Original Word: בָּמָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: bamah
Pronunciation: bah-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (bam-maw')
Definition: High place
Meaning: an elevation

Word Origin: Derived from an unused root meaning to be high

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: - G5311 (hupsos): Often translated as "height" or "high place," though not a direct equivalent, it conveys a similar concept of elevation or exaltation.

Usage: The term "bamah" refers to elevated sites often used for worship and religious rituals in ancient Israel and surrounding cultures. These high places were typically located on hills or raised platforms and were used for both legitimate worship of Yahweh and idolatrous practices. In the context of the Hebrew Bible, "bamah" often carries a negative connotation due to its association with pagan worship and syncretism.

Cultural and Historical Background: In the ancient Near East, high places were common sites for religious activities. They were considered closer to the divine realm due to their elevation. In Israel, high places were initially used for worshiping Yahweh before the centralization of worship in Jerusalem. However, they became problematic as they were frequently associated with the worship of foreign gods and idols, leading to syncretism and idolatry. The prophets and reforming kings of Israel and Judah often condemned and destroyed these sites to purify the worship of Yahweh.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a high place
NASB Translation
heights (3), high place (19), high places (76), places (1), waves (1).

בָּמָה₁₀₄ noun feminine high place (√ apparently בום on account of firm ָ֯; compare Assyrian bâmâtê Zim^{BP 48, Moab.} במת MI^{3, 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 JBL^{1890, 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).

height, high place, wave

From an unused root (meaning to be high); an elevation -- height, high place, wave.

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 wəhabbāmōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts