Lexical Summary bamah: high places, high place, heights Original Word: בָּמָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance height, high place, wave From an unused root (meaning to be high); an elevation -- height, high place, wave. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof uncertain derivation Definition a high place NASB Translation heights (3), high place (19), high places (76), places (1), waves (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs בָּמָה104 noun feminine high place (√ apparently בום on account of firm ָ֯; compare Assyrian bâmâtê ZimBP 48, Moab. במת MI3, 27) — Jeremiah 48:35 18t.; הַבָּמָ֫תָה 1 Samuel 9:13; plural בָּמוֺת Numbers 21:19 62t.; construct בָּֽמֳתֵי Job 9:8; Isaiah 14:14; Amos 4:13; בָּֽמֳו֯תֵי Deuteronomy 32:13; Isaiah 58:14; Micah 1:3 (Ew§ 211 d Ges§ 87, 5 archaic feminine construct with retracted accent before monosyl. in poetry, bâm©-thê not b©m); suffix בָּמֹתַי 2 Samuel 22:34 3t.; בָּמוֺתַי Psalm 18:34 10t.; — 1 high place, mountain: בָּמוֺת יָעַר forest mountains Micah 3:12 = Jeremiah 26:18; במות עולם ancient mountains Ezekiel 36:2; במות ארנן Numbers 21:28 (E poetry) 2 high places, battle-fields, the chief places of the land giving possession, victory, dominion: על במותיך on thy high places (Gilboa, the battle-field) 2 Samuel 1:19,25 (in 2 Samuel 1:19 ᵐ5 has a doublet מֵתֶיךָ thy dead, see We Dr). a. of Israel: רכב על במתי ארץ ride upon the high places of the land Deuteronomy 32:13 & Isaiah 58:14 compare Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalm 18:34 = 2 Samuel 22:34; Habakkuk 3:19. b. of God: דרך על במתי ארץ tread upon the high places of the earth Amos 4:13 compare Micah 1:3; במתי ים Job 9:8; עלה על במתי עב (aspiration of the king of Babylon) Isaiah 14:14. 3 high places, as places of worship, at first on hills and mountains, later on artificial mounds or platforms, under green trees, and in cities; still later for the chapels erected thereon, and once apparently for a portable sanctuary (decked with diverse colours) Ezekiel 16:16. The ancient worship of Israel was conducted on these high places. In the times of Samuel and David they ascended to them, descended from them, and offered sacrifices on them, 1 Samuel 9:12-25; 1 Samuel 10:5,13 (הבמה for הביתה We Dr). The custom continued in the reign of Solomon, but Gibeon was הבמה הגדולה 1 Kings 3:2-4 compare 1 Chronicles 16:39; 1 Chronicles 21:29; 2Chronicles 1:3,13. High places of Baal were also used Numbers 22:41 (E) Jeremiah 19:5; Jeremiah 32:35; of Moab Isaiah 15:2; Isaiah 16:12; Jeremiah 48:35 (compare MI27); these must be demolished Numbers 33:52 (J). Solomon built במות (platforms or chapels) to Chemosh and Milkom on the Mt. of Evil Counsel opposite Jerusalem 1 Kings 11:7: Jeroboam made temples on the ancient high places of Dan and Bethel 1 Kings 12:31,32; 2Chronicles 11:15; they are called במות און Hosea 10:8, במות ישׂחק Amos 7:9: the kings of Israel built במות and בתי הבמות in all their cities 2 Kings 17:9, and the people worshipped there 2 Kings 17:11; these were also used by the mixed population after the