Lexical Summary baalah: Mistress, Lady, Owner Original Word: בַּעֲלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance that hath, mistress Feminine of ba'al; a mistress -- that hath, mistress. see HEBREW ba'al NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of baal Definition a mistress NASB Translation medium* (2), mistress (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [בַּעֲלָה] noun feminine 1. mistress, בַּעֲלַת הַבַּיִת mistress of the house 1 Kings 17:17. 2 relative noun אוב ׳ב necromancer 1 Samuel 28:7 (twice in verse); כשׁפים ׳ב sorceress, Nahum 3:4. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Conceptual Range בַּעֲלָה designates a woman who possesses, governs, or controls something or someone. Depending on context it may denote: 1. A female head of household or landholder. Its semantic field therefore spans legitimate authority within the home to illegitimate spiritual authority that rivals the Lord’s exclusive sovereignty. Old Testament Occurrences • 1 Samuel 28:7 (twice) – Saul seeks “a woman who is a medium,” literally “a woman, a possessor of a spirit of the dead (baʿălath ’ôb).” Though only four attestations, the settings are diverse enough to reveal the full moral spectrum surrounding female authority—ranging from godly stewardship to pagan rebellion. Mediums and Forbidden Spiritism In 1 Samuel 28 King Saul, having silenced the prophets by his disobedience, resorts to a necromancer: “Seek me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”. Torah expressly outlaws such practice (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6). The use of בַּעֲלָה in this setting underscores that the medium is not merely gifted but is viewed as the possessor of a spirit, claiming mastery over supernatural powers that belong to God alone. Saul’s consultation precipitates his final rejection (1 Chronicles 10:13–14), a sober warning against turning from revealed truth to forbidden counsel. Stewardship and Domestic Authority 1 Kings 17 portrays a starkly contrasting use. The widow of Zarephath, “the woman who owned the house,” exercises legitimate oversight of her dwelling. Her hospitality to Elijah occasions the miracle of the inexhaustible flour and oil and, later, the resurrection of her son: “The LORD heard the voice of Elijah, and the child’s life returned to him” (1 Kings 17:22). Here בַּעֲלָה affirms the dignity of a woman’s God-given responsibility for her household and God’s readiness to honor faith within that sphere. Nineveh as Mistress of Sorceries Nahum depicts Assyria’s capital as “the alluring mistress of sorceries, who sells nations with her harlotries.” The feminine title intensifies the charge that Nineveh enticed peoples into spiritual bondage. Just as a medium “owns” a familiar spirit, so the empire “owns” occult influence on an imperial scale. The judgment that follows (Nahum 3:5-7) proclaims God’s supremacy over every counterfeit power, no matter how seductive or entrenched. Theological Reflections 1. Ownership versus stewardship: Scripture affirms lawful female authority but denies any claim to autonomous spiritual dominion. Ministry Implications • Spiritual leadership must expose and renounce every modern equivalent of “mistresses of sorceries” (Acts 19:19). Summary בַּעֲלָה ranges from honorable household stewardship to condemned occult mastery. Each occurrence sharpens the contrast between rightful authority submitted to the Lord and counterfeit authority that defies Him. Through these texts Scripture upholds God as the only true Owner while commending those who exercise delegated authority in faith and obedience. Forms and Transliterations בַּֽעֲלַת־ בַּעֲלַ֣ת בַּעֲלַת־ בעלת בעלת־ ba‘ălaṯ ba‘ălaṯ- ba·‘ă·laṯ ba·‘ă·laṯ- baalatLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 28:7 HEB: לִי֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת בַּעֲלַת־ א֔וֹב וְאֵלְכָ֥ה NAS: for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go KJV: me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, INT: Seek A woman hath spirit may go 1 Samuel 28:7 1 Kings 17:17 Nahum 3:4 4 Occurrences |
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