Ezekiel 20:29

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

Ezekiel 20:29 (KJV)

Context

In Ezekiel 20, the prophet confronts the elders of Israel who came to inquire of the Lord. Rather than answering them directly, God recounts the nation’s long history of rebellion, beginning with their time in Egypt and continuing through the wilderness wanderings. The people persistently worshiped idols and refused to walk in God’s statutes, even after He had brought them out of bondage.

Verse 29 sits within this indictment. God had allowed the Israelites to follow their own ways as a form of judgment, yet their idolatry never brought them closer to Him. The verse records God’s pointed question to His people, exposing the absurdity of their worship at places that should have been dedicated to Him alone.

Meaning

The Hebrew word Bamah literally means “high place.” These elevated sites were originally Canaanite worship locations, often on hills, where altars were built for pagan deities. God had commanded Israel to destroy such places (Numbers 33:52; Deuteronomy 12:2-3), but instead they adopted them, mixing the worship of Yahweh with the practices of the nations around them.

God’s question—”What is the high place whereunto ye go?“—is a rhetorical indictment. It highlights the foolishness of worshiping at sites that should have been torn down. The phrase “unto this day” shows that this practice persisted even to Ezekiel’s time, revealing how deeply rooted Israel’s sin had become. The name Bamah, once a common noun, became a lasting label for a place of idolatry, underscoring that sin leaves a permanent mark.

Biblical connections

The New Testament echoes this call to pure worship. Jesus taught that true worshipers must worship the Father “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The contrast is clear: Israel worshiped at high places with mixed motives and false gods, but God desires worship that is undivided and directed to Him alone.

Application

This verse challenges believers to examine their own “high places“—areas where faith may be compromised by worldly influences or where devotion is divided. It is a call to repentance and a return to exclusive worship of God. Just as Israel’s idolatry left a lasting name, our compromises can leave marks on our spiritual lives. Yet God’s question is also an invitation to turn back, to forsake every false altar and worship Him in truth.

Reflection

God’s desire for genuine worship and obedience remains unchanged. He longs for His people to forsake their idols and return to a faithful relationship with Him. True worship is possible only when it is directed toward the one true God and aligned with His commands.