בָּמוֹת
𐤁𐤌𐤅𐤕
Bamot
H1120 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun referring to: (1) Bamoth, a place-name east of the Jordan River, mentioned in the context of Israelite journeying in the Transjordan; (2) Bamoth-Baal, a specific location (likely a high place associated with the deity Baal). The lexical form is the plural of 'bamah' (high place), and in these proper name instances, the term signifies either a location characterized by prominent elevations or a cultic site on elevated ground.
Semantic Range
heights; high places (especially as cultic sites); Bamoth (proper noun, place); Bamoth-Baal (proper noun, place associated with Baal)
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root במה (b-m-h), meaning 'high place, elevation,' plus the feminine plural suffix -ות. The form Bamoth is the plural of בָּמָה (bamah), but functions here as a proper place name. Bamoth-Baal combines Bamoth with the theonym Baal, indicating a high place associated with Baal worship. The place may have originally been known simply as 'the heights' (Bamoth), to which a deity's name could then be attached in reference to a sanctuary or cultic site. The root conveys elevation or raised ground, but in biblical usage acquired the extended sense of cultic platform or shrine.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, בָּמוֹת (Bamoth) appears in contexts such as Numbers 21:19-20 and Joshua 13:17 as a Transjordanian toponym. Bamoth-Baal (בָּמוֹת בַּעַל) in Numbers 22:41 designates a sanctuary or locality linked with Baal, highlighting a probable association with local cultic high places. While the root generally means 'high place' and refers to both neutral and cultically charged sites elsewhere, here the pluralized form functions as a place name and does not always have direct cultic connotation, though it retains a semantic resonance. Later biblical and post-biblical usage of bamah (singular) broadens to refer generically to any cultic platform, but in these place names the connection may be more geographic than explicitly religious. English translations sometimes retain the transliterated form (Bamoth), or interpret based on context as 'high places' or 'Bamoth-Baal.' Modern readers should not assume the connotations of later Judean high place worship are necessarily implied in these Transjordanian references.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
plural of בָּמָה; heights; or (fully) בָּמוֹת בַּעַל; from the same and בַּעַל; heights of Baal; Bamoth or Bamoth-Baal, a place East of the Jordan; Bamoth, Bamoth-baal.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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במה (b-m-h) — to be high, raise up, make an elevation
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1116 | בָּמָה | on the cultic height |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1120-01 |
בָּ֑עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | master | 2 |
H1120-02 |
בָּמֽוֹת | bamot | HNp |
Bamoth | Bamoth (the Heights) | 2 |
H1120-03 |
וּ/מִ/בָּמ֗וֹת | umibamot | HC/R/Np |
and from Bamoth | and from Bamoth-Heights | 1 |
H1120-04 |
וּ/בָמ֣וֹת | uvamot | HC/Np |
and Bamoth | and Bamoth (Heights) | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1120-02 |
Numbers 21:19 | בָּמֽוֹת | bamot | HNp |
Bamoth | Bamoth (the Heights) |
H1120-03 |
Numbers 21:20 | וּ/מִ/בָּמ֗וֹת | umibamot | HC/R/Np |
and from Bamoth | and from Bamoth-Heights |
H1120-02 |
Numbers 22:41 | בָּמ֣וֹת | bamot | HNp |
to the high places | Bamoth (the Heights) |
H1120-01 |
Numbers 22:41 | בָּ֑עַל | baal | HNp |
of Baal | master |
H1120-04 |
Joshua 13:17 | וּ/בָמ֣וֹת | uvamot | HC/Np |
and Bamoth | and Bamoth (Heights) |
H1120-01 |
Joshua 13:17 | בַּ֔עַל | baal | HNp |
Baal | master |