Lexical Summary Baale Yehudah: Baale of Judah Original Word: בַּעֲלֵי יְהוּדָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Baale of Judah From the plural of ba'al and Yhuwdah; masters of Judah; Baale-Jehudah, a place in Palestine -- Baale of Judah. see HEBREW ba'al see HEBREW Yhuwdah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Baal and Yehudah Definition "Baal of Judah," the center of Baal worship in Judah NASB Translation Baale-judah (1). Topical Lexicon Name and Identification Baale Yehudah (“lords of Judah”) designates a town in the hill-country west of Jerusalem. The single biblical reference (2 Samuel 6:2) places it within the tribal allotment of Judah yet on the border with Benjamin, in the vicinity of Gibeah, Mizpah, and Ramah. Parallel lists (Joshua 15:9; Joshua 18:14-15) locate Kirjath-jearim on this frontier; Baale Yehudah is generally understood to be that same site, its plural form perhaps reflecting a collective of villages or its earlier pagan shrines (“Baals”) now under Judah’s authority. Scriptural Occurrence 2 Samuel 6:2 records King David’s procession: “And David and all the men who were with him set out for Baale of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name—the name of the LORD of Hosts who is enthroned between the cherubim that are upon it.” This verse alone preserves the toponym, yet its narrative context gathers threads from Judges 7:1, 1 Samuel 6:21–7:2, 1 Chronicles 13:6, and Psalm 132, all of which trace the journey of the Ark from Philistine captivity to its eventual resting place in Zion. Historical Setting After the Ark’s return by the Philistines it was housed “in the house of Abinadab on the hill” (1 Samuel 7:1). That hill, overlooking the Forest of Jearim, lay in Baale Yehudah. The sacred chest remained there roughly seventy years—through Samuel’s judgeship, Saul’s reign, and into the early years of David. During that season Baale Yehudah quietly held the most tangible emblem of Israel’s covenant, making it the spiritual center of the nation even while Shiloh and later Nob had fallen. Geographical Importance The town occupied a strategic ridge on the Judean-Benjaminite border, guarding the western approach to Jerusalem. Roads from Ekron and Beth-shemesh converged here, explaining why the Philistine cows naturally headed toward this summit (1 Samuel 6:12). Its forested slopes (Hebrew jearim, “woods”) offered both seclusion and a natural barricade, suitable for safeguarding the Ark during political turmoil. Theological Significance 1. Covenant Presence. By housing the Ark, Baale Yehudah became a provisional sanctuary. The holiness ascribed to the Ark made the town a locus of reverence and fear (cf. 1 Samuel 6:19). Relation to Kirjath-jearim 1 Samuel 7:1 calls the town Kirjath-jearim; 1 Chronicles 13:6 calls it “Kiriath-jearim, that is, Baalah.” These overlapping names reflect successive eras: pagan Baalah (“mistress”), pluralized Baale (“lords”), and Israelite Kirjath-jearim (“city of forests”). All three refer to the same site, later identified with modern Deir el-ʿAzar (Abu Ghosh). Lessons for Worship and Ministry • Sacred stewardship: Like Abinadab, households and congregations today are entrusted with God-given resources that must be treated with reverence (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). See Also Kirjath-jearim; Ark of the Covenant; Abinadab; Uzzah; David, King; Gibeah; Jerusalem (Zion). Forms and Transliterations יְהוּדָ֑ה יהודה yə·hū·ḏāh yehuDah yəhūḏāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 6:2 HEB: אִתּ֔וֹ מִֽבַּעֲלֵ֖י יְהוּדָ֑ה לְהַעֲל֣וֹת מִשָּׁ֗ם NAS: who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring KJV: with all the people that [were] with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up INT: who for to Baale-judah to bring there 1 Occurrence |
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