exile of Israel 2 Kings 17:29,32 (twice in verse): these various idolatrous high places were first destroyed by Josiah 1 Kings 13:2; 1 Kings 13:32; 1 Kings 13:38; 2 Kings 23:5-20 2Chronicles 34:3. The worship of Yahweh on high places continued in Judah until the exile 1 Kings 22:44; 2 Kings 15:35; the sanctity code predicts that Yahweh will destroy them Leviticus 26:30; they were regarded as the reason for the rejection of Shiloh Psalm 78:58. The compiler of Kings, writing from the point of view of the Deuteronomic code, complains רַק הַבָּמוֺת לֹא סָרוּ 2 Kings 12:4; 2 Kings 14:4; 2 Kings 15:4,35 compare 2 Chronicles 15:17; 20:33, and praises the few pious kings who destroyed them. a. Rehoboam built במות with מצבות & אשׁרים on every high hill and under every green tree 1 Kings 14:23. b. Asa did not remove the high places 1 Kings 15:14 (2 Chron 14:2; 2 Chronicles 14:4 is incorrect unless במות בעל). c. Jehoshaphat in his reform on the basis of the covenant code did not remove them 1 Kings 22:44 (עוֺד הֵסִיר אֶתהַֿבָּמוֺת2Chronicles 17:16 is doubtless incorrect, possibly read מצבות); Jehoram, his son, made high places in the cities of Judah 2Chronicles 21:11 (ᵐ5 ᵑ9; not mountains HCT); and Ahaz sacrificed on high places on the hills and under every green tree and in every city of Judah 2 Kings 16:4; 2Chronicles 28:4,25; compare Micah 1:5 (read חטאת? so ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ7 Che and others; yet compare JBL1890, 73 f.) d. Hezekiah removed them 2 Kings 18:4,22; 2Chronicles 31:1; 32:12; Isaiah 36:7; but Manasseh rebuilt them 2 Kings 21:3; 2Chronicles 33:3,19, and the people continued to sacrifice thereon to Yahweh 2 Chronicles 33:17. e. Josiah, in his reform, based on the Deuteronomic code, defiled them and brake them down from Geba to Beersheba 2 Kings 23:5,8,9; but subsequently there were במות התפת in the valley of Ben Hinnom Jeremiah 7:31, and במות throughout Judah Jeremiah 17:3 compare Ezekiel 6:3,6; Ezekiel 20:29 (questioned by Ew & Co). 4 funereal mound (?) Ezekiel 43:7 (Thes, but in their high places AV RV; in their death ᵑ7 Theod Ew Hi RVm), Isaiah 53:9 (Lowth Ew Bö Rodwell Orelli; but in his death AV RV, or martyr death De Che Br). Topical Lexicon Concept and Scope The Hebrew noun בָּמָה denotes an elevated site—natural or artificial—set apart for religious rites. These locations were ordinarily situated on hills, ridges, city acropolises, or constructed platforms, and included altars, stone pillars, wooden poles, and occasionally small shrines or enclosures. The term embraces both the physical elevation and the cultic complex associated with it. Geographical Distribution High places appear throughout the land promised to Israel. They are mentioned in the Transjordan (Numbers 22:41), the northern kingdom (1 Kings 12:31; Amos 7:9), Judah (2 Kings 23:8), Philistia (1 Samuel 9:12–14), and even in foreign territories such as Moab (Isaiah 15:2) and Phoenicia (Jeremiah 19:5). Their ubiquity underlines how widespread non-centralized worship was in the ancient Near East. Origins and Early Use in Israel Before