בְּעֵל
𐤁𐤏𐤋
bᵉʻêl
H1169 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A master, lord, or owner; an individual who holds authority or significant power over property, affairs, or people. In specific contexts, used for a husband as the master or legal authority over a household, or for one holding an official title (e.g., 'chancellor'). Used primarily as an administrative or titular designation rather than a personal name in the biblical Aramaic texts.
Semantic Range
master, lord, owner; husband (rare in biblical Aramaic); administrator or chancellor (in official Aramaic phraseology)
Root / Etymology
Root: בעל (b-ʻ-l). The root בעל in Hebrew conveys the sense of 'to possess, own, be master of.' בְּעֵל is the Aramaic cognate, functioning as a noun for 'master' or 'lord.' The lexical meaning has developed in parallel fashion to the Hebrew but with distinctive Aramaic forms.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בְּעֵל appears only in Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, especially in the books of Ezra and Daniel, used in official or administrative titles, such as in the phrase 'be‘el ṭe‘em' (chancellor, Ezra 4:8, 17). While the underlying concept parallels the Hebrew בַּעַל (ba‘al), the Aramaic form is rarely used for personal names within the biblical text, but rather for titles or functional roles. The connotation in Aramaic prose is less mythological than in some Hebrew and Canaanite contexts where Baal is a deity's name. Standard translations like 'master,' 'lord,' or 'chancellor' capture the administrative or hierarchical nuance, but do not always convey the specific institutional or social structure implied. The use for 'husband' is present in Aramaic but rare in biblical usage. Not to be confused with the Canaanite deity Baal, except where context specifically suggests the divine sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to בַּעַל; {a master; hence, a husband,}; [phrase] chancellor.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בעל (b-ʿ-l) — to possess, to own, to control, to rule
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1010 | בֵּית בַּעַל מְעוֹן | master |
| H1120 | בָּמוֹת | master |
| H1166 | בָּעַל | I possessed |
| H1167 | בַּעַל | master |
| H1168 | בַּעַל | master |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1169-01 |
בְּעֵל | beel | ANcmsc |
the commander | master-owner | master-owner | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1169-01 |
Ezra 4:8 | בְּעֵל | beel | ANcmsc |
the commander | master-owner | the master-officer |
H1169-01 |
Ezra 4:9 | בְּעֵל | beel | ANcmsc |
the commander | master-owner | the master-official |
H1169-01 |
Ezra 4:17 | בְּעֵל | beel | ANcmsc |
master | master-owner | master-owner |