Lexical Summary beel: Lord, Master, Baal Original Word: בְּעֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance chancellor (Aramaic) corresponding to ba'al -- + chancellor. see HEBREW ba'al NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin(Aramaic) corresponding to baal Definition owner, lord NASB Translation commander* (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs בְּעֵל (K§ 54, 3 γ) noun masculine owner, lord (Syriac Topical Lexicon Meaning and Background בְּעֵל (beʿēl) is an Aramaic noun meaning “lord,” “master,” or “chief.” In the Persian period it was used as a civil or administrative title for high-ranking officials who exercised delegated authority on behalf of the king. Though linguistically related to the Hebrew בַּעַל (baʿal), in Ezra the word functions strictly as an official designation and carries no idolatrous overtones. Occurrences in Scripture The term appears only three times, all in the Aramaic section of Ezra: Ezra 4:8, 4:9, and 4:17. Each instance forms part of the title “Rehum the commander” (literally, “Rehum the lord of the order”), identifying Rehum as the king’s regional chancellor who spearheaded opposition to the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple. • Ezra 4:8 – “Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes, as follows.” Historical Context in Ezra After the first return under Zerubbabel (circa 538 BC), the returned exiles began rebuilding the temple. Local Persian provincial officials—descendants of peoples settled in the region by Assyria and Babylon—sought to halt the work. Rehum, designated by בְּעֵל, drafted a politically charged letter portraying Jerusalem as a rebellious city. The strategy was effective; construction ceased until the second year of Darius (Ezra 4:24). The title “lord” therefore highlights the reality that Judah’s immediate obstacle was not paganism per se but imperial bureaucracy wielded by men with legitimate civil authority yet hostile intentions. Theological Themes 1. Lordship and Delegated Authority. Scripture teaches that “there is no authority except from God” (Romans 13:1). Rehum’s title reminds readers that earthly lords operate under God’s sovereign oversight; their decrees can hinder but never thwart His redemptive plan. Practical Ministry Implications • Respect for Civil Authority. Believers are called to honor legitimate government even when it is misguided (1 Peter 2:13–17), while at the same time obeying God rather than men when mandates conflict with divine command (Acts 5:29). Related Terms and Further Study • בַּעַל (Strong 1167) – Hebrew “master, owner”; etymologically linked but contextually distinct. בְּעֵל thus serves as a minor yet instructive witness to the interplay between earthly power and divine sovereignty, urging the faithful to labor with confidence that “the LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:7). Forms and Transliterations בְּעֵל־ בעל־ bə‘êl- bə·‘êl- beelLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ezra 4:8 HEB: רְח֣וּם בְּעֵל־ טְעֵ֗ם וְשִׁמְשַׁי֙ NAS: Rehum the commander and Shimshai INT: Rehum chancellor chancellor and Shimshai Ezra 4:9 Ezra 4:17 3 Occurrences |
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, used similarly; compare Biblical Hebrew בַּ֫עַל, √ בָּעַל; also ᵑ7 בְּעֵיל); — construct מְֿעֵם׳בּ