Reference: High place
Easton
an eminence, natural or artificial, where worship by sacrifice or offerings was made (1Ki 13:32; 2Ki 17:29). The first altar after the Flood was built on a mountain (Ge 8:20). Abraham also built an altar on a mountain (Ge 12:7-8). It was on a mountain in Gilead that Laban and Jacob offered sacrifices (Ge 31:54). After the Israelites entered the Promised Land they were strictly enjoined to overthrow the high places of the Canaanites (Ex 34:13; De 7:5; 12:2-3), and they were forbidden to worship the Lord on high places (De 12:11-14), and were enjoined to use but one altar for sacrifices (Le 17:3-4; De 12; 16:21). The injunction against high places was, however, very imperfectly obeyed, and we find again and again mention made of them (2-Kings/14/4/type/mstc'>2Ki 14:4; 2-Kings/15/4/type/mstc'>15:4,2, etc.).
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And Noah made an altar unto the LORD, and took of all manner of clean beasts and all manner of clean fowls, and offered sacrifice upon the altar.
Then the LORD appeared unto Abram and said, "Unto thy seed will I give this land." And he built an altar there unto the LORD which appeared to him. Then departed he thence unto a mountain that lieth on the east side of Bethel and pitched his tent - Bethel being on the west side, and Ai on the east - and he built there an altar unto the LORD, and called on the name of the LORD.
Then Jacob did sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and tarried all night in the hill.
But overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and cut down their groves,
Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel that killeth an ox, lamb or goat in the host or out of the host and bringeth them not unto the door of the tabernacle of witness, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the dwelling place of the LORD, blood shall be imputed unto that man, as though he had shed blood, and that man shall perish from among his people.
But thus ye shall deal with them: overthrow their altars, break down their pillars, cut down their groves and burn their images with fire.
See that ye destroy all places where the nations which ye conquer serve their gods, upon high mountains and on high hills and under every green tree. Overthrow their altars and break their pillars and burn their groves with fire and hew down the images of their gods, and bring the names of them to nought out of that place.
Therefore, when the LORD your God hath chosen a place to make his name dwell there, thither ye shall bring all that I command you: your burnt sacrifices and your offerings, your tithes and the heave offerings of your hands and all your godly vows which ye vow unto the LORD. And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, both ye, your sons and your daughters, your servants and your maids and the Levite that is within your gates for he hath neither part nor inheritance with you. read more. Take heed that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in whatsoever place thou seest: but in the place which the LORD shall have chosen among one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.
For the saying which he cried at the bidding of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of hill altars which are in the cities of Samaria, shall come to pass."
Neither took they away the hill altars. But the people slew and offered still in the hill altars.
Sixteen years old was he when he was made king, and he reigned forty two years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jecoliah, and was of Jerusalem.
save that they put not the hill altars away: for the people offered and burned fat still in the hill altars.
Morish
The word commonly used for the high place is bamah, signifying what is high or elevated (cf. Eze 20:29), and then the hills on which altars were erected. There were such places in Canaan before the Israelites entered it, which they were told to destroy. Nu 33:52. If the Israelites had such, God would destroy them and cut down their images. Lev. 26:80.
In the above passages the high places are connected with idolatry; but it would appear that before the temple was built, altars for the worship of God had been erected elsewhere than at the tabernacle. With Samuel at Zuph, there was 'a sacrifice of the people' in the 'high place' (God having forsaken the tabernacle at Shiloh, this disorder resulted). It was evidently on elevated ground, for they went up to it and came down. 1Sa 9:12-25. At the beginning of the reign of Solomon the people sacrificed in high places because the temple was not yet built. This was failure, for we read that "Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places." 1Ki 3:2-4. The tabernacle was there (Gibeon), 1Ch 16:39; 2Ch 1:3, so that it appeared to be the right place to go to, and it was where God appeared to Solomon in the night; yet it was 'the great high place.' The reason of this implied disapproval is doubtless because the ark was not there, the symbol of God's presence, which was the true place of worship. At the close of Solomon's life he sinned greatly in building a high place for the gods of all his strange wives. 1Ki 11:7-8. On the division of the kingdom, Jeroboam set up his idols and "ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made." 2Ch 11:15. With these two examples it is not surprising that in the whole land there were many high places. Hezekiah and Josiah zealously destroyed the high places, which included the buildings thereon and the idols connected therewith. The word bamah is used apparently for any idolatrous erection, for we once read of high places in a valley. Jer 7:31.
