⁴ tn Heb “by Baal.”

⁵ tn Heb “by Baal.”

¹ tn Heb “destroyed Baal.”

¹ sn The name Bamoth Baal means “the high places of Baal.”

⁴ tn Heb “the remnant of Baal.”

² tn Heb “the Baals,” referring either to the pagan gods called “Baals” or the images of Baal (so NLT).

² tn Heb “Do you fight for Baal?”

² tn Cf. Baal Meon in v. 38.

⁷ tn Heb “for Baal” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV); cf. TEV “in the worship of Baal.”

³ tn Or “followed the Baal of Peor” (so NAB, NIV, NRSV), referring to the pagan god Baal.

¹ sn They worshiped Baal of Peor. See Num 25:3, 5. Baal of Peor was a local manifestation of the Canaanite deity Baal located at Peor.

¹ tn Heb “He called him on that day Jerub Baal.” The name means, at least by popular etymology, “Let Baal fight” or “Let Baal defend himself.”

² tn Heb “taught my people to swear by Baal.”

² sn The name Baal Perazim means “Lord of outbursts” in Hebrew.

¹ tn Heb “he served Baal and bowed down to him.”

¹ sn The Canaanites worshiped Baal as a storm and fertility god.

¹ tn Heb “the days of the Baals, to whom she burned incense.” The word “festival” is supplied to clarify the referent of “days,” and the word “idols” is supplied in light of the plural “Baals” (cf. NLT “her images of Baal”).

² sn mutilated…covered with blood. This self-mutilation was a mourning rite designed to facilitate Baal’s return from the underworld.

¹ sn That is, Gideon, and so throughout Judges 9. Gideon was given the name Jerub Baal (meaning “Let Baal fight”) in Judges 6:32.

¹ sn Baal Berith was a local manifestation of the Canaanite storm god. The name means, ironically, “Baal of the covenant.” Israel’s covenant allegiance had indeed shifted.