LazyWiki - Baal

And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me 'My Husband,' and no longer will you call me 'My Baal.' For I will remove the names of the Baals from her mouth, and they shall be remembered by name no more. - Hosea 2:16-1 7

Baal simply means "lord," "master," or "husband," though Hosea 2:16-1 7 makes it feel like a less personal title than Ishi. In modern Hebrew, both ishi and baal can describe a husband, but ishi expresses marital relationship and young love, while baali is lordship and fear. Lots of older biblical names contained "baal" like Jerubbaal and Baal-perazim. (https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/baali-my-master-vs-ishi-my-husband/)

However, the Baals are false gods of idolatry that Israel and Judah allow to come between their relationship with the living God. (Each settlement had their own local gods, so each Baal and set of worship practices differed.) The Lord declared that He would put Baal to shame and take his name from adulterous Israel's mouth. Sure enough, after a certain time period, "baal" names are retroactively replaced with "shame" names in Scripture, such as Jerubbaal to Jerubbesheth.

Biblical account

Samuel pray ed for Israel as they turned from the Baals and Ashtaroth, directed their heart to the LORD, served only the LORD, and sought deliverance from the Philistines. (1 Samuel 7:3-1 1)

Ahab abandoned the commandments of the LORD and followed the Baals. Elijah challenged the 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel's table. (1 Kings 8:1 7-19)

Jeremiah prophesied that Israel's prophets prophesied by Baal (Jeremiah 2:8), but he, Bel, Merodach, would be put to shame. (Jeremiah 50:1-2)

Accounts of Idolatry to Baal

Gomer uses her silver and gold on the Baals and dresses up and celebrates the feast days with her lovers

And she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the wine, and the oil, and who lavished on her silver and gold, which they used for Baal. ... And I will put an end to all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her Sabbaths, and all her appointed feasts. And I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, of which she said, 'These are my wages, which my lovers have given me.' I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the filed shall devour them. And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the Lord. (Hosea 2:8,1 1-13)