Baal is the male god of Canaan and Phoenicians; counterpart of the female Asherah.
The word Baal is derived from the common verb baal (ba'al 262), own, rule, possess. The verb is even used to indicate the husband's relationship to his wife (Deut 24:1) and is applied to the relationship between God and man, "For your husband (ba'al) is your Maker…" (Isa 54:5).
Because the God-man marriage image is so strong in the Bible, worshiping an un-god named Husband must be extra painful for the true Husband. Hence the lavish use of the adultery image where unfaithfulness to God is concerned.
Other derivations of this verb are baala (ba'ala 262b), female owner, and Bel (bel 262c), Bel, the patron god of Babylon, whose name returns in names such as Belshazzar (Dan 5:1). Even one of the prominent names of Satan comes from this verb: Beelzebub / Baal Zebub; Lord Of The Flies.
