בָּמָה

n.f. high place (√ appar. בום on account of firm—ָ; cf. Assyrian bâmâte ZimBP 48, Moab. במת MI 3, 27)—Je 48:35 + 18 times; הַבָּמָ֫תָה 1 S 9:13 pl. בָּמוֹת Nu 21:19 + 62 times; cstr. בָּֽמֳתֵי Jb 9:8; Is 14:14; Am 4:13; בָּֽמֳו֯תֵי Dt 32:13; Is 58:14; Mi 1:3 (Ew§ 211 d Ges§ 87, 5 archaic fem. cstr. with retracted accent before monosyl. in poetry, bâmŏ-thê not bŏm); sf. בָּמֹתַי 2 S 22:34 + 3 times; בָּמוֹתַי ψ 18:34 + 10 times;— high place, mountain: בָּמוֹת יָעַר forest mountains Mi 3:12 = Je 26:18; במות עולם ancient mountains Ez 36:2; במות ארנן Nu 21:28 (E poet.) 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 S 1:19, 25 (in v 19 𝔊 has a doublet מֵתֶיךָ thy dead, v. We Dr). of Israel: רכב על במתי ארץ ride upon the high places of the land Dt 32:13 & Is 58:14 cf. Dt 33:29 ψ 18:34 = 2 S 22:34, Hb 3:19. of God: דרך על במתי ארץ tread upon the high places of the earth Am 4:13 cf. Mi 1:3; במתי ים Jb 9:8; עלה על במתי עב (aspiration of the king of Babylon) Is 14:14. 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) Ez 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 S 9:12–25; 10:5, 13 (הבמה for הביתה We Dr). The custom continued in the reign of Solomon, but Gibeon was הבמה הגדולה 1 K 3:2–4 cf. 1 Ch 16:39 21:29; 2 Ch 1:3, 13. High places of Baal were also used Nu 22:41 (E) Je 19:5 32:35; of Moab Is 15:2; 16:12; Je 48:35 (cf. MI27); these must be demolished Nu 33:52 (J). Solomon built במות (platforms or chaples) to Chemosh and Milkom on the Mt. of Evil Counsel opposite Jerusalem 1 K 11:7: Jeroboam made temples on the ancient high places of Dan and Bethel 1 K 12:31, 32; 2 Ch 11:15; they are called במות און Ho 10:8, במות ישׂחק Am 7:9: the kings of Israel built במות and בתי הבמות in all their cities 2 K 17:9, and the people worshipped there 2 K 17:11; these were also used by the mixed population after the exile of Israel 2 K 17:29, 32(×2): these various idolatrous high places were first destroyed by Josiah 1 K 13:2, 32, 33 2 K 23:5–20 2 Ch 34:3. The worship of Yahweh on high places continued in Judah until the exile 1 K 22:44 2 K 15:35; the sanctity code predicts that Yahweh will destroy them Lv 26:30; they were regarded as the reason for the rejection of Shiloh ψ 78:58. The complier of Kings, writing from the point of view of the Deut. code, complains רַק הַבָּמוֹת לֹא סָרוּ 2 K 12:4; 14:4; 15:4, 35 cf. 2 Ch 15:17; 20:33, and praises the few pious kings who destroyed them. Rehoboam built במות with מצבות & אשׁרים on every high hill and under every green tree 1 K 14:23. Asa did not remove the high places 1 K 15:14 (2 Ch 14:2, 4 is incorrect unless במות בעל). Jehoshaphat in his reform on the basis of the covenant code did not remove them 1 K 22:44 (עוֹד הֵסִיר אֶת־הַבָּמוֹת 2 Ch 17:16 is doubtless incorrect, possibly read מצבות); Jehoram, his son, made high places in the cities of Judah 2 Ch 21:11 𝔊 𝔙; not mountains ℌ); and Ahaz sacrificed on high places on the hills and under every green tree and in every city of Judah 2 K 16:4; 2 Ch 28:4, 25; cf. Mi 1:5 (read חטאת? so 𝔊 𝔖 𝔗 Che al.; yet cf. JBL1890, 73 f.) Hezekiah removed them 2 K 18:4, 22 2 Ch 31:1 32:12; Is 36:7; but Manasseh rebuilt them 2 K 21:3; 2 Ch 33:3, 19, and the people continued to sacrifice thereon to Yahweh 2 Ch 33:17. Josiah, in his reform, based on the Deut. code, defiled them and brake them down from Geba to Beersheba 2 K 23:5, 8, 9; but subsequently there were במות התפת in the valley of Ben Hinnom Je 7:31, and במות throughout Judah Je 17:3 cf. Ez 6:3, 6; 20:29 (questioned by Ew & Co). funereal mound (?) Ez 43:7 (Thes, but in their high places AV RV; in their death 𝔗 Theod Ew Hi RVm), Is 53:9 (Lowth Ew Bö; Rodwell Orelli; but in his death AV RV, or martyr death De Che Br).