THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Therefore, you are to convey to the people of Israel, O son of man, and tell them that the Lord God has declared: your ancestors have dishonored Me by their actions, as they humbled and disdained Me, despite My guidance into the land which I had promised to them. They witnessed every elevated place and every lush tree, and began to sacrifice their offerings there, making inappropriate gifts, burning incense, and pouring out their drink offerings. I inquired of them, what is this hill you ascend? It is still referred to as “height” to this very day.
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Thus, communicate with the house of Israel, O son of man, and relay the message from Adonai the Lord: even now, your forebearers have incited My wrath through their transgressions, the very sins committed against Me, after I had led them into the land that I promised to them. They beheld every high hill and branching tree, and there they offered sacrifices to their gods, placing their gifts that provoke My anger and pouring out their fragrant offerings. I asked them, what is this Abbana? For they go there. To this day, it is known as Abbana.
I desired, says He, that those who sinned in the wilderness would be scattered amongst the nations and that I would issue commands that were not beneficial, leading them to offer their sacrifices to idols instead of Me, dedicating their firstborn sons by fire for destruction. Yet when He stated that He desired, it signifies that He did not carry out that desire.
The subsequent verses reveal that they shall recognize that I am the Lord, although this is absent in the LXX, as it seemed incongruous to them that after their extermination they would acknowledge Him as Lord. Nevertheless, you, son of man, speak once more to them, specifically to the elders of the Israelite community who approached you asking, your ancestors, from whom you descend, have also blasphemed and abased Me. After I brought them into the land, which they now possess by My might, they turned in anger towards Me. Upon observing every elevated hill and every branching tree, they made offerings on the mountains and in groves, incensing and sacrificing to idols.
When I witnessed this, I asked them, what is this bama, meaning height? Why do you choose such places on the hills, which even to this day are referred to as bamoth, retaining an ancient name? The LXX mistakenly renders bama as ἀβββανά, a term that has no correspondence in Hebrew. The word Vamah, if separated into two syllables, might suggest “in which,” but does not convey the intended meaning here. However, throughout the accounts in the Books of Kings and Chronicles, the singular bama and plural bamoth depict these elevated worship sites where the people continued to offer incense and make sacrifices.