Baal-zebub בַּעַל זְבוּב
A Philistine god worshiped at Ekron.
Biography
Baal-zebub, meaning "Lord of the Flies," was the god of the Philistine city of Ekron. In 2 Kings 1, King Ahaziah of Israel sent messengers to inquire of Baal-zebub whether he would recover from an illness. This action provoked God's anger, and the prophet Elijah confronted the king, prophesying that he would die for seeking guidance from a pagan god rather than the Lord. The narrative presents Baal-zebub as a false god whose worship was forbidden for Israelites. Consulting this deity was seen as a direct violation of the commandment to worship only the one true God. The passage also demonstrates the futility of trusting in false gods, as Baal-zebub had no power to heal Ahaziah or overturn God's decree of judgment.
In Scripture
1 biblical book2 Kings 4 verses
- 2 Kings 1:2
"Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper room that was in Samaria, and was sick. So he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover of this sickness.”"
- 2 Kings 1:3
"But Yahweh’s angel said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron?"
- 2 Kings 1:6
"They said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and tell him, “Yahweh says, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you send to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not come down from the bed where..."
- 2 Kings 1:16
"He said to him, “Yahweh says, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? Therefore you will not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but you will surely die.’ ”"
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Strong's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | בַּעַל זְבוּב | H1176 |