Lexical Summary Bali: "Worn out," "decayed," "without." Original Word: בַּעֲלִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Baali From ba'al with pron. Suff.; my master; Baali, a symbolical name for Jehovah -- Baali. see HEBREW ba'al NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom baal with pronoun suff. Definition "my Baal," a symbolic name for Yah NASB Translation Baali (1). Topical Lexicon Scriptural Occurrence Hosea 2:16 records the single biblical use of the form בַּעֲלִי. Speaking to adulterous Israel, the LORD declares: “In that day,” declares the LORD, “you will call Me ‘my Husband,’ and no longer call Me ‘my Master.’” (Berean Standard Bible). The play on words contrasts “my Baal” (master) with “my Husband” (’îšî), exposing the covenantal tension between idolatry and faithful marriage to Yahweh. Historical Background Hosea’s ministry (eighth century B.C.) unfolded during a period of political instability and rampant syncretism in the Northern Kingdom. Canaanite fertility worship, centered on the deity Baal, had infiltrated Israelite life (1 Kings 16:31–33). The name Baal originally meant “lord” or “owner,” and Israelites sometimes used it generically for God (compare Hosea 2:13). Over time, however, the title fused with the persona of the Canaanite god, blurring the distinction between Yahweh and paganism. Hosea 2:16 confronts this confusion, promising a future restoration in which Israel’s language—and therefore its theology—will be purified. Theological Themes 1. Covenant Relationship versus Ownership Calling God “my Baal” implies a relationship of possession and servitude; calling Him “my Husband” evokes intimacy, protection, and love. The LORD rejects a master–slave religiosity and reasserts the marriage covenant first outlined at Sinai (Exodus 19:4–6). The removal of the title “Baal” symbolizes the excision of idolatrous elements from Israel’s worship. Verse 17 continues: “For I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.” Genuine worship demands verbal and conceptual clarity regarding God’s identity. Hosea intertwines judgment and hope. While Israel’s unfaithfulness merits exile (Hosea 1:6), the promise of renewed vows (2:14–20) anticipates the messianic age when God’s people will know Him in truth (Jeremiah 31:34). Prophetic Implications The substitution of “my Husband” for “my Baal” foreshadows the New Covenant, where believers enjoy a Spirit-wrought knowledge of God characterized by filial love rather than fear (Romans 8:15). It also prefigures the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7), linking Hosea’s message to eschatological fulfillment. Practical and Ministry Applications • Guard the Vocabulary of Faith: Terminology shapes theology. Churches must ensure that cultural or syncretistic language does not distort the character of God. Cross-References 1 Kings 18:21 – Elijah’s challenge on Mount Carmel clarifies the choice between the LORD and Baal. Jeremiah 2:2 – God remembers “the devotion of your youth,” employing marital imagery to recall covenant fidelity. Ezekiel 16:8 – The LORD spreads His garment over Jerusalem, echoing the marriage covenant motif. 2 Corinthians 11:2 – Paul presents the church “as a chaste virgin to Christ,” drawing on Hosea’s marital symbolism. Conclusion בַּעֲלִי serves as a prophetic hinge: one word exposes the tragedy of syncretism while unveiling God’s plan to transform a master–servant mentality into a joyous marriage bond. Hosea 2:16 therefore stands as both warning and invitation, calling every generation to forsake idols and to embrace the LORD as loving Husband. Forms and Transliterations בַּעְלִֽי׃ בעלי׃ ba‘·lî ba‘lî baLiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Hosea 2:16 HEB: לִ֥י ע֖וֹד בַּעְלִֽי׃ NAS: longer call Me Baali. KJV: and shalt call me no more Baali. INT: call longer Baali |
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