בָּמָה (ba.mah)
ba.mah
high place
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 81 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun bamah literally means an elevation, derived from a root sense of being high. While it can simply refer to a physical height or mountain ridge, in the biblical narrative it most often denotes a specific type of cultic site: an open-air shrine used for worship. These were typically stone platforms built on hills or prominent mounds, distinct from the centralized Temple in Jerusalem.
The term appears frequently in the historical books like Kings and Chronicles, where it carries significant theological weight. The biblical writers often describe kings as failing to remove the bamot, linking these high places with idolatry and unauthorized sacrifice. However, the word also retains its neutral geographical sense, appearing in poetry to describe God’s sovereignty over the heights of the earth or even the "fortresses" of the clouds.
Translators usually render bamah as "high place," a choice that preserves both the physical location and the religious controversy. The tension lies in whether these sites were merely local shrines for legitimate worship or centers of pagan practice. The biblical text often treats them with suspicion, associating their persistence with spiritual compromise, yet the word itself remains a straightforward descriptor of an elevated structure used for ritual purposes.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ba-mah, translated as "high place," originally described a physical elevation or hilltop. In the biblical narrative, these sites became centers of worship, often standing in tension with the centralized Temple in Jerusalem. While some passages associate them with idolatry and spiritual compromise, others simply describe them as local shrines where people brought their offerings before the Temple was built.
For your faith journey, this word highlights a recurring theme: the desire to meet God on our own terms versus following His specific instructions. It reminds us that proximity to God requires more than just a location; it demands a heart aligned with His will. Whether in times of peace or judgment, Scripture calls us to seek Him sincerely, ensuring our worship reflects true devotion rather than mere tradition.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 81 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ high places21×
- [the] high places of13×
- at the/ high places9×
- high places8×
- the/ high place7×
- high places/ your4×
- high places/ his3×
- to the/ high place2×
- high places/ their2×
- high places/ my2×
- from/ the/ high place2×
- at the/ high place2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בָּמ֣וֹת6×
- הַ/בָּמ֖וֹת5×
- הַ/בָּמ֔וֹת4×
- בָּ֣מֳתֵי4×
- הַ/בָּמוֹת֙3×
- הַ/בָּמ֗וֹת3×
- בַּ/בָּמ֑וֹת3×
- בָמ֔וֹת3×
- לְ/בָמ֥וֹת2×
- בָּמוֹתַ֖/י2×
- בָּמוֹתֶ֖י/ךָ2×
- בָּמוֹת֙2×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 3:4
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
This verse identifies Gibeon as the great high place where Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings, illustrating how these sites functioned as major centers of legitimate worship before the Temple was constructed.
-
Leviticus 26:30
I will destroy your high places, and cut down your incense altars, and cast your dead bodies upon the bodies of your idols; and my soul will abhor you.
Here God promises to destroy high places as part of His judgment, linking these structures directly to the idolatrous practices that provoked His anger against Israel.
-
Deuteronomy 32:13
He made him ride on the high places of the earth. He ate the increase of the field. He caused him to suck honey out of the rock, oil out of the flinty rock;
This poetic verse uses high places metaphorically to describe God’s sovereign provision, showing He elevated Israel to enjoy the richest blessings of the earth.
-
I Samuel 9:12
They answered them and said, “He is. Behold, he is before you. Hurry now, for he has come today into the city; for the people have a sacrifice today in the high place.
The people mention a sacrifice at the high place, demonstrating that these sites were still active community centers for religious observance during the time of Samuel.