Tuese
Friday, February 20, 2026
BAAL another pagan god worshipped by THE ELITES
Who Was BAAL and Why Was His Worship a Constant Temptation for Israel?
- Role and Domain: Baal was the primary deity associated with rain and dew, crucial for agriculture in Canaan. He was viewed as a,fertility god enabling crops to grow and life to continue.
- Mythology and Symbolism:Known as "He Who Rides on the Clouds," Baal was believed to live on Mount Zaphon. Mythological texts from Ugarit describe his battles against Yamm (god of the sea) and Mot (god of death), symbolizing the cycle of seasons and life. He was often symbolized by the bull or ram, representing strength and fertility.
- Biblical Significance: In the Old Testament, Baal worship was a frequent,rival to the worship of Yahweh. The prophet Elijah famously challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel to prove which god truly controlled the elements.
- Forms of Worship: Baal worship involved sacrifices, including, at times, firstborn children, and was associated with,sensual, rites in temples.
- Regional Variations: "Baal" acted as a title, and different regions worshipped local variations (e.g., Baal-Hadad, Baal-Shamen, Baal-Zebub).
When Shaul died, BAAL-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.
When BAAL-Hanan son of Akbor died, Hadad succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.
3. Exodus 14:2
“Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite BAALZephon.
4. Exodus 14:9
The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite BAAL Zephon.
The next morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth BAAL, and from there he could see the outskirts of the Israelite camp.
6. Numbers 25:3
So Israel yoked themselves to the BAAL of Peor. And the Lord’s anger burned against them.
7. Numbers 25:5
So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the BAAL of Peor.”
as well as Nebo and BAAL Meon (these names were changed) and Sibmah. They gave names to the cities they rebuilt.
9. Numbers 33:7
They left Etham, turned back to Pi Hahiroth, to the east of BAAL Zephon, and camped near Migdol.
10. Deuteronomy 4:3
You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at BAAL Peor. The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the BAAL of Peor,
11. Joshua 11:17
from Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir, to BAAL Gad in the Valley of Lebanon below Mount Hermon. He captured all their kings and put them to death.
12. Joshua 12:7
Here is a list of the kings of the land that Joshua and the Israelites conquered on the west side of the Jordan, from BAAL Gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak, which rises toward Seir. Joshua gave their lands as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel according to their tribal divisions.
13. Joshua 13:5
the area of Byblos; and all Lebanon to the east, from BAAL Gad below Mount Hermon to Lebo Hamath.
14. Joshua 13:17
to Heshbon and all its towns on the plateau, including Dibon, Bamoth BAAL, Beth BAAL Meon,
15. Joshua 15:9
From the hilltop the boundary headed toward the spring of the waters of Nephtoah, came out at the towns of Mount Ephron and went down toward BAALAH (that is, Kiriath Jearim).
16. Joshua 15:10
Then it curved westward from BAALAH to Mount Seir, ran along the northern slope of Mount Jearim (that is, Kesalon), continued down to Beth Shemesh and crossed to Timnah.
17. Joshua 15:11
It went to the northern slope of Ekron, turned toward Shikkeron, passed along to Mount BAALAH and reached Jabneel. The boundary ended at the sea.
18. Joshua 15:29
BAALAH, Iyim, Ezem,
19. Joshua 15:60
Kiriath BAAL (that is, Kiriath Jearim) and Rabbah—two towns and their villages.
20. Joshua 18:14
From the hill facing Beth Horon on the south the boundary turned south along the western side and came out at Kiriath BAAL (that is, Kiriath Jearim), a town of the people of Judah. This was the western side.
21. Joshua 19:8
and all the villages around these towns as far as BAALATH Beer (Ramah in the Negev). This was the inheritance of the tribe of the Simeonites, according to its clans.
22. Joshua 19:44
Eltekeh, Gibbethon, BAALath,
23. Judges 2:11
Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lordand served the BAALS.
24. Judges 2:13
because they forsook him and served BAAL and the Ashtoreths.
25. Judges 3:3
the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount BAALHermon to Lebo Hamath.
26. Judges 3:7
Othniel
The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the BAALS and the Asherahs.
