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.