- verses
- 3
- first named
- Judges 8:33
- last named
- Judges 8:33
Description
Baal-berith in the text
Baal, meaning "lord" or "master," was a prominent Canaanite god associated with fertility, weather, and agriculture. The Israelites were repeatedly warned against worshipping Baal, as it was considered a violation of their covenant with the Lord (Judges 2:11, 13; 3:7; 10:6, 10; 1Sa.7.4; 12:10). However, many Israelites succumbed to Baal worship, often under the influence of foreign rulers or through intermarriage with Canaanites (Judges 8:33; 1Ki.16.31-32; 22:53; 2Ki.10.18-28; 17:16).
Several biblical accounts depict the conflict between Baal worship and devotion to the Lord. The prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, demonstrating the power and supremacy of the Lord (1Ki.18.16-40). King Ahab and his wife Jezebel were notorious for promoting Baal worship in Israel (1Ki.16.31-32; 21:25-26). Later, King Jehu carried out a purge of Baal worshippers in Israel (2Ki.10.18-28).
The worship of Baal often involved the use of sacred pillars or poles, known as Asherah poles (Judges 6:25-32; 1Ki.16.32-33; 2Ki.21.3; 23:4-5). The prophets consistently condemned Baal worship, associating it with idolatry, child sacrifice, and spiritual unfaithfulness (Jeremiah 2:8, 23; 7:9; 11:13, 17; 19:5; 23:13, 27; 32:29, 35; Hosea 2:8, 13, 17; 11:2; 13:1; Zephaniah 1:4).
Peor, mentioned in connection with Baal (Numbers 25:3, 5; Psalm 106:28), was a Moabite god. The Israelites engaged in idolatry and sexual immorality with the Moabites at Baal-peor, resulting in a plague that killed 24,000 people (Numbers 25:1-9). This incident is cited as an example of the consequences of forsaking the Lord and embracing pagan worship (Deu.4.3; Hosea 9:10).
The recurring theme of Baal and Peor worship in the Bible serves as a warning against compromising one's faith and succumbing to the temptations of idolatry. It emphasizes the importance of remaining faithful to the Lord and rejecting the worship of false gods.
Relations
Direct connections
Every entity the graph places in a stated relation with this one, grouped by the kind of link. Each relation is authored once and its inverse derived, so both ends always agree. Rows marked “registry” come from the identity spine rather than from a verse, and a row marked “which bearer is the source’s decision” is one where the name could have meant more than one person. The last group is not a relation at all — it counts the events two entities stand in together.
Stands in the same events as
- Israel1 event
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Where to read it
Every verse of the text carried here that names this entity — 3, across 1 book.
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Where this page goes
Nothing in the graph stands one hop from this entity yet. These are the best-connected entities of the same type, so the page still ends somewhere. Descriptions by STEPBible TIPNR.
Sources