur. of BAAL (which see).
Strong's Hebrew
1168. Ba'al -- a heathen god... Baal, plural
Baalim The same as ba'al; Baal, a Phoenician deity -- Baal, (plural)
Baalim. see HEBREW ba'al. 1167, 1168. Ba'al. 1168a . Strong's Numbers.
Library
Jehoshaphat's Reform
... Asa his father had taken.3. And the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked
in the first ways of his father David, and sought not untoBaalim; 4. But...
Israel's Obstinacy and God's Patience
... THE BOOK OF JUDGES ISRAEL'S OBSTINACY AND GOD'S PATIENCE. 'And the children of
Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and servedBaalim; 12....
Deuteronomy
... For they DID forget God, and worshippedBaalim, the sun, moon, and stars; and ruin
of every kind DID come upon them, till they were carried away captive to...
A Miracle of Grace
... Would it not be better to go with the times, take up withBaalim and Ashtaroth,
do homage to the sensuous proclivities of the common people, and make friendly...
Canaan
... There were as many Baals orBaalim as there were states or cults.... Over against
theBaalim or Baals stood the Ashtaroth or Ashtoreths....
The Prophet --His Youth and his Call.
... The names of these localBaalim, or Lords, had mostly vanished,(114) and
Israel claimed the rural sanctuaries for Yahweh. But the...
His Earliest Oracles. (ii. 2-iv. 4. )
... But in fertile Canaan the nation encountered innumerable local deities, theBaalim,
husbands of the land, begetters of its fruits and lords of its waters....
Nor Should I Think it Needful to Discuss Whether God Pursues a...
... After the death of Joshua the son of Nave they forsake the God of their fathers,
and serve idols,Baalim and Ashtaroth; [8248] and the Lord in anger delivered...
Israel in Canaan.
... They had many gods, whom they called altogetherBaalim, or lords; and goddesses,
whom they called Ashtoreth; and they thought that each had some one city or...
Index of Names and Subjects.
... Ark, the, 101. Assyria, 66, 77, 175. Atonement, 7.Baalim, 76, etc. Babylonian idolatry,
234. Ball, CJ, his "The Prophecies of Jeremiah," 9, 93, 184, 203, 210....
Thesaurus
Baalim (18 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
BAALIM. ba'-a-lim ha-be`alim: Plur. of BAAL
(which see). Multi-Version Concordance
Baalim (18 Occurrences).
...Baal (94 Occurrences)
... Phoenicians. It is found in several places in the pluralBAALIM (Judges
2:11; 10:10; 1 Kings 18:18; Jeremiah 2:23; Hosea 2:17)....
Groves (32 Occurrences)
... Judges 3:7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgat
the LORD their God, and servedBaalim and the groves. (KJV WBS)....
Shrines (40 Occurrences)
... (YLT). Judges 3:7 and the sons of Israel do the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah,
and forget Jehovah their God, and serve theBaalim and the shrines. (YLT)....
Forgat (9 Occurrences)
... (KJV ASV). Judges 3:7 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD,
and forgat the LORD their God, and servedBaalim and the groves. (KJV ASV)....
Forsaking (29 Occurrences)
... 10 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying: 'We have sinned against
Thee, in that we have forsaken our God, and have served theBaalim.' (See NIV...
Baalis (1 Occurrence)
... ba'-a-lis ba`lic, perhaps forBaalim, "gods"; Septuagint Beleisa, Belisa, [Baalis];
Ant, X, ix, 3, Baalimos: King of the children of Ammon, the instigator of...
Ash'taroth (12 Occurrences)
... See RSV). 1 Samuel 7:4 Then the children of Israel did put away theBaalim
and the Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. (See RSV). 1...
Graven (61 Occurrences)
... 2 Chronicles 34:4 And they brake down the altars of theBaalim in his presence;
and the sun-images that were on high above them he hewed down; and the Asherim...
Resources
Who was Baal? | GotQuestions.orgBaalim: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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