Baali

From Bible Encyclopedia

bā´a-lī בּעלי, ba‛ălī, “my master” or "my lord"):

A title the prophet (Hosea 2:16) reproaches the Jewish church for applying to YHWH, instead of the more endearing title Ishi, meaning “my husband.”

Baal, a common name for all heathen gods, had in common practice been used also of YHWH. Hosea (Hosea 2:16, Hosea 2:17) demands that YHWH be no longer called Ba‛ălī (“my Baal” = “my lord”) but 'Ishī (“my husband”), and we find that later the Israelites abandoned the use of Ba‛al for YHWH.