Ezekiel 20:29 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

“Then I said to them, ‘What does the high place mean to which you go?' So its name is called Bamah to this day.

This sentence is a play on words. ‘Bamah' means ‘high place. But ‘ba' means ‘go' and ‘ma' means ‘what'. In it God is challenging what the significance was to them of these high places. He wanted to sting them into recognising the folly of their behaviour.

Idolatry was worldwide outside Israel. By their idols, made usually with their own hands, they saw themselves as bringing the gods to some extent under their control. Here they could deal with their gods, worship them, influence them, and by destroying other men's idols weaken their gods. Then they could go away and forget them, leaving them on their shelves or in their high places. And those gods were regularly depicted as creatures of the earth, with all their bestial ways. This was all in contrast with the invisible God of Israel Who was free to go where He would, was not restricted to a place, was transcendent and not a part of creation, and Who could not be manipulated but required obedience wherever they went. Let them think about that!

Ezekiel 20:29

29 Then I saidd unto them, What is the high place whereunto ye go? And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.