בַּעַל צְפוֹן
𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤑𐤐𐤅𐤍
Baal Tsefon
H1189 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating a specific location: 'Baal of Zaphon.' A site named after the Canaanite deity Baal as manifested at Mount Zaphon (Jebel Aqra), often venerated as a divine mountain of the North. In biblical context, Baal-Tsephon denotes a prominent place near the northeastern frontier of Egypt, particularly associated with the narrative of the Israelite crossing of the Sea.
Semantic Range
The god Baal associated with (Mount) Zaphon; a place named for Baal of the North; locality marking a key point in the narrative of the Exodus; proper noun referencing a Canaanite cult site; by extension, association with foreign (particularly Canaanite or Egyptian) religious traditions
Root / Etymology
Compound from בַּעַל ('ba'al,' meaning 'lord,' 'owner,' or 'master,' frequently a title for deities) and צְפוֹן ('tsaphon,' meaning 'north,' but also the name of a sacred mountain in Canaanite-Phoenician religion). The phrase thus means 'Baal of (Mount) Zaphon,' referencing the manifestation of Baal worship at Mount Zaphon.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In ancient Near Eastern religion, Baal Zaphon referred to the storm-god Baal as venerated at Mount Zaphon—regarded as a seat of divine authority, especially by Canaanites and coastal Phoenician peoples. While some ancient interpreters made connections with Egyptian deities (such as identifying 'zephon' with Typhon), the contextual and linguistic evidence indicates a Canaanite background. In Exodus 14 and Numbers 33, Baal-Tsephon appears as a geographic marker on the route out of Egypt, suggesting the Egyptians recognized this cultic site or its name. English Bibles generally transliterate the name, but the meaning ties directly to Canaanite religious geography. Later periods saw the title applied more generically to northern storm-deities. The use of this theophoric place name in the Exodus narrative likely signals an awareness of, or interaction with, non-Israelite religious sites and underscores Egypt's multicultural setting at the time. The translation or gloss 'Baal of winter' is misleading; צְפוֹן here refers not to cold but to the mountain's name and its association with the North.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּעַל and צָפוֹן (in the sense of cold) (according to others an Egyptian form of Typhon, the destroyer); Baal of winter; Baal-Tsephon, a place in Eqypt; Baal-zephon.
Bantu Hebrew
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בעל, צפן (b-ʿ-l, ṣ-p-n) — to rule, possess, master; north, hidden, sacred mountain
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1189-02 |
צְפֹ֔ן | tsefon | HNp |
zephon | Baal of Zaphon | 3 |
H1189-01 |
בַּ֣עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | Baal of Zaphon | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1189-01 |
Exodus 14:2 | בַּ֣עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | Baal of Zaphon |
H1189-02 |
Exodus 14:2 | צְפֹ֔ן | tsefon | HNp |
zephon | Baal of Zaphon |
H1189-01 |
Exodus 14:9 | בַּ֥עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | Baal of Zaphon |
H1189-02 |
Exodus 14:9 | צְפֹֽן | tsefon | HNp |
zephon | Baal of Zaphon |
H1189-01 |
Numbers 33:7 | בַּ֣עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | Baal of Zaphon |
H1189-02 |
Numbers 33:7 | צְפ֑וֹן | tsefon | HNp |
Zephon | Baal of Zaphon |