What does בַּעַל (baʿal) mean in the Bible?
בַּעַל (baʿal): Master through possession and control; extends from literal ownership to relational authority as husband or lord
Hebrew · H1167
בַּעַל
A master ; hence, a husband , or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense)
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בַּעַל H1167
Pronunciation baʿal
What does בַּעַל (baʿal) mean in the Bible?
בַּעַל (baʿal): Master through possession and control; extends from literal ownership to relational authority as husband or lord
Full entry for בַּעַל (H1167) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H1167?
The BSB source-word alignment has 83 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the leaders (11), . . . (7), the owner (5), and its owner (2), Her husband (2).
Where does בַּעַל (baʿal) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 14:13. Its strongest book concentrations include Judges (19), Exodus (14), Proverbs (14), Ecclesiastes (7).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the leaders 11× Judges 9:2, Judges 9:3, Judges 9:6, Judges 9:18
. . . 7× Exodus 21:3, Exodus 24:14, 2 Samuel 1:6, 2 Kings 1:8
the owner 5× Exodus 21:34, Exodus 22:8, Exodus 22:11, Exodus 22:15
and its owner 2× Exodus 21:29
Her husband 2× Proverbs 31:23, Proverbs 31:28
man 2× Proverbs 22:24, Proverbs 29:22
of its owner 2× Ecclesiastes 5:13, Ecclesiastes 7:12
the men 2× Judges 20:5, 2 Samuel 21:12
the rulers 2× Numbers 21:28, Isaiah 16:8
their husbands 2× Esther 1:17, Esther 1:20
to the owner 2× Exodus 22:12, Ecclesiastes 5:11
were bound 2× Genesis 14:13, Nehemiah 6:18
Will the citizens 2× 1 Samuel 23:11, 1 Samuel 23:12
a schemer 1× Proverbs 24:8
and a winged creature 1× Ecclesiastes 10:20
and caused them 1× Judges 9:23
and full 1× Nahum 1:2
and leaders 1× Judges 9:51
and the leaders 1× Judges 9:26
another man’s 1× Deuteronomy 22:22
bird 1× Proverbs 1:17
But the owner 1× Exodus 21:28
creditor 1× Deuteronomy 15:2
dreamer 1× Genesis 37:19
for the charmer 1× Ecclesiastes 10:11
for those related to him by marriage 1× Leviticus 21:4
from the deserving 1× Proverbs 3:27
from the leaders 1× Judges 9:20
him 1× 2 Samuel 11:26
husband 1× Exodus 21:22
is her husband’s 1× Proverbs 12:4
its giver 1× Proverbs 17:8
its master’s 1× Isaiah 1:3
its owner 1× Exodus 21:34
O leaders 1× Judges 9:7
of her husband 1× Proverbs 31:11
of its possessors 1× Proverbs 1:19
of its tenants 1× Job 31:39
of the masters 1× Ecclesiastes 12:11
possess 1× Proverbs 23:2
The archers 1× Genesis 49:23
the captain 1× Jeremiah 37:13
the husband 1× Joel 1:8
The people 1× Joshua 24:11
then the husband 1× Deuteronomy 24:4
those who practice it 1× Ecclesiastes 8:8
to him 1× Proverbs 18:9
to its possessor 1× Proverbs 16:22
while its owner 1× Exodus 22:14
who owned 1× Judges 19:22
with 1× Isaiah 41:15
woman. 1× Genesis 20:3
yet its owner 1× Exodus 21:36
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 14:13 בַּעֲלֵ֥י to were bound Noun - masculine plural construct Genesis 20:3 בָּֽעַל׃ to woman. Noun - masculine singular Genesis 37:19 בַּ֛עַל to dreamer Noun - masculine singular construct Genesis 49:23 בַּעֲלֵ֥י to The archers Noun - masculine plural construct Exodus 21:3 בַּ֤עַל to . . . Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 21:22 בַּ֣עַל to husband Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 21:28 וּבַ֥עַל to But the owner Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Exodus 21:29 בִּבְעָלָיו֙ to and its owner Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 21:29 בְּעָלָ֖יו to and its owner Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular Exodus 21:34 בַּ֤עַל to the owner Noun - masculine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 14:13
Aligned rows 83
Books represented 20
Genesis 4 Exodus 14 Leviticus 1 Numbers 1 Deuteronomy 3 Joshua 1 Judges 19 1 Samuel 2 2 Samuel 3 2 Kings 1 Nehemiah 1 Esther 2 Job 1 Proverbs 14 Ecclesiastes 7 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 1 Daniel 2 Joel 1 Nahum 1
Source forms
בַּעֲלֵ֣י 10x ba·‘ă·lê Judges 9:2, Judges 9:3, Judges 9:7, Judges 9:18
בַּ֣עַל 9x ba·‘al Exodus 21:22, Leviticus 21:4, Judges 19:22, Judges 19:23
בַּעֲלֵ֥י 4x ba·‘ă·lê Genesis 14:13, Genesis 49:23, Judges 9:20, Judges 9:26
בַּעֲלֵ֖י 4x ba·‘ă·lê Numbers 21:28, Judges 9:46, Judges 9:47, 2 Samuel 21:12
בַּעְלָ֑הּ 3x ba‘·lāh Proverbs 12:4, Proverbs 31:11, Proverbs 31:23
בַּעֲלֵ֤י 3x ba·‘ă·lê Judges 9:6, Nehemiah 6:18, Isaiah 16:8
בְּעָלָ֑יו 3x bə·‘ā·lāw Exodus 21:36, Proverbs 16:22, Isaiah 1:3
בַ֥עַל 2x ḇa·‘al Exodus 24:14, Isaiah 50:8
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine plural construct 26x Genesis 14:13, Genesis 49:23, Numbers 21:28, Joshua 24:11
Noun - masculine singular construct 18x Genesis 37:19, Exodus 21:3, Exodus 21:22, Exodus 21:34
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 10x Exodus 21:29, Exodus 21:36, Exodus 22:11, Exodus 22:14
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular 6x Deuteronomy 24:4, 2 Samuel 11:26, Proverbs 12:4, Proverbs 31:11
Noun - masculine singular 5x Genesis 20:3, Leviticus 21:4, Deuteronomy 15:2, Deuteronomy 22:22
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 4x Exodus 21:28, Proverbs 29:22, Ecclesiastes 10:20, Nahum 1:2
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular 4x Exodus 21:34, Exodus 22:12, Proverbs 3:27, Ecclesiastes 5:13
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person feminine singular 2x Job 31:39, Ecclesiastes 7:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Master through possession and control; extends from literal ownership to relational authority as husband or lord
Source Gloss
a master ; hence, a husband , or (figuratively) owner (often used with another noun in modifications of this latter sense)
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
One who possesses or owns understanding as valuable property
Owner or possessor of a bribe who receives it as beneficial gift
Person characterized by or given to anger, one who possesses wrathful nature
Person who practices or masters mischievous scheming and evil plots
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 83 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
בַּעַל is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain