Idols' names in OT and NT?

[daveleau]

Knowing the names of the idols in the Bible helps to understand the meaning of many texts, since we often read the name and have no idea what the expressed intent of the author was. Asherah is a popular one used in the OT and can even be seen in the present-day names of Israeli towns. What are some other proper names of idols worshipped in the Bible?

God bless you,
Dave

 

[ChristianCandy]

Ashtaroth -- Judges 2:13

Baal -- Judges 2:13, Judges 6:25, 28, 32, Jer: 32:35

Molech -- Lev. 18:21, Lev. 20:2-5, 1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 23:10


There are more, but those are the ones that come to my mind.

 

[St. Worm2]

Dagon - 1 Samuel 5 - My personal favorite. A Philistine god whose name was shortened from its original, "Daggone". Normally associated with Arks, carts, tumors, lessor rats, and straight-line walking milch cows, his name is still quoted today, especially in the south, at times of eye-popping amazement.

 

[ChristianCandy]

And of course, let's not forget that Satan would like to be worshipped as a god:

Luke 4:6: And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

Luke 4:7 If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

 

[ChristianCandy]

There was an Assyrian diety called "Asshur":

Ezekiel 32:22 Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword:

Notice in the above text, "Asshur" is both male & female.

Hosea 14:3 Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

Numbers 24:22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

 

[jdrahnonfire]

Baal- God of fertility
Sexual diety. The priests and priestess were at the temple door to have an offering of fornication as a gift to the god Baal. They also passed their children through the fire as an offering. The priests were ironically called "Dogs". Sound familiar? "DAWG!" Later Allah was the Aramaic name which is now the pre-Islamic pagan diety today.

 

[Ainesis]

Dagon - 1 Samuel 5 - My personal favorite. A Philistine god whose name was shortened from its original, "Daggone". Normally associated with Arks, carts, tumors, lessor rats, and straight-line walking milch cows, his name is still quoted today, especially in the south, at times of eye-popping amazement.

LOL!!

 

[JohnJones]

Knowing the names of the idols in the Bible helps to understand the meaning of many texts, since we often read the name and have no idea what the expressed intent of the author was. Asherah is a popular one used in the OT and can even be seen in the present-day names of Israeli towns. What are some other proper names of idols worshipped in the Bible?

God bless you,
Dave

Here's something I've realized lately. When you read the story of King Hezekiah, how he destroyed the high places (altars built up in mountains and so forth) you will find that the Heathean confused the name Jehovah with Baal. In 2 Chr 32:11, they basically said (I'm paraphrasing) "Hezekiah is trying to get you guys to go on a suicide mission by saying that the LORD will protect you, but didn't this same Hezekiah destroy all His altars and say that you must worship only on one altar in Jerusalem?" Now, Hezekiah had not destryoed the LORD's altars, but had destroyed Baal's altars, but these Heathens are confused on the matter. Today, many are confused in the same way, and call God Yahweh rather than Jehovah. And if any man destroys Yahweh's altars they think he has destroyed Jehovah's altars. So sad.

 

[pimorton]

There was Chemosh, the detestable god of the Moabites. Also Bel, whom Nebuchadnezzar called his personal patron god, and Nebo or Nebu, upon whose name Nebuchadnezzar's is based ("Nebu protects") from Babylon. From Assyria we have the name of Nisroch, which Sennecharib was worshipping when his sons assassinated him.
I'm sure there are others, but these few I came up with off the top of my head.