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Bamah

BAMAH (ba'ma, Heb. bāmâh, high place). Ezekiel (20:29) plays on the two syllables ba (go) and mah (what), with evident contempt for the high place to which the word refers.

Bibliography

C. C. McCown, “Hebrew High Places and Cult Remains”; JBL LXIX (1950), 205-219; W. F. Albright, “The High Place in Ancient Israel,” Supplement to VT IV (1957), 242-258.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

ba’-ma, ba’-ma (bamah, "high place"): The word appears in Eze 20:29 where reference is made to former "high-place worship," the prophet speaking with contempt of such manner of worship. Ewald suggests a play of words, ba’, "come" and mah, "what," "what (mah) is the high place (ba-mah) whereunto ye come (ba’)?" It is possible that reference is made to a prominent high place like the one at Gibeon (compare 1Ki 3:4; 1Ch 16:39; 21:29;#2Ch 13) for which the name "Bamah" was retained after the reform mentioned by the prophet.