Ally/ confederate
A partner to a goal; one who has a covenant or contract with another (originally, according to the commentary “Metzudot Tzion,” Baal Berit refers to a type of idolatry of the “Baal” kind, similar to the idol known as “Baal Zevuv”).
(“And it came to pass, when Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again and went astray after the Baals, and made Baal-Berit their god.” — Judges 8:33; and likewise: “My father began to reduce his negotiations. Also to the land of Ashkenaz, to which he used to travel year after year, he would go to conduct dealings with his allies.” — S.Y. Agnon, In the Prime of Her Life.)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
בַּעַל בְּרִית, בֶּן בְּרִית
Definition (Hebrew)
שֻׁתָּף לַמַּטָּרָה. יֵשׁ אִתּוֹ בְּרִית אוֹ חוֹזֶה (בַּמָּקוֹר ע"פ פֵּרוּשׁ "מְצוּדוֹת צִיּוֹן" בַּעַל בְּרִית הִנּוֹ סוּג שֶׁל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה מִסּוּג "בַּעַל" , כְּמוֹ לָדוּג' "בַּעַל זְבוּב").
("וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר מֵת גִּדְעוֹן וַיָּשׁוּבוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּזְנוּ אַחֲרֵי הַבְּעָלִים וַיָּשִׂימוּ לָהֶם בַּעַל בְּרִית לֵאלֹהִים"- שׁוֹפְטִים ח לג, וְכֵן:"אָבִי הִתְחִיל מְמַעֵט בַּמַּשָּׂא וּמַתָּן. גַּם לְאֶרֶץ אַשְׁכְּנַז אֲשֶׁר הָיָה נוֹסֵעַ שָׁמָּה מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה לָבוֹא בִּדְבָרִים עִם בַּעֲלֵי בְּרִיתוֹ"- שַׁ"י עַגְנוֹן/ בִּדְמֵי יָמֶיהָ)