The term 'high places' has another application under the Hebrew word ramah, which also signifies 'exalted;' for Israel is charged with making a high place in every street, and at every head of the way, which doubtless refers to some shrine or symbol of idolatry connected with abominable practices. Eze 16:24-25,31,39. They courted the favour of the heathen by adopting their idolatrous worship and customs.
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see that ye drive out all the inhabiters of the land before you, and destroy their imaginations and all their images of metal, and pluck down all their altars built on hills:
And the maidens answered them, "Yea, behold, he goeth before you. Make haste now, for he came this day to the city, for the people must offer this day in the hill. When ye be come into the city, so shall you find him, yer he go up to the hill to eat: for the people will not eat until he come, because he must bless the offering. And then eat they that be bidden to the feast. Now therefore get you up for even now shall ye find him." read more. And they went up into the city. And when they were come into the midst of the city, behold, Samuel came out against them, for to go up to the hill. But the LORD had told Samuel a day before Saul came, saying, "Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin: him shalt thou anoint to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines, for I have looked upon my people and their cry is come unto me." When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD answered him, "See, this is the man whom I spake to thee of. This same shall reign over my people." Then went Saul to Samuel in the middle of the gate, and said, "Tell me, I pray thee, where about the Seer's house is." and Samuel answered Saul, and said, "I am the Seer. Go up before me unto the hill, for ye shall eat with me today. And tomorrow I will let thee go early, and will tell thee all that is in thine heart. And as for thine asses that were lost this day three days, care not for them - for they are found. And moreover, whose shall the beautiful things of Israel be? Belong they not unto thee, and unto all thy father's house?" But Saul answered, and said, "Am not I the son of a Benjaminite of the smallest tribe of Israel, and my kindred the least of all the kindreds of the tribe of Benjamin? Wherefore then speakest thou so to me?" And Samuel took Saul and his lad and brought them into the parlour and made them sit in the chiefest place among them that were bidden: which were upon a thirty persons. Then said Samuel unto the cook, "Bring forth the portion which I gave thee, and of which I said, 'Keep it with thee.'" And the cook took up the shoulder and brought it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Behold, that which is left: put it before thee and eat, for I kept it for thee of purpose, when I called the people." And so Saul did eat with Samuel that day. And when they were come down from the hill unto the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house:
Only the people sacrificed in altars made on hills, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD until those days. And Solomon loved the LORD and walked in the ordinances of David his father, save only that he sacrificed and offered cense upon altars in hills. read more. And the king went to Gibeon, to offer there: for that was a great offering place. And there Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings upon that altar.
After that, Solomon built an altar for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites in the hill that standeth before Jerusalem, and unto Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his outlandish wives, which burnt cense and offered unto their gods.
And Zadok the priest with his brethren the priests set he before the tabernacle of the LORD at the hill altar of Gibeon,
And he ordained him priests of hill altars - both to field devils and also to the calves which he had made.
They have also builded an altar at Tophet, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom: that they might burn their sons and daughters - which I never commanded them, neither came it ever in my thought.
Thou hast builded thy stews and brothel houses in every place: yea, at the head of every street hast thou builded thee an altar. Thou hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, thou hast laid out thy legs to every one that came by, and multiplied thine whoredom.
Building thy stews at the head of every street, and thy brothel houses in all places? Thou hast not been as another whore, that maketh boast of her winning;
I will give thee over into their power, that shall break down thy stews, and destroy thy brothel houses: they shall strip thee out of thy clothes, all thy fair and beautiful Jewels shall they take from thee, and so let thee sit naked and bare.
Then I ask them, 'What is that hill altar that you go to it?' And therefore is it called Bamah unto this day.