Baal-Zephon

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

Some have thought that this was only the name of a place. And some have concluded that it was the name of an idol. The words together may be read, the lord of secret, meaning one that inspects, and discovers what is hidden. One thing however is certain concerning it, that it was over against Baal-zephon, the Lord directed Israel to encamp, when the Egyptians were pursuing them after their departure from Egypt. I beg the reader to consult the Scripture concerning it, ( Exodus 14:2) Piha-hiroth it should seem was so called, because it formed the mouth or gullet of entrance to the sea. And Migdol, which means a tower, was a watch-place, where it is probable that this idol was placed to watch, or pretend to watch, at the extremity of the kingdom of Egypt, on this part to the sea, by way of deterring runaway servants, or slaves, like Israel, from attempting their escape. It was in this very spot, as if, at once, to shew Israel the folly of such ridiculous idols; and to shew Egypt of what little avail their dunghill deities were; Israel was commanded to encamp, from whence they should behold the arm of the Lord displayed for their deliverance, and at the same time Egypt's destruction. (See  Exodus 12:12, etc.  Numbers 32:4)

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Baal-Zephon .   Exodus 14:2 ,   Numbers 33:7; the name of a place near the spot where the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, apparently a shrine of ‘Baal of the north.’ The corresponding goddess ‘Baalit of the north’ is named along with the god of Kesem (Goshen), in an Egyp. papyrus of the New Kingdom, as worshipped at Memphis.

F. Ll. Griffith.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

A town in Egypt, probably near the modern Suez. Its location is unknown, as are the details of the route of the Hebrews on leaving Egypt. They encamped "over against" and "before" Baal-zephon before crossing the Red Sea.  Exodus 14:2;  Numbers 33:7 .

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Exodus 14:2 14:9Exodus

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Exodus 14:2 Numbers 33:7

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

(Hebrews Ba'al Tsephon', בִּעִל צְפֹון , Place Of Typhon; Sept. Βεελσεπφῶν or Βεελσεπφίον , Josephus Βελσεφών , Ant. 2, 15, 1), a town belonging to Egypt, on the border of the Red Sea ( Exodus 14:2;  Numbers 33:7). Forster (Epist. Ad J. D. Michaelem, p. 28) believes it to have been the same place as Heroopolis ( ῾Ηρωώπολις ), on the western gulf of the Red Sea (Pliny, Hist. Nat. v. 12; Strabo, 17, p. 836; Ptolem. 4:5), where Typhon (which Forster makes in Coptic Δωψων ; but, Contra, see Rosenm Ü ller, Alterthum, 3, 261), the evil genius of the Egyptians, was worshipped. (See Baalim). But, according to Manetho (Josephus Contra Apion. 1, 26), the name of Typhon's city was Avaris ( Αὔαρις ), which some, as Champollion (who writes Ουαρι , and renders "causing malediction;" L'Egypte Suos Les Pharaons, 2, 87 sq.), consider, wrongly, to be the same place, the stronghold of the Hyksos, both which places were connected with Typhon (Steph. Byz. s.v. ῾Ηρώ ). Avaris cannot be Heroopolis, for geographical reasons. (Compare, as to the site of Avaris, Brugsch, Geograph'Sche Inschriften, 1, 86 sq.; as to that of Heroopolis, Lepsius, Chron. D',Egypt. 1, 344 sq., and 342, against the two places being the same.) In fact, nothing is known of the situation of Baal-zephon except what is connected with a consideration of the route taken by the Israelites in leaving Egypt, for it was "over against Baal-zephon" that they were encamped before they passed the Red Sea. The supposition that identifies its site with Jebel Deraj or Kulalah, the southern barrier of the mouth of the valley leading from Cairo to the Red Sea, is as likely as any other. (See Exode). From the position of Goshen, and the indications afforded by the narrative of the route of the Israelites, Baal-zephon must have been on the western shore of the Gulf of Suez, a little below its head, which at that time, however, has been located by some many miles northward of the present head. (See Goshen); (See Passage Of Red Sea).

Its position with respect to the other places mentioned with it is clearly indicated. The Israelites encamped before or at Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon, according to Exodus ( Exodus 14:2;  Exodus 14:9), while in Numbers Pi-hahiroth is described as being before Baal-zephon; and it is said that when the people came to the former place they pitched before Migdol ( Numbers 33:7); and again, that afterward they departed from before Pi-hahiroth, here in Hebrews Hahiroth ( Hebrews 5:8). Migdol and Baal-zephon must therefore have been opposite to one another, and the latter behind Pi-hahiroth, with reference to the Israelites. Baal-zephon was perhaps a well-known place, if, as seems likely, it is always mentioned to indicate the position of Pi-hahiroth, which we take to be a natural locality. (See Pi-Hahiroth).

The name has been supposed to mean "sanctuary of Typhon," or "sacred to Typhon," an etymology approved by Gesenius (Thes. Heb. p. 225), but not by Furst (Hebrews Handw. s.v.). Zephon would well enough correspond in sound to Typhon, had we any ground for considering the latter name to be either Egyptian or Semitic; and even then Zephon in Baal-zephon might not be its Hebrew transcription, inasmuch as it is joined with the Hebrew form בִּעִל . Hence many connect Baal-zephon, as a Hebrew compound, with the root צָפָה , to spy, as if it were named from a watchtower on the frontier like the neighboring מַגְדֹּל , "the tower." It is noticeable that the name of the son of Gad, called Ziphion ( צַפְיוֹן ) in  Genesis 46:16, is written Zephon ( צְפוֹן ) in  Numbers 26:15. — Kitto; Smith.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

bā - al - zē´fon בּעל צפון , ba‛al cephōn  ; Βεελσεπφῶν , Beelsepphō̇n  ;  Exodus 14:2 ,  Exodus 14:9;  Numbers 33:7 ): The name means "Lord of the North," and the place was opposite the Hebrew camp, which was between Migdol and the sea. It may have been the shrine of a Semitic deity, but the position is unknown (see Exodus ). Goodwin (see Brugsch, Hist. Egt ., II, 363) found the name Baali - Zapuna as that of a god mentioned in an Egyptian papyrus in the British Museum.

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblial Literature

Ba´al-Ze´phon, a town belonging to Egypt, on the border of the Red Sea ( Exodus 14:2;  Numbers 33:7). Nothing is known of its situation.