בַּעַל פְּרָצִים
𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤐𐤓𐤑𐤉𐤌
Baal Peratsim
H1188 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The proper name Baʻal Pᵉrâtsîym refers to a specific place, meaning 'Master (or Lord) of Breakings/Breaches'. The term connotes a location identified by a dramatic breach or bursting forth, often understood in literary context as 'the place of breaking through.' The semantic range includes (1) a site celebrated for a decisive victory or sudden breakthrough, (2) a descriptive toponym commemorating an extraordinary event, particularly in connection with an Israelite military success attributed to divine intervention.
Semantic Range
place of breakthrough, site of bursting forth, commemorative location of a breach event, descriptive toponym marking victory or sudden incursion
Root / Etymology
Compound formation from the root בעל (b-ʿ-l), 'to own, rule, possess', functioning as 'master' or 'lord' (often applied to deities or localities), and פרץ (p-r-ts), 'to break through, burst forth'. פְּרָצִים is the masculine plural of פֶּרֶץ ('breach', 'bursting forth'). Thus, Baʻal Pᵉrâtsîym means 'the possessor/master of breaches/breakings through'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Baʻal Pᵉrâtsîym appears in the narrative of 2 Samuel 5:20 and 1 Chronicles 14:11, where it marks the site of a decisive Israelite victory over Philistines early in David's reign. The name is explained through a wordplay: David attributes the victory to YHWH 'breaking through' the Philistine forces 'like a burst of water', hence the commemorative toponym. This double-layered naming (both by David and applied earlier to Canaanite localities with Baal-titles) exemplifies a biblical pattern of adapting local names and associating them with Israelite theological narratives. The term 'Baal' in older Canaanite usage refers to a local deity, but in this context, it functions as 'master' or 'place of', not as YHWH's appellation. English translations sometimes conceal the etymological meaning by transliterating rather than translating the name. The plural 'breaches' highlights the overwhelming or multi-faceted aspect of the breakthrough. In later tradition, the term 'Baal-perazim' is sometimes associated anachronistically with post-exilic or liturgical symbolism, but in the Hebrew Bible, it is strictly a toponymic marker of an Israelite military triumph.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּעַל and the plural of פֶּרֶץ; possessor of breaches; Baal-Peratsim, a place in Palestine; Baal-perazim.
Bantu Hebrew
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בעל, פרץ (b-ʿ-l; p-r-ts) — to own, rule, possess; to break through, burst forth
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1188-03 |
פְּרָצִים֮ | peratsim | HNp |
Perazim | Master of Breakthroughs | 4 |
H1188-01 |
בַּ֥עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | master | 2 |
H1188-02 |
בְּ/בַֽעַל | bevaal | HR/Np |
to Baal | in Master of Breakings | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1188-02 |
2 Samuel 5:20 | בְּ/בַֽעַל | bevaal | HR/Np |
to Baal | in Master of Breakings |
H1188-03 |
2 Samuel 5:20 | פְּרָצִים֮ | peratsim | HNp |
Perazim | Master of Breakthroughs |
H1188-01 |
2 Samuel 5:20 | בַּ֥עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | master |
H1188-03 |
2 Samuel 5:20 | פְּרָצִֽים | peratsim-2 | HNp |
Perazim | Master of Breakthroughs |
H1188-02 |
1 Chronicles 14:11 | בְּ/בַֽעַל | bevaal | HR/Np |
to Baal | in Master of Breakings |
H1188-03 |
1 Chronicles 14:11 | פְּרָצִים֮ | peratsim | HNp |
Perazim | Master of Breakthroughs |
H1188-01 |
1 Chronicles 14:11 | בַּ֥עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | master |
H1188-03 |
1 Chronicles 14:11 | פְּרָצִֽים | peratsim-2 | HNp |
Perazim | Master of Breakthroughs |