Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: Ba(al se(ar in 2 Ki 1:8

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)
  • To: b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Ba(al se(ar in 2 Ki 1:8
  • Date: Mon, 17 Aug 98 22:18:10


On Sun 16 Aug 98 (22:34:29), 596547 AT ican.net wrote:
> What does Ba(al se(ar in 2 Ki 1:8 mean? There seems to be some irony
> going on since the messengers of Ahaziah were on their way to meet
> Ba(al-zebub when they were intercepted by Elijah. I realize that the
> hairy mantle was a distinguishing article of clothing for a prophet,
> but I still don't understand what the messengers were saying.

Dear Bryan,

Paul Kissling has given a good answer already; but I'll add my 2c.

Ba`aL Se`aR "lord of hair" is an idiomatic expression meaning "extremely
hirsute". You get a similar use of Ba`aL in Isaiah 41:15, where the self-
deprecating Servant, feeling himself as inadequate as a worm ToWLa`aTh-
Ya`aQoBh trying to move a mountain, is reassured "I will make of you a
threshing sledge, sharp, new and having teeth Ba`aL PiYPhiYYoTh". That is,
not just having teeth, but whole mouthfuls of teeth! That will drive a
hole through that mountain as quickly as a modern tunnelling shield!

Ba`aL ZeBhuWB (the god of Ekron) is a similar idiom: an idol covered in
flies, or in excrement, depending on how you construe ZeBhuBh. Symmachus
has PARA TOU BEELZEBOUB QEOU EKRWN for 2 Kings 1:2/6; the Synoptists spell
it BEELZEBOUL, but the EVV mostly have Beelzebub.

ZeBhuWL is a Talmudic word for dung or excrement; ZeBhuL (with qibbus) is a
house or habitation; ZeBhuR (final Resh) is a bee or a bluebottle fly
(2 Kings 1:2, 6; Matthew 12:27 and parallels). William Golding showed how
well he understood this when he chose /Lord of the Flies/ for the title of
his well-known novel. Filth attracts flies.

We can imagine Elijah as not just being hairy, but having scalpfuls of
hair all over! Contrast John the Baptist in Matthew 3:4 and Mark 1:6,
where the hair is the coat of camel's hair. A hairy mantle was indeed the
hallmark of the prophet; but also of the false prophet: "in that day, the
prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied;
neither shall they wear a rough garment 'aDDeReTh Se`aR to deceive"
(Zechariah 13:4). Elijah's hairy covering was his own: 'iSh Ba`aL Se`aR,
not 'iSh 'aSheR LoW 'aDDeReTh Se`aR.

Ben
--
Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
<ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk>
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm







Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page