Lexical Summary Baal Berith: Baal of the Covenant Original Word: בַּעַל בְּרִית Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Baal-berith From Ba'al and briyth; Baal of (the) covenant; Baal-Berith, a special deity of the Shechemites -- Baal-berith. see HEBREW Ba'al see HEBREW briyth NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Baal and berith Definition "Baal of (the) covenant," a Shechemite god NASB Translation Baal-berith (2). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Identity Baal-berith is the title of a Canaanite deity venerated at Shechem. The name combines the familiar title “Baal” with the concept of covenant, indicating a “lord” who presides over binding agreements. By adopting this name the inhabitants of Shechem cast allegiance to a rival suzerain in direct defiance of the covenant Israel had sworn to the LORD. Scriptural Occurrences Judges 8:33 records the nation’s rapid relapse after Gideon’s death: “the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals and set up Baal-berith as their god”. Judges 9:4 shows the political fallout: silver taken “from the temple of Baal-berith” financed Abimelech’s bloody rise to power. Together the two passages depict both popular apostasy and elite corruption flowing from the same idolatrous source. Historical Setting: Shechem and the Covenant Motif Shechem had long been a covenant location. Abraham built an altar there (Genesis 12:6-7). Jacob buried foreign gods under the oak nearby (Genesis 35:4). Joshua renewed the LORD’s covenant at Shechem and erected a standing stone as witness (Joshua 24:25-27). Against this backdrop the establishment of a shrine to Baal-berith represents deliberate reversal—taking the symbolism of covenant and assigning it to a Canaanite idol. The site that once proclaimed fidelity to the one true God became the headquarters for spiritual treachery and political violence. Religious and Cultural Significance 1. Syncretism: Israel did not merely abandon worship of the LORD; they repurposed covenant language for a pagan cult. This reveals how idolatry often masquerades as legitimate religion by borrowing familiar terms. Theological Themes • Covenant Faithfulness versus False Covenant: Baal-berith is the anti-type to the LORD’s covenant name. His brief ascendancy underscores the exclusive claim God places on covenant loyalty (Exodus 20:3). Practical Lessons for Ministry 1. Guard Covenant Identity: Congregations must continually rehearse and embody the gospel covenant lest cultural idols hijack sacred terminology. Intertextual Echoes Later prophets spotlight the same pattern. Hosea indicts Israel for “breaking covenant” through Baal worship (Hosea 8:1). 2 Kings 17 narrates how enduring idolatry precipitated exile. These echoes affirm that Baal-berith is emblematic of the broader struggle between true covenant loyalty and seductive counterfeit lords. Summary Baal-berith stands as a sobering reminder that covenant language devoid of covenant fidelity becomes a cloak for idolatry. His brief reign in Judges exposes the peril of forgetting the LORD, the societal chaos birthed by spiritual compromise, and the unfailing justice of God who alone is worthy to be called “Lord of the Covenant.” Forms and Transliterations בְּרִ֑ית בְּרִ֖ית ברית bə·rîṯ beRit bərîṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Judges 8:33 HEB: לָהֶ֛ם בַּ֥עַל בְּרִ֖ית לֵאלֹהִֽים׃ NAS: and made Baal-berith their god. KJV: Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. INT: the Baals and made Baal-berith their god Judges 9:4 2 Occurrences |
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