לַבְּעָלִים֙

Alphabet Analysis

The word

1. word🔊 לַבְּעָלִים֙

   lab-be-a-LIM

   to the Baals
2. phraseyour reading level🔊 וַיָּ֨קֶם מִזְבְּח֤וֹת לַבְּעָלִים֙

   va-ya-KEM miz-be-KHOT lab-be-a-LIM

   and he set up altars to the Baals
3. clause🔊 וַיָּ֨קֶם מִזְבְּח֤וֹת לַבְּעָלִים֙ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֲשֵׁר֔וֹת וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ לְכָל־צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ד אֹתָֽם׃

   va-ya-KEM miz-be-KHOT lab-be-a-LIM va-ya-AS a-she-ROT va-yish-ta-KHU le-khol-tse-VA ha-sha-MA-yim va-ya-a-VOD o-TAM

   and he set up altars to the Baals and he made Asheroth and they bowed down to all host of the heavens and he served them
4. sentence🔊 וַיָּ֗שָׁב וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ אֶת־הַבָּמ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִתַּ֖ץ יְחִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ אָבִ֑יו וַיָּ֨קֶם מִזְבְּח֤וֹת לַבְּעָלִים֙ וַיַּ֣עַשׂ אֲשֵׁר֔וֹת וַיִּשְׁתַּ֙חוּ֙ לְכָל־צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ד אֹתָֽם׃

   va-ya-SHAV va-yi-VEN et-ha-ba-MOT a-SHER ni-TATS ye-khiz-ki-YA-hu a-VIV va-ya-KEM miz-be-KHOT lab-be-a-LIM va-ya-AS a-she-ROT va-yish-ta-KHU le-khol-tse-VA ha-sha-MA-yim va-ya-a-VOD o-TAM

   and he returned and he built {direct object} the high places which he tore down Hezekiah his father and he set up altars to the Baals and he made Asheroth and they bowed down to all host of the heavens and he served them

Exegesis

The construct chain mizbechot la-baʿālīm {מִזְבְּחוֹת לַבְּעָלִים | miz-bə-ḥôṯ la-ba-ʿā-lîm} signals idolatrous worship of local deities, while the phrase le-kol-tseva ha-šā-ma-yim {לְכָל־צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם | lə-kol-ṣə-vāʾ ha-šā-ma-yim} denotes devotion to celestial beings. English rendering retains Hebrew word order and sequential conjunctions, smoothing punctuation for readability.

Root and etymology

ב־ע־ל🔊 bet–ayin–lamed

“lord, master”