THE FULL ARTICLE — from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), general editor James Orr — public domain, printed whole.

mis'-tres (ba`alah, gebhereth): Is the translation of ba`alah, "lady," "owner" (1Ki 17:17; Na 3:4); in 1Sa 28:7, "a woman that hath a familiar spirit" is literally, "the mistress of a familiar spirit"; of gebhereth (Ge 16:4,8,9; 2Ki 5:3; Ps 123:2; Pr 30:23; Isa 24:2); in Isa 47:5,7, we have the King James Version and the English Revised Version "lady," the American Standard Revised Version "mistress."