Lexical Summary Baalah: Baalah Original Word: בַּעֲלָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Baalah The same as ba'alah; Baalah, the name of three places in Palestine -- Baalah. see HEBREW ba'alah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfem. of baal Definition the name of several places in Isr. NASB Translation Baalah (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs II. בַּעֲלָה proper name, of a location Joshua 15:9,10,11,29; 1 Chronicles 13:6 = קִרְיַת בַּעַל Joshua 15:60; Joshua 18:14 (city of Baal, from a high place of Baal there) = בַּעֲלֵי יְהוּדָה 2 Samuel 6:2 (We Dr read בעל; י added by dittograph; so-called as seat of Baal-worship in Judah, in distinct. from like places elsewhere) = קִרְיַת יְעָרִים Joshua 9:17; see Joshua 15:9; 1 Chronicles 13:6; a city of Judah; ? Kirjat el`EnabRobBR ii. 11 TristrTpg. Topical Lexicon Geographical and Historical Setting Baalah designates two related sites within the tribal allotment of Judah. One lay in the rugged hill-country on Judah’s northern border with Benjamin—later and more commonly known as Kiriath Jearim—while the other was a town in the Negev in Judah’s southernmost district (Joshua 15:29). The hill-country location commanded the western approaches to Jerusalem and sat on an important caravan route that skirted the Shephelah before climbing toward the central mountain ridge. Because both the border and a nearby height are also called “Mount Baalah” (Joshua 15:10-11), the term can describe the settlement, its surrounding highland, or the entire ridge system that formed the natural boundary. Occurrences and Narrative Contexts • Joshua 15:9-11 traces Judah’s northern frontier: “The border extended to Baalah (that is, Kiriath Jearim)… From Baalah the border turned westward to Mount Seir… then it went out to Mount Baalah and ended at the sea”. Relationship to Kiriath Jearim The chronicler clarifies that Baalah is Kiriath Jearim, the city that had safeguarded the Ark of the Covenant for roughly twenty years after its return from Philistia (1 Samuel 7:1-2). The dual name underscores two facets of the site’s heritage: David’s choice to recover the Ark from this location shows that, despite its earlier pagan associations, the place had become a trusted custodial center for Israel’s most sacred object. Significance within Judah’s Tribal Inheritance In the conquest narratives, Baalah serves as a fixed point on the map of covenant promise. By naming it in the boundary description, Joshua attaches legal weight to Judah’s claim. The northern Baalah guards Judah’s approach to the coastal plain; the southern Baalah secures access to the Negev trade routes toward Egypt and the Arabah. Together they bookend Judah’s territory, testifying to God’s fulfillment of His land pledge (Genesis 49:8-12). Ministry and Worship Implications 1. Custody of the Ark: Baalah’s role as a temporary sanctuary illustrates God’s willingness to dwell among His people even in peripheral sites, preparing for the centralization of worship in Jerusalem. Lessons for Contemporary Believers • Boundaries and Identity: Just as Baalah delineated Judah’s inheritance, believers are called to respect the moral and doctrinal boundaries laid out in Scripture, guarding the faith “once for all entrusted to the saints” (Jude 3). Summary Across only five mentions, Baalah moves from conquered Canaanite site to strategic border marker to honored custodial city of the Ark. Its account magnifies God’s faithfulness in granting the land, His holiness in worship, and His grace in redeeming places once linked to idolatry for His covenant purposes. Forms and Transliterations בַּעֲלָ֔ה בַּעֲלָ֔תָה בַּעֲלָ֥ה בעלה בעלתה הַֽבַּעֲלָ֖ה הבעלה מִבַּעֲלָ֥ה מבעלה ba‘ălāh ba‘ălāṯāh ba·‘ă·lā·ṯāh ba·‘ă·lāh baaLah baaLatah hab·ba·‘ă·lāh habba‘ălāh habbaaLah mib·ba·‘ă·lāh mibba‘ălāh mibbaaLahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 15:9 HEB: וְתָאַ֤ר הַגְּבוּל֙ בַּעֲלָ֔ה הִ֖יא קִרְיַ֥ת NAS: curved to Baalah (that is, Kiriath-jearim). KJV: was drawn to Baalah, which [is] Kirjathjearim: INT: curved the border to Baalah he which Kirjathjearim Joshua 15:10 Joshua 15:11 Joshua 15:29 1 Chronicles 13:6 5 Occurrences |
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