ESHBAAL.See Ishbosheth.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible
Edited by James Hastings, D.D. Published in 1909
or ISHBOSHETH, the fourth son of Saul. The Hebrews, to avoid pronouncing the word baal, lord, used bosheth, confusion. Instead of Mephi-baal, they said Mephi-bosheth; and, instead of Esh-baal, they said Ish-bosheth, 2Sa_2:8.
Biblical and Theological Dictionary by Richard Watson
PRINTER 1849.
esh?bā-al. See ISH-BOSHETH.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PRINTER 1915.
Esh?baal [ISH-BOSHETH]
The Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
by John Kitto.
Eshbaal
[some Esh-ba'al] (Hebrew Esba'al, אֶשְׁבִּעִל, in pause אֶשְׁבָּעִל, man of Baal; Sept. Α᾿σαβάλ v.r. Ι᾿εβάλ and Βαάλ, Vulg. Esbaal), the appropriate name of the fourth son of king Saul, according to the genealogy of 1Ch_8:33; 1Ch_9:39. He is doubtless the same person (see 1Sa_31:2, compared with 2Sa_2:8) as ISH-BOSHETH SEE ISH-BOSHETH (q..v.), since it was the practice to change the obnoxious name of Baal into Bosheth or Besheth, as in the case of Jerub-besheth for Jerub-baal, and (in this very genealogy) of Merib-baal for Mephi-bosheth: compare also Hos_9:10, where Bosheth (A.V. "shame") appears to be used as a synonym for Baal. SEE BAAL.
CYCLOPEDIA OF BIBLICAL, THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL
press 1895.