The name Eshbaal (אֶשְׁבַּעַל, 'man of Baal') appears in 1 Chronicles 8:33 and 9:39 as the son of King Saul. In 2 Samuel, the same person is called Ish-bosheth ('man of shame'), a deliberate scribal substitution replacing Baal with bosheth ('shame') to indicate that worship of Baal was shameful.
The dual naming of this figure reveals a profound biblical-theological tension around syncretism. In Saul's era, baal could be used generically meaning 'lord/master.' But as Baal worship became identified with the pagan Canaanite fertility god, the prophets fought fiercely against it. Hosea 2:16 records God saying: 'You will call me my husband; you will no longer call me my master [baal].' The scribal substitution of bosheth ('shame') for baal reflects editorial theology — proximity to power does not guarantee purity of faith.