Jesus is the Enemy

BibleBaalIsLord
Why did Israel prepare victuals for idols and called YHWH "My Baal"? (Hosea 2:8,16,17)
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I understand that YHWH revealed himself to Israel by different names, which "Baal" was never one of such identity tags. Evidently, the revelation of each name was akin to a specific manifestation of his wonders.

I am left with reservations as to whether YHWH by accident or design exhibited some attributes that made Israel to address him as "My Baal". If not, then, why were they addressing YHWH as "My Baal", when Hosea says,

She did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal (Hosea 2:8 ESV).

And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’ (Hosea 2:16 ESV)

For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. (Hosea 2:17 ESV).

By contextual analysis, I see the Prophet bemoaning the level of decadence from which idolatrous Israel needed to be rescued at that time.

Another reason I am trying to explore this question is because of the contrast I see in Exodus 23:13 and Hosea 2:17:

In Exodus 23:13, Moses warned the Israelite by saying:

“Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips. (ESV)

And in Hosea 2:17, the Prophet Hosea says:

For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. (ESV).

Moses had warned Israel to "make no mention of the names of other gods" and according to Hosea, I see that the Lord was not well pleased that the Israelites were calling him "My Baal" and says, "I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth"

I am trying to explore what Israel meant by sacrificing to idols while calling God "My Master" at the same time.

What really came over them for behaving that way? One would have thought they should have continued to sacrificing to Baal and adoring their idols (verse 8) and left God out of their confusions.
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The noun "baal" (בעל) has several meanings. The four most common are:

owner (or master) - as in Exodus 21:34, "the owner of the pit must pay"
having some characteristic - Genesis 37:19, "here's that dreamer of dreams", Ecclesiastes 10:20, "and a bird [lit. a thing with wings] will inform"
the common term for Canaanite deities, probably from the meaning "master"
husband (master) of a wife - Exodus 21:3, "if he is master of a wife (has a wife, is married)"

The noun "ish" (איש) can mean "man" or in the possessive with relation to a woman means "husband".

So "baal" and "ish" are two common ways of expressing the relationship of husband in Hebrew. As an off-topic side note, in modern Hebrew, although the term "baal" is the more common term for husband, some women who object to the overtone of "master" inherent in "baal" use the term "ishi", "my man" when referring to their husbands rather than "baali".

Hosea uses the allegory of courtship and marriage to describe the relationship of Israel to God, where Israel is the bride and God is the groom or husband. The use of this allegory then sets up possibility of playing off the two meanings of "baal" as the Canaanite god or gods with whom Israel is unfaithful, and "baal" as Israel's "husband", referring to God.

My translation of verse 2:16 (MT 2:18) is

And it will be in that day, says YHVH, that you will call me "my husband" ("ishi") and will no longer call me "my husband" ("baali").

That is, the verse uses two common synonyms for "husband", each with it's own connotations.

The first synonym for husband, "ishi", is a reference to the use of this term for husband in verse 2 (MT 4) where "ishi" connotates intimacy and love "my man" (as noted by RASHI). The second synonym for husband in verse 16, "baali", has a less intimate connotation of "master" and is a play on the use of "baal" referring to the Canaanite gods. Continuing this play on synonyms, the following verse, (NIV 17):

I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.

can also be read as:

I will remove the names of the husbands [with whom she has been unfaithful to me] from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked.

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answered Nov 3, 2018 at 21:14
user17080

How would you explain the use of "baali" in King James and "baal" in other versions? And also the relationship that the name "baal" has with the gods of the Ekronites? –
Ernest Abinokhauno
Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 21:46

Excellent Answer +1 – user25930
Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 21:51
The KJV solves the synonym translation problem by not translating at all, just using the Hebrew nouns in transliteration, "And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.". The term "baal" referring to Canaanite gods is not a reference to any specific god or gods, who are of no concern to the prophet, just to foreign gods in general with whom Israel has been unfaithful. – user17080
Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 21:54

The NIV renders this verse, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me "my master'". – user25930
Commented Nov 3, 2018 at 21:54
1
@ErnestAbinokhauno Baal means master, just like Hebrew Adonay, Babylonian Bel, English Lord –
b a
Commented Nov 4, 2018 at 9:49

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