master
ba.al identifies a person as an owner, spouse, local authority, or the one associated with a specified thing.
The term most often marks an owner or person responsible for property, animals, loans, or another possession; it also denotes a husband, groups identified with a town, and persons described in relation to a following noun.
Senses in use
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Owner or responsible holder · dominant
In Exodus 21:28 the singular construct form occurs in the rule concerning an ox that kills a person, where the APB renders the clause with “the owner of the ox.” Exodus 22:11 places the form in a dispute over an entrusted animal, and Deuteronomy 15:2 uses the singular absolute form for the person who must release what was lent.
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Husband in a marital relation · common
The form identifies a woman’s husband in marital and household contexts. In Exodus 21:3 the APB renders the clause “if he is master of a wife,” while Deuteronomy 24:4 concerns a former husband, and Esther 1:20 speaks of women giving honor to their husbands.
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Men identified with a town or community · common
Plural construct forms designate groups connected with particular places. In 1 Samuel 23:11 David asks whether the men of Keilah will hand him over; Judges 9:2 addresses the “masters of Shechem,” and Judges 20:5 names the men of Gibeah who surrounded the house.
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Person described by a related noun · occasional
Singular construct forms occur in compact descriptions that link a person or object with a following noun. In 2 Kings 1:8 the APB renders “a man, master of hair”; Ecclesiastes 10:11 and Ecclesiastes 10:20 use “master of the tongue” and “master of wings,” while Isaiah 50:8 asks, “Who is the master of my cause?”
In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses, the APB uses “owner,” “master,” “husband,” and, in some town-related clauses, “citizens” or “men.” Because the APB is a whole-verse translation, these labels show the clause-level presentation rather than fixed English equivalents.