27. Judges 6:25
That same night the Lord said to him, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one seven years old. Tear down your father’s altar to BAAL and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.
28. Judges 6:28
In the morning when the people of the town got up, there was BAAL’s altar, demolished, with the Asherah pole beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the newly built altar!
29. Judges 6:30
The people of the town demanded of Joash, “Bring out your son. He must die, because he has broken down BAAL’s altar and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.”
30. Judges 6:31
But Joash replied to the hostile crowd around him, “Are you going to plead BAAL’s cause? Are you trying to save him? Whoever fights for him shall be put to death by morning! If BAAL really is a god, he can defend himself when someone breaks down his altar.”
31. Judges 6:32
So because Gideon broke down BAAL’s altar, they gave him the name Jerub-BAAL that day, saying, “Let BAAL contend with him.”
32. Judges 7:1
Gideon Defeats the Midianites
Early in the morning, Jerub-BAAL (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh.
33. Judges 8:29
Jerub-BAAL son of Joash went back home to live.
34. Judges 8:33
No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the BAALS. They set up BAAL-Berith as their god
35. Judges 8:35
They also failed to show any loyalty to the family of Jerub-BAAL (that is, Gideon) in spite of all the good things he had done for them.
36. Judges 9:1
Abimelek
Abimelek son of Jerub-BAAL went to his mother’s brothers in Shechem and said to them and to all his mother’s clan,
37. Judges 9:2
“Ask all the citizens of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you: to have all seventy of Jerub-BAAL’s sons rule over you, or just one man?’ Remember, I am your flesh and blood.”
38. Judges 9:4
They gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of BAAL-Berith, and Abimelek used it to hire reckless scoundrels, who became his followers.
39. Judges 9:5
He went to his father’s home in Ophrah and on one stone murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of Jerub-BAAL. But Jotham, the youngest son of Jerub-BAAL, escaped by hiding.
40. Judges 9:16
“Have you acted honorably and in good faith by making Abimelek king? Have you been fair to Jerub-BAAL and his family? Have you treated him as he deserves?
41. Judges 9:19
So have you acted honorably and in good faith toward Jerub-BAAL and his family today? If you have, may Abimelek be your joy, and may you be his, too!
42. Judges 9:24
God did this in order that the crime against Jerub-BAAL’s seventy sons, the shedding of their blood, might be avenged on their brother Abimelek and on the citizens of Shechem, who had helped him murder his brothers.
43. Judges 9:28
Then Gaal son of Ebed said, “Who is Abimelek, and why should we Shechemites be subject to him? Isn’t he Jerub-BAAL’s son, and isn’t Zebul his deputy? Serve the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelek?
44. Judges 9:57
God also made the people of Shechem pay for all their wickedness. The curse of Jotham son of Jerub-BAAL came on them.
45. Judges 10:6
Jephthah
Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the BAALS and the Ashtoreths, and the gods of Aram, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites and the gods of the Philistines. And because the Israelites forsook the Lord and no longer served him,
46. Judges 10:10
Then the Israelites cried out to the Lord, “We have sinned against you, forsaking our God and serving the BAALS.”
47. Judges 20:33
All the men of Israel moved from their places and took up positions at BAAL Tamar, and the Israelite ambush charged out of its place on the west of Gibeah.
48. 1 Samuel 7:4
So the Israelites put away their BAALS and Ashtoreths, and served the Lord only.
49. 1 Samuel 12:10
They cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned; we have forsaken the Lord and served the BAALS and the Ashtoreths. But now deliver us from the hands of our enemies, and we will serve you.’
50. 1 Samuel 12:11
Then the Lord sent Jerub-BAAL, Barak, Jephthah and Samuel, and he delivered you from the hands of your enemies all around you, so that you lived in safety.
51. 2 Samuel 5:20
So David went to BAAL Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called BAAL Perazim.
52. 2 Samuel 6:2
He and all his men went to BAALAH in Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, the name of the Lord Almighty, who is enthroned between the cherubim on the ark.
53. 2 Samuel 13:23
Absalom Kills Amnon
Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at BAAL Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there.
54. 1 Kings 9:18
BAALath, and Tadmor in the desert, within his land,
55. 1 Kings 16:31
He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of EthBAAL king of the Sidonians, and began to serve BAAL and worship him.