the construction of the Jerusalem temple, patriarchs and early Israelites sought elevated sites to mark divine encounters (Genesis 12:7–8; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 17:15). After the conquest, these local altars continued. Joshua is not recorded as prohibiting them, and Judges reflects a period when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25), allowing high places to proliferate. High Places under the United Monarchy While David captured Jerusalem and housed the Ark in a tent, worship at the Gibeonite high place continued (1 Chronicles 16:39–40; 2 Chronicles 1:3). Solomon built the temple, yet “the people were still sacrificing on the high places” (1 Kings 3:2), and the king himself offered “a thousand burnt offerings on that altar” at Gibeon (1 Kings 3:4). This transitional tolerance gave way to blatant compromise when Solomon “built a high place for Chemosh … and for Molech” (1 Kings 11:7). The Schism and Institutionalized Apostasy Jeroboam I established rival sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan, erecting golden calves and appointing non-Levitical priests (1 Kings 12:31). These became paradigmatic high places of northern idolatry, repeatedly condemned: “They sacrificed on all the high places, like the nations” (2 Kings 17:11). Deuteronomic Centralization Deuteronomy commands: “You are to destroy completely all the places where the nations you dispossess have served their gods … You must not worship the LORD your God in that way” (Deuteronomy 12:2–4). The law’s insistence on one chosen “place” (Deuteronomy 12:5) renders subsequent high-place worship illicit, no matter how sincerely offered. Reform and Resistance in Judah • Asa “removed the high places” yet they resurfaced (1 Kings 15:14). Prophetic Indictment The prophets inveighed against high places as centers of syncretism, immorality, and injustice: Such oracles link cultic corruption with societal collapse, affirming covenantal cause and effect. Cultic Practices Worship at the high places involved burnt offerings, incense, libations, cultic meals, and ecstatic rites (Isaiah 65:7). Pagan elements included sacred pillars, Asherah poles, male cult prostitution (1 Kings 14:23–24), child sacrifice (Jeremiah 7:31), and divination (Numbers 22:41). Even when Yahweh’s name was invoked, the mixed ritual violated His command. Archaeological Corroboration Excavations at sites such as Dan, Megiddo, and Arad reveal elevated or walled precincts with altars, standing stones, and cultic paraphernalia. These finds align with the biblical portrait of high-place architecture and pluralistic worship. Post-Exilic Perspective After the exile, no legitimate high places re-emerged. Zechariah and Malachi point to the rebuilt temple as the sole altar. By New Testament times, Samaritan worship on Mount Gerizim reflects a lingering high-place mentality, which Jesus supersedes in John 4:21: “A time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.” Theological Significance 1. Exclusive Worship: High places illustrate the perennial tendency to decentralize