CategoryBackground / Idolatry Term
Modern EquivalentCanaanite false god; idol.
KJV Word TypeFalse-god name / idolatry term
DefinitionA Canaanite god associated with fertility, storms, and agriculture. The worship of Baal was condemned in the Bible as idolatry.
Key Verses"And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers... and followed other gods." (Judges 2:12); "If the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him." (1 Kings 18:21)
KJV Usage NoteBaal may appear as the name of a false god or as part of place and personal names, reflecting the word’s basic sense of “lord” or “master.”
Common MisunderstandingBaal is not a generic name for God in KJV context; it usually marks a false god or idolatrous worship opposed to the LORD.
EtymologyFrom Hebrew Baal ("lord, master").