Topical Bible: High Places: Bamah

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Definition and Etymology
The term "Bamah" refers to the high places mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, which were elevated sites used for worship and religious rituals. The Hebrew word "bamah" (בָּמָה) translates to "high place" and is often associated with altars, shrines, or sanctuaries located on hills or elevated ground. These sites were significant in ancient Israelite and Canaanite religious practices.

Biblical References
High places are mentioned throughout the Old Testament, often in the context of idolatrous worship. They were locations where both legitimate and illegitimate worship occurred. In the Berean Standard Bible, Ezekiel 20:29 states, "Then I asked them: What is this high place to which you go? So it is called Bamah to this day."

Historical and Cultural Context
High places were common in the ancient Near East and were used by various cultures for religious ceremonies. In Canaanite religion, these sites were often dedicated to deities such as Baal and Asherah. The Israelites, influenced by surrounding cultures, also used high places for worship, which sometimes led to syncretism and idolatry.

Religious Significance
In the early history of Israel, high places were not inherently negative. Patriarchs like Abraham and Jacob built altars on elevated sites to worship Yahweh (Genesis 12:7-8; 28:18-22). However, as Israel settled in Canaan, high places became associated with pagan worship, leading to their condemnation by the prophets and reforming kings.

Condemnation and Reforms
The use of high places for idolatrous practices was a recurring issue in Israel's history. The prophets consistently condemned these sites as centers of false worship. For instance, 1 Kings 14:23 notes, "For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree."

Reforming kings such as Hezekiah and Josiah took significant steps to eradicate high places. 2 Kings 18:4 records Hezekiah's actions: "He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles." Josiah's reforms were even more extensive, as described in 2 Kings 23:13: "The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites."

Theological Implications
The high places symbolize the tension between true worship of Yahweh and the temptation of idolatry. They serve as a reminder of the Israelites' struggle to maintain covenant faithfulness amidst cultural pressures. The biblical narrative underscores the importance of centralized worship in Jerusalem, as prescribed in Deuteronomy 12:5-6, where God commands the Israelites to seek the place He chooses for His name to dwell.

Legacy and Lessons
The account of the high places, including Bamah, highlights the need for discernment in worship practices and the dangers of compromising with surrounding cultures. It calls believers to a pure and undivided devotion to God, emphasizing the importance of worshiping Him in spirit and truth, as later affirmed by Jesus in John 4:24.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 20:29
Then I said to them, What is the high place whereunto you go? And the name whereof is called Bamah to this day.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Strong's Hebrew

1116. bamah -- a high place
... a high place. Transliteration: bamah Phonetic Spelling: (bam-maw') Short Definition:
places. Word Origin of uncertain derivation Definition a high place NASB ...
/hebrew/1116.htm - 6k

1181. baale bamoth -- lords of (the) high places
... From the plural of Ba'al and the plural of bamah; Baals of (the) heights;
Baale-Bamoth, a place East of the Jordan -- lords of the high places. ...
/hebrew/1181.htm - 6k

Library

The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
... lives unto the death,"and Naphtali upon the high places of the ... Mizpah; "and he judged
Israel in all those places, and his return was to Bamah, for there ...
/.../chapter iiithe hebrews and the.htm

The Death and the Raising of Lazarus - the Question of Miracles ...
... And from this high point - not only from the resolution ... out of Palestine (in Rome,
and other places), written in ... by the more Scriptural name of bamah, [4844] or ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxi the death and.htm