Boy Old Testament Rare
Baalis
a rejoicing; a proud lord
בַּעֲלִיס ba.a.lis
Baalis (Hebrew: בַּעֲלִיס, ba.a.lis) means “a rejoicing; a proud lord”, by traditional interpretation. It appears once, at Jeremiah 40:14. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Ahikam in Jeremiah 40.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Baalis
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 1 across 1 book
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
- Hapax
- Yes occurs exactly once
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Jeremiah 40:14 |
| Cross-references | 17 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Ephai co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Ephai.
- Jonathan co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Jonathan.
- Nethaniah co-occurrence Appears with Nethaniah in Jeremiah 40.
- Ahikam co-occurrence Appears with Ahikam in Jeremiah 40.
- Ishmael co-occurrence Appears with Ishmael in Jeremiah 40.
- Gedaliah co-occurrence Appears with Gedaliah in Jeremiah 40.
- Seraiah co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Seraiah.
- Tanhumeth co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Tanhumeth.
Origin & meaning
A man of the Ammonites living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at Jer.40.14
§ Baalis = "lord of the banner: in causing the joy"
king of the Ammonites at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar
Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, sent Ishmael to assassinate Gedaliah the governor.
The biblical story
Baalis was the king of the Ammonites during the time of the Babylonian exile. He is mentioned in Jer.40.14 in connection with a plot to assassinate Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Babylonians over the remnant of Judah. According to the text, Johanan warned Gedaliah that Baalis had sent a man named Ishmael to kill him. Gedaliah did not believe the warning and was subsequently murdered by Ishmael, causing the remaining Jews to flee to Egypt out of fear. This incident reveals that Baalis was opposed to the Babylonian-appointed governor and was willing to use violence to disrupt the fragile peace in Judah after the exile. The Ammonites, led by Baalis, were long-time enemies of Israel and may have seen Judah's weakened state as an opportunity to gain power in the region.
Key verses
Baalis appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.
Jeremiah 40:14
Show all 1 reference
Jeremiah (1)
- Jeremiah 40:14