📖 Biblical Definition
Baal Worship is the Canaanite religion centered on Baal (storm-god) and Asherah (his consort). It featured fertility rituals (sometimes including ritual prostitution), child sacrifice (Jer 19:5), and ecstatic prophecy (1 Kgs 18's prophets of Baal). Israel was repeatedly drawn into it across the Old Testament; Elijah's contest at Carmel (1 Kgs 18) was its great confrontation; Jehu's purge (2 Kgs 10) was its last major destruction.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
Canaanite religion; storm-god, fertility rituals, child sacrifice; Israel's persistent temptation.
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1 Kings 18 records the Carmel contest: 450 prophets of Baal versus Elijah; the LORD's fire fell, Baal's did not; Israel cried the LORD, he is the God.
Old Testament references to Baal worship are dense: Numbers 25 (Baal-peor), Judges 2:11-13, 1 Kings 16-18 (Ahab and Jezebel), 2 Kings 10 (Jehu's purge), Jeremiah 2 / 7 / 19, Hosea throughout.
📖 Key Scripture
1 Kings 18:21 — "How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him."
1 Kings 18:39 — "The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God."
Hosea 2:8 — "She knew not that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil... which they prepared for Baal."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern Christianity often ignores Baal as ancient irrelevance; the underlying temptation (idolatry of fertility, prosperity, sexual freedom) remains.
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Hosea 2 makes the diagnosis: Israel attributed the LORD's gifts (corn, wine, oil) to Baal. The household's implication: failure to credit the LORD with His provisions is functional Baal-worship, regardless of the deity's name.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew Baal — lord, master.
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Hebrew Baal — lord, owner; deity-name through metonymy.
Note: Baal as common noun means husband (Hos 2:16: thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali).
Usage
"How long halt ye between two opinions?"
"Failure to credit the LORD is functional Baal-worship."
"The LORD, He is the God."