Baal
A Canaanite deity opposed to the worship of the LORD.
Baal is a deity worshiped by various groups in the Hebrew Bible, often in opposition to the worship of the LORD. The high places of Baal are mentioned as a location from which Balaam viewed the Israelites (Numbers 22:41). The Israelites are recorded as having forsaken the LORD to serve Baal and Ashtaroth (Judges 2:13). Altars and images of Baal were constructed and later destroyed by figures such as Gideon and Jehu (Judges 6:25, 2 Kings 10:26).
Quick Facts
- First mention
- Numbers 22:41
- Worshipers served baal
- Judges 2:13
- Prophets of baal slain
- 1 Kings 18:40
- House of baal destroyed
- 2 Kings 10:25-26
Lore & Background
Baal appears as a central figure in the conflict between the worship of the LORD and the worship of other gods. In the time of the judges, the Israelites forsook the LORD and served Baal (Judges 2:13). Gideon was commanded by the LORD to throw down his father's altar of Baal and cut down the grove beside it, which he did at night (Judges 6:25-28). The men of the city demanded Gideon's death for this act, but his father Joash argued that if Baal were a god, he could plead for himself (Judges 6:30-32). During the monarchy, King Ahab, influenced by his wife Jezebel, served and worshiped Baal, building a house and altar for Baal in Samaria (1 Kings 16:31-32). When Baal failed to answer his prophets' calls, Elijah had them slain at the brook Kishon (1 Kings 18:25-40). The LORD later told Elijah that seven thousand in Israel had not bowed to Baal (1 Kings 19:18). Jehu later destroyed the worship of Baal in Israel by deceit. He gathered all the prophets, servants, and priests of Baal for a great sacrifice, then ordered them slain and burned the images from the house of Baal (2 Kings 10:18-26).
Reader's Guide
The passages portray Baal as a deity whose worship is repeatedly condemned and violently suppressed by those loyal to the LORD. Baal is presented as powerless: his prophets call on him from morning until noon with no response (1 Kings 18:26), and his altar can be thrown down without divine retaliation (Judges 6:31-32). The narrative consistently shows that worshiping Baal provokes the LORD's anger (1 Kings 22:53) and leads to judgment. The destruction of Baal's altars, prophets, and images is depicted as a righteous act, whether by Gideon, Elijah, or Jehu. Some kings, like Jehoram, put away the image of Baal (2 Kings 3:2), while others, like Ahab and Ahaziah, served him. The overall portrayal is that Baal is a false god whose worship is incompatible with loyalty to the LORD.
Elsewhere in Figures of Scripture
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