Baal
Baal was a son of Abiel and a descendant of Benjamin.
Biography
This Baal was a son of Abiel and a descendant of Benjamin, appearing in the genealogical records of 1 Chronicles 8:30 and 9:36. He is listed among the sons of Jeiel, the father of Gibeon, placing him within the Gibeonite branch of the Benjaminite clan during the era of the United Monarchy. Notably, this same genealogical line eventually leads to Saul, Israel's first king, making Baal a collateral ancestor within the extended family of the Saulide dynasty. The name, while carrying the same root as the Canaanite deity, functioned in some early Israelite contexts simply as a title meaning "lord" or "master," which explains its appearance in otherwise faithful Israelite family trees.
Significance
Baal son of Abiel occupies a small but structurally important place in the Benjaminite genealogy that culminates in King Saul (1 Chronicles 8–9). The Chronicler's careful preservation of this lineage demonstrates the theological importance of tribal identity and the covenant God made with the twelve tribes of Israel. Benjamin, though the smallest tribe, produced Israel's first king and later remained loyal to the Davidic dynasty after the kingdom split. Reading this Baal within that narrative arc reinforces how ordinary family members, unnamed in larger narratives, form the human threads through which God's providential purposes are woven, even when those purposes ultimately transcend any single dynasty.
Verse Appearances (2)
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
- Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]