Baalim
/ˈbeɪ.əl.ɪm/noun
A plural Hebrew form of Baal, used in the Bible for the various local deities or idol-gods of Canaan.
Did you know?In Hebrew, -im is the masculine plural ending, so Baalim literally means “lords,” and biblical writers used it to condemn the worship of multiple local Baals.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
PS
*baʿl-
“lord, owner, master”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
baʿal
“lord, master; also a Canaanite deity title”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
baʿalîm
“lords; plural form also used for foreign gods or local manifestations of Baal”
Greek Septuagint
Greek
βααλείμ
“transliteration of the Hebrew plural, referring to the Baals”
Latin
Latin
Baalim
“pluralized biblical form used in Christian texts for idol gods”
Modern English
English
Baalim
“plural biblical term for the Baals or false gods of Canaan”