Lexical Summary Ethbaal: Ethbaal Original Word: אֶתְבַּעַל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ethbaal From 'eth and Ba'al; with Baal; Ethbaal, a Phoenician king -- Ethbaal. see HEBREW 'eth see HEBREW Ba'al NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom eth and Baal Definition "with Baal," a king of Sidon NASB Translation Ethbaal (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֶתְבַּ֫עַל proper name, masculine Ethbaal (with Baal, i.e. living under Baal's favour; Ἰθόβαλος, Εἰθώβαλος JosAnt. viii. 13, 1. 2, c. Ap. 1, 18; on later king of like name, in Assyrian Tuba'lu, see COT Genesis 10:15) king of Sidon, father of Jezebel 1 Kings 16:31. Topical Lexicon Identity and Historical Setting Ethbaal was a ninth-century BC monarch who ruled the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon. Classical sources (Philo of Byblos; Josephus, Against Apion 1.18) remember him as Ithobaal I, a former priest of Astarte who seized the throne after assassinating his predecessor. His realm controlled the lucrative Mediterranean trade routes, and his political ambitions reached inland through a marriage alliance between his daughter Jezebel and Ahab, king of Israel (1 Kings 16:31). The very form of his name reflects loyalty to the storm-deity Baal, the chief god of the Syro-Phoenician pantheon. Biblical Occurrence 1 Kings 16:31: “And as though it were a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Ahab even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he proceeded to serve and worship Baal.” This solitary reference anchors Ethbaal within the narrative of Israel’s northern kingdom, not for his own deeds but for the far-reaching consequences of his dynastic strategy. Cultural and Religious Context Tyre and Sidon were renowned for skilled artisans, extensive commerce, and fervent devotion to Baal and Astarte. Royal authority and priestly functions frequently overlapped, so the king’s person embodied national piety. Ethbaal’s consolidation of political power therefore reinforced Phoenicia’s religious identity, making Baal worship the defining trait he exported through Jezebel’s marriage into Israel. The Phoenician gods promised agricultural fertility and maritime security—tangible benefits that appealed to nations tempted to forsake exclusive allegiance to the LORD. Impact on Israel’s Spiritual Decline Ethbaal’s principal biblical significance lies in the chain reaction triggered by Jezebel: Prophetic Confrontation and Divine Response The intrusion of Phoenician idolatry set the stage for Elijah’s ministry. By withholding rain for three and a half years and triumphing on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 17–18; James 5:17), the LORD demonstrated supremacy over Baal, reputed master of storm and fertility. Later, the violent deaths of Ahab (1 Kings 22:37–38) and Jezebel (2 Kings 9:30-37) fulfilled prophetic words, illustrating that alliances forged at the expense of covenant faithfulness invariably lead to national disaster. Theological Themes 1. Covenant exclusivity: “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Practical and Ministry Applications • Discernment in partnerships: 2 Corinthians 6:14 warns against yoking with unbelievers, echoing the lesson of Ahab and Ethbaal’s dynasty. Related Scriptures 1 Kings 16:31-33; 1 Kings 18:17-40; 1 Kings 21:23-25; 2 Kings 9:30-37; Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 7:3-4; 2 Corinthians 6:14; James 5:17; Revelation 2:20. Forms and Transliterations אֶתְבַּ֙עַל֙ אתבעל ’eṯ·ba·‘al ’eṯba‘al etBaalLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 16:31 HEB: אִיזֶ֗בֶל בַּת־ אֶתְבַּ֙עַל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ צִידֹנִ֔ים NAS: the daughter of Ethbaal king KJV: the daughter of Ethbaal king INT: Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians 1 Occurrence |
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