THEOSISEphraem the Syrian
I inquired of them, What is Abbam, that you enter in? Abbamah refers to a height, a rock that functioned as an altar for the offerings made to idols.
Ezekiel 20:29Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers
And I said to them: What meaneth the high place to which you go? and the name thereof was called High-place even to this day.
וָאֹמַ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם מָ֣ה הַבָּמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־אַתֶּ֥ם הַבָּאִ֖ים שָׁ֑ם וַיִּקָּרֵ֤א שְׁמָהּ֙ בָּמָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
The Church Fathers on this verse
2 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Theodoret of Cyrus
They asked them, "What is Abbam?" or as Symmachus translated it, "What is Bamah?" As you approach it, they have named it Abbam even now. This location gained notoriety through the sinful worship of idols. Thus, God questioned them, “What benefit do you gain from this? What advantage will you receive from Bamah, since you have exalted it and its name endures unchanged to this day?”
Cross references
Passages read together with this verse.
- Ezek 16:24That thou didst also build thee a common stew, and madest thee a brothel house in every street.
- Ezek 16:25At every head of the way thou hast set up a sign of thy prostitution: and hast made thy beauty to be abominable: and hast prostituted thyself to every one that passed by, and hast multiplied thy fornications.
- Ezek 16:31Because thou hast built thy brothel house at the head of every way, and thou hast made thy high place in every street: and wast not as a harlot that by disdain enhanceth her price,