56. 1 Kings 16:32
He set up an altar for BAAL in the temple of BAALthat he built in Samaria.
57. 1 Kings 18:18
“I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the BAALS.
58. 1 Kings 18:19
Now summon the people from all over Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel. And bring the four hundred and fifty prophets of BAAL and the four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table.”
59. 1 Kings 18:21
Elijah went before the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lordis God, follow him; but if BAAL is God, follow him.” But the people said nothing.
60. 1 Kings 18:22
Then Elijah said to them, “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left, but BAAL has four hundred and fifty prophets.
61. 1 Kings 18:23
Get two bulls for us. Let BAAL’s prophets choose one for themselves, and let them cut it into pieces and put it on the wood but not set fire to it. I will prepare the other bull and put it on the wood but not set fire to it.
62. 1 Kings 18:25
Elijah said to the prophets of BAAL, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.”
63. 1 Kings 18:26
So they took the bull given them and prepared it. Then they called on the name of BAAL from morning till noon. “BAAL, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
64. 1 Kings 18:40
Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of BAAL. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.
65. 1 Kings 19:18
Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to BAAL and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
66. 1 Kings 22:53
He served and worshiped BAAL and aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, just as his father had done.
67. 2 Kings 1:2
Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, “Go and consult BAAL-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”
68. 2 Kings 1:3
But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult BAAL-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’
69. 2 Kings 1:6
“A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult BAAL-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”’”
70. 2 Kings 1:16
He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult BAAL-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”
71. 2 Kings 3:2
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of BAAL that his father had made.
72. 2 Kings 4:42
Feeding of a Hundred
A man came from BAAL Shalishah, bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
73. 2 Kings 10:18
Servants of BAAL Killed
Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served BAAL a little; Jehu will serve him much.
74. 2 Kings 10:19
Now summon all the prophets of BAAL, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for BAAL. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of BAAL.
75. 2 Kings 10:20
Jehu said, “Call an assembly in honor of BAAL.” So they proclaimed it.
76. 2 Kings 10:21
Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of BAAL came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of BAAL until it was full from one end to the other.
77. 2 Kings 10:22
And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of BAAL.” So he brought out robes for them.
78. 2 Kings 10:23
Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of BAAL. Jehu said to the servants of BAAL, “Look around and see that no one who serves the Lord is here with you—only servants of BAAL.”
79. 2 Kings 10:25
As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and kill them; let no one escape.” So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of BAAL.
80. 2 Kings 10:26
They brought the sacred stone out of the temple of BAAL and burned it.
81. 2 Kings 10:27
They demolished the sacred stone of BAAL and tore down the temple of BAAL, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.
82. 2 Kings 10:28
So Jehu destroyed BAAL worship in Israel.
83. 2 Kings 11:18
All the people of the land went to the temple of BAAL and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of BAAL in front of the altars. Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the Lord.
84. 2 Kings 17:16
They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped BAAL.
85. 2 Kings 21:3
He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to BAAL and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.
86. 2 Kings 23:4
The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for BAAL and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel.
87. 2 Kings 23:5
He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to BAAL, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.
When Shaul died, BAAL-Hanan son of Akbor succeeded him as king.
When BAAL-Hanan died, Hadad succeeded him as king. His city was named Pau, and his wife’s name was Mehetabel daughter of Matred, the daughter of Me-Zahab.
and all the villages around these towns as far as BAALath. These were their settlements. And they kept a genealogical record.
91. 1 Chronicles 5:5
Micah his son, Reaiah his son, BAAL his son,
92. 1 Chronicles 5:8
and Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. They settled in the area from Aroer to Nebo and BAAL Meon.
The Half-Tribe of Manasseh
The people of the half-tribe of Manasseh were numerous; they settled in the land from Bashan to BAAL Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon).
and his firstborn son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, BAAL, Ner, Nadab,
Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-BAAL.
The son of Jonathan: Merib-BAAL, who was the father of Micah.
and his firstborn son was Abdon, followed by Zur, Kish, BAAL, Ner, Nadab,
Ner was the father of Kish, Kish the father of Saul, and Saul the father of Jonathan, Malki-Shua, Abinadab and Esh-BAAL.
