Chapter 5: The Worship of Baal

The worship of Baal, Judges 2:11 — The progress of his worship under the reign of Ahab — Whether the oath-renouncing proclamation of Jehovah was affixed to the gates of Samaria — Baalim as a plural form — Whether Baal is a name common to several idols — Every image of Baal called Baal — Baal-zebub — The origin of the name Baal — The nature of the proper name of an idol among idolaters — "Lord of flies," the meaning of the name — Apollo Smintheus, Jupiter Myiagros — The Temple at Jerusalem entirely free from flies — Beelzebub, prince of demons — Why he is so called — "Zebel" meaning "dung" — Baal-shamin among the Tyrians — "Lord of heaven" — Baal-berith, "lord of the covenant" — Berytus, a Phoenician city — All are one Baal.

I. The next place in Israelite apostasy is occupied by Baal himself, called by that name absolutely — an idol most celebrated throughout the entire East. The Holy Spirit first mentions him in Judges 2:11: "They forsook Jehovah and served Baal himself." The people defiled themselves with the superstition of this idol at various intervals all the way to the Babylonian captivity. Under the reign of Ahab, who had taken a Phoenician wife mad with that idolatry, matters progressed so far that the vile idol was openly preferred among the ten tribes over the God of Israel. Indeed, scarcely anyone known to the most discerning Elijah was found free from that atrocious wickedness. For that remnant of seven thousand, hiding on account of the fury of Jezebel's persecution, which God had preserved for Himself, was invisible to him. The rabbis relate that Ahab affixed to the gates of the city of Samaria a proclamation abjuring Jehovah. But this is Jewish — that is, trifling and fabulous — for even Jezebel herself, the fiercest champion of the worship of Baal, while devising the greatest and most fatal crime against the house of Ahab, did away with Naboth by making use of a legal pretext concerning the non-blasphemy of Jehovah's name.

II. In Judges 2:11 he is called Baalim, in the plural number, and frequently elsewhere. From this, some conclude that Baal is not a proper name for any particular idol, but a common noun denoting all the gods of Syria. Indeed, the Hebrews assert that all the idols of the nations, since they are lords and masters of those who serve them (which is the meaning of the name), are called Baalim: "They are lords of their worshipers." The prophets, therefore, are to be understood as attacking under the name of Baal not merely the impious veneration of one idol, but all superstition and arbitrary worship, by which anyone grants dominion over his conscience to others besides the one true God. III. But in Judges 10:6, the Baalim are enumerated by name, and are distinguished from the gods of Syria, Sidon, the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the Philistines. Also in verse thirteen of that chapter, where the first mention of this idol is made, the name is used in the singular, designating a specific idol.

IV. More correctly, therefore, Baalim is said to derive from the multitude of images erected to that idol. For every image of Baal was Baal. Hence there were Baalim, though the one to whom all referred was one; and Baalim and Baal are used interchangeably. Indeed, the Holy Spirit so consistently regarded the actual images or statues in the Baalitic worship that Paul uses the name of Baal in the feminine gender, by which he meant to denote the image of it (Romans 11:4).

V. The same was also Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, a Phoenician city on the

328 THE CORRUPTION OF MOSAIC THEOLOGY. [Book 5. seashore near Azotus. Since the Israelites were destitute of all divine oracles, King Ahaziah sent to him to inquire whether he would recover from his illness (2 Kings 1:2). Concerning the meaning of the addition "zebub," as with that of Peor, the conjectures of scholars are varied. It denotes a fly. Perhaps the epithet "fly-god" was added as a reproach to idolaters, so that he would be a god who either took care of flies, or could not even drive them away. Scaliger believes the idol was called by another name among the Philistines, namely "lord of sacrifices." From there, by a slight alteration made in contempt, it became the present form. It is commonly thought to have been so named on account of the multitude of flies that, attracted by the blood of sacrifices, swarmed into the idol's temple; some, however, think it was because he was believed to drive away the most destructive and deadly flies that plagued the inhabitants of the territory of Ekron along the seashore. Munster denies that he was able to find the rationale of the name among the Hebrews. Yet such epithets are not infrequent among the nations. Thus Apollo among the Phrygians was called Smintheus, that is, of mice. And among others, Hercules Cornopion, and Jupiter Myiagros. The Jews agree, nor is the matter improbable, that the Temple at Jerusalem was, by a special divine benefit, freed from flies, even though so great a number of sacrifices was offered there daily. It is therefore not unlike the truth that the infestation of flies was cast as a reproach upon idols and idolaters.

VI. This name, changed to Beelzebul, we read in the New Testament to have been attributed to "the prince of demons." For since the gods of the nations were demons, who under various pretexts presented themselves through idols consecrated to another purpose to be worshiped, the reason is plain why the name of this idol, which was everywhere held in the highest veneration, was assigned to their prince. But "zebub" was changed to "zebel" for the greater ignominy of idolaters. For Zebel means "dung" — by which name we have shown above that the gods of the nations were called. Therefore this word means "Baal of dung"; for no reason can be given for deriving it from Zebul, meaning "habitation."

VII. Among the Tyrians, from whom all this Baalitic worship originated, this idol was called Baal-shamin, according to Sanchuniathon; that is, "lord of heaven." So Augustine, Questions, book 7, question 16: "Baal," he says, "the Punics appear to say 'lord'; hence Baal-samen is understood as saying, as it were, 'lord of heaven.' For samen among them is the name for heaven." This is the Hebrew phrase meaning "lord of the heavens," or Zeus Ouranos. In all these names, therefore, we have no idol other than one Baal.

VIII. In Judges 8:33 and 9:4, the deity of the Shechemites is called Baal-berith; that is, "lord of the covenant." The Septuagint translators supposed that the Israelites, forsaking God, had made a covenant with Baal so that he might be to them as God. They render the words thus: "They made a covenant with Baal that he might be to them as God." And Jerome: "They had struck a covenant with Baal, that he might be to them as God." The Chaldaic interpreter similarly has the same sense. But the fourth verse of chapter nine proves that the idol was called Baal-berith; and there the translators retain that term. Others therefore conjecture that this god was that of the Berytians, that is, the inhabitants of the nearby Phoenician city called Berytus, from whom they had learned his worship,

Israelites. IX. But all these gods, as has been said, were only one Baal, to whose name various epithets were added from various occasions,