1 Kings 16:32
New International Version
He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.

New Living Translation
First Ahab built a temple and an altar for Baal in Samaria.

English Standard Version
He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.

Berean Standard Bible
First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.

King James Bible
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

New King James Version
Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

New American Standard Bible
So he erected an altar for Baal at the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.

NASB 1995
So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.

NASB 1977
So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.

Legacy Standard Bible
So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.

Amplified Bible
So he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.

Christian Standard Bible
He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.

American Standard Version
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

Contemporary English Version
Ahab built an altar and temple for Baal in Samaria

English Revised Version
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He built the temple of Baal in Samaria and set up an altar there.

Good News Translation
He built a temple to Baal in Samaria, made an altar for him, and put it in the temple.

International Standard Version
He built an altar for Baal in a temple for Baal that he constructed in Samaria.

Majority Standard Bible
First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.

NET Bible
He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal he had built in Samaria.

New Heart English Bible
He reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

Webster's Bible Translation
And he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

World English Bible
He raised up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and raises up an altar for Ba‘al in the house of the Ba‘al, which he built in Samaria;

Young's Literal Translation
and raiseth up an altar for Baal, in the house of the Baal, that he built in Samaria;

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will raise up an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Shomeron.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria,

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he set up an altar for Baal, in the temple of Baal, which he had built at Samaria.

New American Bible
Ahab set up an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria,

New Revised Standard Version
He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal which he had built in Samaria.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And he raised up an altar to Baal in the house of Baal which he built in Samaria.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he set up an alter to Baal, in the house of his abominations, which he built in Samaria.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Ahab Reigns in Israel, Marries Jezebel
31And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal. 32First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria. 33Then he set up an Asherah pole. Thus Ahab did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel before him.…

Cross References
1 Kings 18:19
Now summon all Israel to meet me on Mount Carmel, along with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table.”

2 Kings 10:18-28
Then Jehu brought all the people together and said, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him a lot. / Now, therefore, summon to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. See that no one is missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing will not live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal. / And Jehu commanded, “Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they announced it. ...

2 Kings 17:16
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.

2 Kings 21:3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.

Judges 2:11-13
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. / Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Jeremiah 23:13
“Among the prophets of Samaria I saw an offensive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel astray.

Hosea 13:1-2
When Ephraim spoke, there was trembling; he was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal, and he died. / Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”

Deuteronomy 12:3
Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

Exodus 34:13
Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.

2 Chronicles 33:3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.

2 Chronicles 34:4
Then in his presence the altars of the Baals were torn down, and he cut to pieces the incense altars that were above them. He shattered the Asherah poles, the carved idols, and the cast images, crushed them to dust, and scattered them over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them.

Revelation 2:20
But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads My servants to be sexually immoral and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

Matthew 12:39-41
Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. / For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. / The men of Nineveh will stand at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now One greater than Jonah is here.

Romans 11:4
And what was the divine reply to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.”

Acts 15:29
You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.


Treasury of Scripture

And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

the house of Baal

2 Kings 10:21,26,27
And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another…

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Altar Baal Ba'al Built Erected House Raiseth Reared Samaria Sama'ria Temple
1 Kings 16
1. Jehu's prophecy against Baasha
5. Elah succeeds him
8. Zimri, conspiring against Elah, succeeds him
11. Zimri executes Jehu's prophecy
15. Omri, made king by the soldiers, forces Zimri desperately to burn himself
21. The kingdom being divided, Omri prevails against Tibni
23. Omri builds Samaria
25. His wicked reign
27. Ahab succeeds him
29. Ahab's most wicked reign
34. Joshua's curse upon Hiel the builder of Jericho














First, Ahab
The mention of "Ahab" immediately draws us into the historical context of the Northern Kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab, son of Omri. Ahab's reign is marked by significant political and religious shifts, largely due to his marriage to Jezebel, a Phoenician princess. This union brought the worship of Baal, a Canaanite deity, into the heart of Israel. Ahab's actions are often seen as a direct violation of the covenantal laws given to Israel, which demanded exclusive worship of Yahweh. The Hebrew root for Ahab's name, "אחאב" (Ach'av), can be interpreted as "brother of the father," which is ironic given his actions that led Israel away from the faith of their forefathers.

set up an altar for Baal
The act of setting up an "altar for Baal" signifies a deliberate and public endorsement of Baal worship. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, altars were central to religious practice, serving as places for sacrifices and offerings. The Hebrew word for altar, "מִזְבֵּחַ" (mizbeach), is derived from the root "זבח" (zavach), meaning "to sacrifice." This highlights the gravity of Ahab's actions, as he not only tolerated but actively facilitated the worship of Baal, a direct affront to the worship of Yahweh. Baal was often associated with fertility and storms, and his worship included rituals that were abhorrent to the Israelites, such as child sacrifice and temple prostitution.

in the temple of Baal
The construction of a "temple of Baal" in Samaria represents a significant shift in the religious landscape of Israel. Temples were not merely places of worship but also centers of political and social life. By building a temple for Baal, Ahab institutionalized the worship of a foreign god, challenging the centrality of the Jerusalem Temple and the worship of Yahweh. Archaeological evidence from sites like Tel Megiddo and Tel Dan provides insight into the architectural style and religious practices of the time, underscoring the cultural and religious syncretism that Ahab's reign epitomized.

that he had built in Samaria
Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, was strategically and symbolically significant. Founded by Ahab's father, Omri, Samaria was a political and economic hub. By establishing a temple for Baal in Samaria, Ahab was making a bold statement about the religious direction of his kingdom. The Hebrew root for Samaria, "שֹׁמְרוֹן" (Shomron), is related to the word "שָׁמַר" (shamar), meaning "to watch" or "to guard." Ironically, instead of guarding the faith of Israel, Ahab's actions led to spiritual decline. This verse serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's commandments and the importance of spiritual fidelity.

Verse 32. - And he reared up an altar for Baal in [Heb. omits in; cf. 1 Kings 15:15, etc.] the house of Baal [A temple, we can hardly doubt, of considerable splendour. Jezebel would not be satisfied with less], which he had built in Samaria [According to 2 Kings 3:2; 2 Kings 10:27, he also raised a pillar (A.V. image) in the house of Baal. We learn from Dius and Menander that Hiram had raised a golden pillar to Baal in Tyre. Perhaps Ahab may have copied this. But it is probable that this image, which represented the generative powers of nature, was an essential part of the impure worship of Baal. The house and its contents alike were destroyed by Jehu (2 Kings 10:27).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
First, [Ahab] set up
וַיָּ֥קֶם (way·yā·qem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

an altar
מִזְבֵּ֖חַ (miz·bê·aḥ)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4196: An altar

for Baal
לַבָּ֑עַל (lab·bā·‘al)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1168: Baal -- a heathen god

in the temple
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

of Baal
הַבַּ֔עַל (hab·ba·‘al)
Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1168: Baal -- a heathen god

that
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

he had built
בָּנָ֖ה (bā·nāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

in Samaria.
בְּשֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃ (bə·šō·mə·rō·wn)
Preposition-b | Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8111: Samaria -- capital of northern kingdom of Israel


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OT History: 1 Kings 16:32 He reared up an altar for Baal (1Ki iKi i Ki 1 Kg 1kg)
1 Kings 16:31
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