BDB1157
בָּמָה104 noun feminine high place (√ apparently בום on account of firm ָ֯; compare Assyrian bâmâtê ZimBP 48, Moab. במת MI3, 27 ) — Jer 48:35 + 18 t.; הַבָּמָ֫תָה 1Sam 9:13 plural בָּמוֺת Num 21:19 + 62 t.; construct בָּֽמֳתֵי Job 9:8; Isa 14:14; Amos 4:13 בָּֽמֳו֯תֵי Deut 32:13; Isa 58:14; Mic 1:3 (Ew§ 211 d Ges«GKC:87»§ 87, 5 archaic feminine construct with retracted accent before monosyl. in poetry, bâm©-thê not b©m ); suffix בָּמֹתַי 2Sam 22:34 + 3 t.; בָּמוֺתַי Ps 18:34 + 10 t.; —
1.
high place, mountain:
בָּמוֺת יָעַר
forest mountains
Mic 3:12 =
Jer 26:18
במות עולם
ancient mountains
Ezek 36:2
במות ארנן
Num 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) 2Sam 1:19; 2Sam 1:25 (in 2Sam 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
Deut 32:13
& Isa 58:14
compare
Deut 33:29; Ps 18:34 = 2Sam 22:34; Hab 3:19.
b.
of God:
דרך על במתי ארץ
tread upon the high places of the earth
Amos 4:13
compare Mic 1:3
במתי ים
Job 9:8
עלה על במתי עב (aspiration of the king of Babylon) Isa 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) Ezek 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,
1Sam 9:12-25;
1Sam 10:5;
1Sam 10:13 (הבמה for הביתה
We
Dr). The custom continued in the reign of Solomon, but Gibeon was
הבמה
הגדולה
1Kgs 3:2-4
compare 1Chr
16:39;
1Chr 21:29; 2Chr
1:3; 2Chr
1:13. High places of Baal were also used Num 22:41 (
E
) Jer 19:5
; Jer
32:35 of Moab
Isa 15:2;
Isa 16:12; Jer 48:35 (compare
MI27
); these must be demolished Num 33:52 (
J
). Solomon built במות (platforms or chapels) to Chemosh and Milkom on the Mt. of Evil
Counsel opposite Jerusalem 1Kgs 11:7: Jeroboam made temples on the ancient high places of Dan and Bethel
1Kgs 12:31
; 1Kgs
12:32;
2Chr 11:15 they are called במות און
Hos 10:8,
במות ישׂחק
Amos 7:9: the
kings of Israel built במות and בתי הבמות in all their cities 2Kgs 17:9, and
the people worshipped there 2Kgs 17:11 these were also used by the mixed population after the exile of
Israel 2Kgs
17:29;
2Kgs 17:32 (twice in verse): these various idolatrous high places were first
destroyed by Josiah
1Kgs 13:2; 1Kgs 13:32;
1Kgs 13:38
; 2Kgs
23:5-20;
2Chr 34:3. The worship of Yahweh on high places continued in Judah until the exile 1Kgs 22:44
; 2Kgs 15:35
the sanctity code predicts that Yahweh will destroy them Lev 26:30 they were regarded as the reason for
the rejection of Shiloh Ps 78:58. The compiler of Kings, writing from the point of view of the
Deuteronomic code, complains רַק הַבָּמוֺת
לֹא סָרוּ
2Kgs 12:4;
2Kgs 14:4;
2Kgs 15:4;
2Kgs 15:35
compare
2Chr 15:17; 2Chr 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 1Kgs 14:23.
b. Asa did not remove the high
places 1Kgs
15:14 (
2Chr 14:2; 2Chr 14:4 is incorrect unless במות בעל).
c.
Jehoshaphat in his reform on the basis of the covenant code did not remove them 1Kgs 22:44
(עוֺד הֵסִיר אֶתהַֿבָּמוֺת
2Chr 17:16
is doubtless incorrect, possibly read מצבות); Jehoram, his son, made high places in the
cities of Judah 2Chr 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 2Kgs 16:4; 2Chr 28:4; 2Chr 28:25 compare Mic 1:5 (read חטאת? so
ᵐ5
ᵑ6
ᵑ7
Che and others; yet compare
JBL1890, 73 f.)
d. Hezekiah removed them 2Kgs 18:4; 2Kgs 18:22
; 2Chr 31:1;
2Chr 32:12
; Isa 36:7
but Manasseh rebuilt them 2Kgs 21:3; 2Chr 33:3; 2Chr 33:19, and the people continued to sacrifice thereon
to Yahweh 2Chr
33:17.
e. Josiah, in his reform, based on the Deuteronomic code, defiled them and
brake them down from Geba to Beersheba 2Kgs 23:5; 2Kgs 23:8; 2Kgs 23:9 but subsequently there were במות
התפת in the valley of Ben Hinnom Jer 7:31, and במות throughout Judah Jer 17:3
compare Ezek 6:3;
Ezek 6:6; Ezek 20:29
(questioned by Ew & Co).
4.
funeral mound (?) Ezek 43:7 (Thes, but
in
their high places
AV
RV
; in their death
ᵑ7
Theod
Ew
Hi
RVm
), Isa
53:9
(Lowth Ew
Bö Rodwell Orelli; but
in his death
AV
RV
, or martyr death
De
Che
Br).