The son of Jonathan: Merib-BAAL, who was the father of Micah.
100. 1 Chronicles 13:6
David and all Israel went to BAALAH of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name.
101. 1 Chronicles 14:11
So David and his men went up to BAAL Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called BAAL Perazim.
102. 1 Chronicles 27:28
BAAL-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western foothills. Joash was in charge of the supplies of olive oil.
103. 2 Chronicles 8:6
as well as BAALath and all his store cities, and all the cities for his chariots and for his horses—whatever he desired to build in Jerusalem, in Lebanon and throughout all the territory he ruled.
104. 2 Chronicles 17:3
The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the BAALS
105. 2 Chronicles 23:17
All the people went to the temple of BAAL and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols and killed Mattan the priest of BAAL in front of the altars.
106. 2 Chronicles 24:7
Now the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the temple of God and had used even its sacred objects for the BAALS.
107. 2 Chronicles 26:7
God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who lived in Gur BAAL and against the Meunites.
108. 2 Chronicles 28:2
He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and also made idols for worshiping the BAALS.
109. 2 Chronicles 33:3
He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished; he also erected altars to the BAALSand made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.
110. 2 Chronicles 34:4
Under his direction the altars of the BAALS were torn down; he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them, and smashed the Asherah poles and the idols. These he broke to pieces and scattered over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.
111. Psalm 106:28
They yoked themselves to the BAAL of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
112. Song of Songs 8:11
Solomon had a vineyard in BAAL Hamon; he let out his vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for its fruit a thousand shekels of silver.
113. Jeremiah 2:8
The priests did not ask, ‘Where is the Lord?’ Those who deal with the law did not know me; the leaders rebelled against me. The prophets prophesied by BAAL, following worthless idols.
114. Jeremiah 2:23
“How can you say, ‘I am not defiled; I have not run after the BAALS’? See how you behaved in the valley; consider what you have done. You are a swift she-camel running here and there,
115. Jeremiah 7:9
“‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to BAAL and follow other gods you have not known,
116. Jeremiah 9:14
Instead, they have followed the stubbornness of their hearts; they have followed the BAALS, as their ancestors taught them.”
117. Jeremiah 11:13
You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god BAAL are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’
118. Jeremiah 11:17
The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to BAAL.
119. Jeremiah 12:16
And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lordlives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by BAAL—then they will be established among my people.
120. Jeremiah 19:5
They have built the high places of BAAL to burn their children in the fire as offerings to BAAL—something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.
121. Jeremiah 23:13
“Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: They prophesied by BAAL and led my people Israel astray.
122. Jeremiah 23:27
They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through BAAL worship.
123. Jeremiah 32:29
The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to BAALand by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.
124. Jeremiah 32:35
They built high places for BAAL in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek, though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind—that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.
125. Jeremiah 40:14
and said to him, “Don’t you know that BAALis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
126. Ezekiel 25:9
therefore I will expose the flank of Moab, beginning at its frontier towns—Beth Jeshimoth, BAAL Meon and Kiriathaim—the glory of that land.
127. Hosea 2:8
She has not acknowledged that I was the one who gave her the grain, the new wine and oil, who lavished on her the silver and gold— which they used for BAAL.
128. Hosea 2:13
I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the BAALS; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,” declares the Lord.
129. Hosea 2:17
I will remove the names of the BAALS from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.
130. Hosea 9:10
“When I found Israel, it was like finding grapes in the desert; when I saw your ancestors, it was like seeing the early fruit on the fig tree. But when they came to BAAL Peor, they consecrated themselves to that shameful idol and became as vile as the thing they loved.
131. Hosea 11:2
But the more they were called, the more they went away from me. They sacrificed to the BAALS and they burned incense to images.
132. Hosea 13:1
When Ephraim spoke, people trembled; he was exalted in Israel. But he became guilty of BAAL worship and died.
133. Zephaniah 1:4
“I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will destroy every remnant of BAAL worship in this place, the very names of the idolatrous priests—
134. Romans 11:4
And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to BAAL.”














































