Boy Old Testament Rare
Ethbaal
toward the idol, or with Baal
אֶתְבַּ֫עַל et.ba.al
Ethbaal (Hebrew: אֶתְבַּ֫עַל, et.ba.al) means “toward the idol, or with Baal”, by traditional interpretation. It appears once, at 1 Kings 16:31. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears in the same passages as Abiram.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Ethbaal
father of Jezebel
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 | 1 Kings 16:31 |
| Cross-references | 59 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Abiram co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Abiram.
- Arza co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Arza.
- Shemer co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Shemer.
- Hiel co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Hiel.
- Segub co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Segub.
- Jezebel co-occurrence Appears with Jezebel in 1 Kings 16.
- Nebat co-occurrence Appears with Nebat in 1 Kings 16.
- Ginath co-occurrence Appears in the same passages as Ginath.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, only mentioned at 1Ki.16.31;
father of: Jezebel (H0348)
§ Ethbaal = "with Baal"
king of Sidon, father of Jezebel
Ethbaal was the king of Sidon and the father of Jezebel, who married King Ahab of Israel.
The biblical story
Ethbaal was the king of Sidon, a Phoenician city-state. He was the father of Jezebel, who became the wife of King Ahab of Israel (1Ki.16.31). Ethbaal's reign is estimated to have been around 878-847 BC. By arranging the marriage of his daughter Jezebel to Ahab, Ethbaal likely sought to strengthen political and economic ties between Sidon and Israel. Jezebel's influence led to the promotion of Baal worship in Israel, which had significant consequences for the nation (1Ki.16.32-33).
Key verses
Ethbaal appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
-
And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.
1 Kings 16:31
Show all 1 reference
1 Kings (1)
- 1 Kings 16:31