בַּעֲלָה
𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤄
Baalah
H1173 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun used as a place name, Baʻălâh designates three distinct locations in the Hebrew Bible. The name itself is derived from the noun 'baʻal,' meaning 'lord, owner, or master,' and thus carries the sense of 'place of the lord' or 'Baʻal-place.' In practice, these place names likely denote sites associated with the Canaanite deity Baʻal, a major figure in neighboring cultures to ancient Israel, or indicate a place with a prominent local god or lord. The term should not be confused with the personal name or title 'Baʻal.'
Semantic Range
place-name derived from 'baʻal', site associated with lordship or deity, specifically: a) another name for Kirjath-jearim, b) a Negev town in Judah, c) a mountain region in Simeon
Root / Etymology
From root בּעל (b-'-l), meaning 'to rule, possess, own.' 'Baal' (בַּעַל) means 'lord, owner.' The feminine ending '-âh' is commonly used in place names. Thus, בַּעֲלָה is a feminine form, functioning as a toponym and not referring to a person.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Baalah appears as the name of several sites: (1) another name for Kirjath-jearim on Judah's northern border (Joshua 15:9, 60; 1 Chronicles 13:6); (2) a town in the Negev region of Judah (Joshua 15:29); (3) a mountain region in the tribal territory of Simeon (Joshua 19:3). The occurrence of Baalah as a place name indicates past Canaanite religious influence; however, later Israelite usage of these names typically reflects geographic inheritance rather than ongoing pagan worship. In modern English translations, these are usually rendered as 'Baalah,' following transliteration, but sometimes replaced by later names such as Kirjath-jearim. The term 'Palestine,' used in older translation traditions, reflects later geographic terminology not present in the biblical text. Baalah as a place name is not directly related to Israelite personal or religious identity but reflects a toponymic history of the region and the persistence of local cultic place names.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as בַּעֲלָה; Baalah, the name of three places in Palestine; Baalah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
בעל (b-ʿ-l) — to rule, to possess, to be lord/master, to own
| 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
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1173-01 |
בַּעֲלָ֔ה | baalah | HNp |
Baalah | Lord-place | 2 |
H1173-02 |
בַּעֲלָ֔תָ/ה | baalatah | HNp/Sd |
of Baalah | Lord-place | 1 |
H1173-04 |
מִ/בַּעֲלָ֥ה | mibaalah | HR/Np |
from-Baalah | from Lord-place | 1 |
H1173-03 |
הַֽ/בַּעֲלָ֖ה | habaalah | HTd/Np |
Baalah | the Lord-Place | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1173-01 |
Joshua 15:9 | בַּעֲלָ֔ה | baalah | HNp |
to Baalah | Lord-place |
H1173-04 |
Joshua 15:10 | מִ/בַּעֲלָ֥ה | mibaalah | HR/Np |
from-Baalah | from Lord-place |
H1173-03 |
Joshua 15:11 | הַֽ/בַּעֲלָ֖ה | habaalah | HTd/Np |
Baalah | the Lord-Place |
H1173-01 |
Joshua 15:29 | בַּעֲלָ֥ה | baalah | HNp |
Baalah | Lord-place |
H1173-02 |
1 Chronicles 13:6 | בַּעֲלָ֔תָ/ה | baalatah | HNp/Sd |
of Baalah | Lord-place |