בַּעַל שָׁלִשָׁה
𐤁𐤏𐤋 𐤔𐤋𐤔𐤄
Baal Shalishah
H1190 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun referring to a specific location: 'Baal of Shalishah.' This place-name denotes a settlement or area characterized by association with the name 'Baal' and the region or designation 'Shalishah.'
Semantic Range
proper name of a town or region; 'lord of Shalishah'; locale with (possibly former) religious association; geographic identifier
Root / Etymology
Formed from the noun בַּעַל (baʿal, meaning 'lord, master, possessor') and the toponym שָׁלִשָׁה (Shalishah), which is possibly derived from the Hebrew root שלש (to divide into three, or third part), or may reference a distinct regional name. Thus, 'Baal-Shalishah' literally means 'Lord of Shalishah' or 'Possessor of Shalishah.' The precise sense of 'Shalishah' as a geographical or administrative division is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
בַּעַל שָׁלִשָׁה appears in 2 Kings 4:42 as the home region of a man who brought early produce to Elisha. The construction 'Baal of X' was a common Canaanite and early Israelite convention for naming towns, often referring to local protector deities or patronage. In this context, 'Baal' reflects the original Semitic meaning of 'lord, master' and does not necessarily imply exclusive worship of the Canaanite Baal deity—such names often persisted as local geographic identifiers well after religious associations changed or faded. The precise location of Shalishah is unidentified but is commonly thought to be in the hill country northwest of Bethel. English translations often treat the name as a single 'place name' without conveying its underlying structure or possible religious connotations. Later Jewish tradition and translations sometimes gloss the region as Baal-shalisha, but do not elaborate further on the identity of Shalishah, which remains obscure.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from בַּעַל and שָׁלִשָׁה; Baal of Shalishah, Baal-Shalishah, a place in Palestine; Baal-shalisha.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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בעל, שלש (b-ʿ-l; sh-l-sh) — to rule, possess, be lord; to divide, be third, denote three
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1190-01 |
מִ/בַּ֣עַל | mibaal | HR/Np |
from Baal | from Baal-of-Shalishah | 1 |
H1190-02 |
שָׁלִ֗שָׁה | shalishah | HNp |
Shalishah | Baal-of-Shalishah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1190-01 |
2 Kings 4:42 | מִ/בַּ֣עַל | mibaal | HR/Np |
from Baal | from Baal-of-Shalishah |
H1190-02 |
2 Kings 4:42 | שָׁלִ֗שָׁה | shalishah | HNp |
Shalishah | Baal-of-Shalishah |