Eshbaal is a biblical name, often associated with Saul's son in the Old Testament. The word "Eshbaal" is spelled using the IPA phonetic transcription as /ɛʃˈbeɪəl/. The first syllable "esh" is pronounced as "esh" with a short "e" sound, the second syllable "baal" is pronounced with a long "a" sound, and the final syllable "al" is pronounced with a schwa sound. The word's spelling reflects the Hebrew origin and is commonly seen in translations of biblical text.
The word "Eshbaal" has its origins in Semitic languages, specifically Hebrew and Phoenician. In Hebrew, "Eshbaal" (אֵשְׁבָּעַל) is a compound word formed by combining "esh" (אֵשׁ) meaning "man" or "person" and "ba'al" (בַּעַל) meaning "lord" or "master". Therefore, "Eshbaal" can be translated to mean "man of Baal" or "man belonging to Baal".
In biblical contexts, Eshbaal is primarily known as the son of King Saul and his given name at birth was Ish-bosheth, meaning "man of shame" or "man of shamelessness".