and syncretize worship, contravening God’s insistence on His chosen means of approach. Ministry Reflections Contemporary worship must resist cultural accommodation, uphold biblical prescriptions, and avoid multiplying unauthorized “high places” of self-made spirituality. Vigilance, reform, and prophetic courage remain essential for faithful ministry. Representative References Numbers 22:41; Deuteronomy 12:2; 1 Samuel 9:12–14; 1 Kings 3:2–4; 1 Kings 11:7; 1 Kings 12:31; 2 Kings 17:11; 2 Kings 23:15–20; 2 Chronicles 20:33; Isaiah 15:2; Hosea 10:8; Amos 7:9; Micah 1:3; Ezekiel 6:3. Forms and Transliterations בְּבָמוֹתָ֑ם בַּבָּמ֑וֹת בַּבָּמ֔וֹת בַּבָּמ֖וֹת בַּבָּמָ֖ה בַּבָּמָֽה׃ בַּבָּמֽוֹת׃ בַּבָּמוֹת֙ בָּ֝מֹתַ֗י בָּ֣מֳתֵי בָּ֥מֳתֵי בָּמ֑וֹת בָּמ֔וֹת בָּמ֣וֹת בָּמ֥וֹת בָּמ֨וֹת בָּמָ֗ה בָּמֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם בָּמֹתֶ֕יךָ בָּמֹתָ֖יו בָּמֹתָ֖ם בָּמֹתָ֣יו בָּמֽוֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ בָּמוֹת֙ בָּמוֹתֵ֥ימוֹ בָּמוֹתֶ֖יךָ בָּמוֹתַ֖י בָּמוֹתָֽם׃ בָמ֔וֹת בָמ֖וֹת בָמָ֔ה בָמֽוֹת׃ בָּ֣מֳתֵי בָּ֥מֳתֵי בבמה בבמה׃ בבמות בבמות׃ בבמותם במה במות במות׃ במותי במותיך במותיכם׃ במותימו במותם׃ במתי במתיו במתיך במתיכם במתם הַ֠בָּמוֹת הַבָּמ֔וֹת הַבָּמ֖וֹת הַבָּמ֗וֹת הַבָּמ֜וֹת הַבָּמ֞וֹת הַבָּמ֤וֹת הַבָּמ֥וֹת הַבָּמָ֑ה הַבָּמָ֔ה הַבָּמָ֖ה הַבָּמָ֛ה הַבָּמָ֜תָה הַבָּמָ֣ה הַבָּמָֽה׃ הַבָּמָה֙ הַבָּמֽוֹת׃ הַבָּמוֹת֙ הבמה הבמה׃ הבמות הבמות׃ הבמתה וְהַ֨בָּמ֔וֹת וְהַבָּמ֑וֹת וְהַבָּמ֖וֹת וּבָמ֣וֹת ובמות והבמות לְבָמ֥וֹת לַבָּמ֖וֹת לַבָּמָ֖ה לַבָּמָ֤ה לבמה לבמות מֵֽהַבָּמָ֔ה מֵהַבָּמָ֖ה מהבמה bā·māh ḇā·māh bā·mō·ṯām bā·mō·ṯāw bā·mō·ṯay bā·mo·ṯê bā·mō·ṯe·ḵā bā·mō·ṯê·ḵem bā·mō·w·ṯām bā·mō·w·ṯay bā·mō·w·ṯe·ḵā bā·mō·w·ṯê·ḵem bā·mō·w·ṯê·mōw bā·mō·wṯ ḇā·mō·wṯ bab·bā·māh bab·bā·mō·wṯ babbaMah babbāmāh babbaMot babbāmōwṯ baMah bāmāh ḇāmāh baMot bamoTai bamoTam bāmōṯām bamoTav bāmōṯāw bāmōṯay bāmoṯê bamoTeicha bamoteiChem bamoTeimov bāmōṯeḵā bāmōṯêḵem bāmōwṯ ḇāmōwṯ bāmōwṯām bāmōwṯay bāmōwṯeḵā bāmōwṯêḵem bāmōwṯêmōw bə·ḇā·mō·w·ṯām bəḇāmōwṯām bevamoTam Bomotei hab·bā·mā·ṯāh hab·bā·māh hab·bā·mō·wṯ habbaMah habbāmāh habbaMatah habbāmāṯāh habbaMot habbāmōwṯ lab·bā·māh lab·bā·mō·wṯ labbaMah labbāmāh labbaMot labbāmōwṯ lə·ḇā·mō·wṯ ləḇāmōwṯ levaMot mê·hab·bā·māh mehabbaMah mêhabbāmāh ū·ḇā·mō·wṯ ūḇāmōwṯ uvaMot vaMah vaMot vehabbaMot wə·hab·bā·mō·wṯ wəhabbāmōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 26:30 HEB: וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֞י אֶת־ בָּמֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם וְהִכְרַתִּי֙ אֶת־ NAS: I then will destroy your high places, and cut down KJV: And I will destroy your high places, and cut down INT: will destroy your high and cut your incense Numbers 21:28 Numbers 33:52 Deuteronomy 32:13 Deuteronomy 33:29 1 Samuel 9:12 1 Samuel 9:13 1 Samuel 9:14 1 Samuel 9:19 1 Samuel 9:25 1 Samuel 10:5 1 Samuel 10:13 2 Samuel 1:19 2 Samuel 1:25 2 Samuel 22:34 1 Kings 3:2 1 Kings 3:3 1 Kings 3:4 1 Kings 11:7 1 Kings 12:31 1 Kings 12:32 1 Kings 13:2 1 Kings 13:32 1 Kings 13:33 1 Kings 13:33 102 Occurrences |
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