Original Word: רָמָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ramah
Pronunciation: rah-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-maw')
KJV: high place
NASB: high place, height, high places
Word Origin: [feminine active participle of H7311 (רוּם - exalted)]

1. a height (as a seat of idolatry)

high place

Feminine active participle of ruwm; a height (as a seat of idolatry) -- high place.

see HEBREW ruwm

Word Origin
from rum
Definition
height, high place
NASB Translation
height (1), high place (3), high places (1).

I. רָמָה noun feminine height, high-place; — absolute ׳ר as technical term (compare בָּמָה), = shrine (for illicit worship): Ezekiel 16:25; "" גַּב Ezekiel 16:21 Ezekiel 16:31 Ezekiel 16:39; so perhaps 1 Samuel 22:6, but read probably בָּמָה, ᵐ5 Βαμα (A Ραμμα), HPS.

Overview

רָמָה (ramah) describes an elevated place, a natural or constructed height that draws attention by virtue of its position. The word’s five appearances trace a movement from neutral topography (1 Samuel 22:6) to symbols of corrupt worship (Ezekiel 16), illustrating how physical heights can become spiritual battlegrounds.

Occurrences and Contexts

1. 1 Samuel 22:6 – Saul “was sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah”. Here ramah is simply the hill that serves as Saul’s lookout and command post. The height offers military advantage and public visibility.
2. Ezekiel 16:24 – “you built yourself a mound and made for yourself a lofty shrine”.
3. Ezekiel 16:25 – “you built your lofty shrine at the head of every road.”
4. Ezekiel 16:31 – “When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines in every square….”
5. Ezekiel 16:39 – “They will tear down your mounds and demolish your lofty shrines….”

In Ezekiel all four uses form part of the prophet’s extended indictment of Jerusalem’s spiritual adultery. The same word that once denoted simple elevation now signifies brazen idolatry.

Historical Background

High places dotted the Ancient Near Eastern landscape as venues for sacrifice, oath-taking, and divine encounter. While the Law centralized worship at the tabernacle (later the temple), Israel often adopted the surrounding nations’ practice of building private shrines on hills. These sites blended Canaanite ritual with Israelite terminology, producing a syncretism regularly condemned by prophets (for example, 2 Kings 17:9-12).

The Textual Progression from Neutral Height to Idolatrous Platform

• Military Use (1 Samuel 22:6) – Saul’s seat “on the hill” underscores his authority but also anticipates his downfall; the vantage point cannot compensate for spiritual rebellion.
• Cultic Construction (Ezekiel 16) – The repeated ramah becomes a refrain exposing Jerusalem’s restless quest for illicit alliances and deities. Each new mound multiplies unfaithfulness, turning the city into what Ezekiel calls “an adulterous wife” (Ezekiel 16:32).
• Divine Judgment (Ezekiel 16:39) – The same heights that magnified sin are destined for demolition. Destruction of the ramot (plural) dramatizes the Lord’s resolve to purify worship.

Theological Significance

1. Heights Invite Either Humility or Pride – Physical elevation can prompt awe toward the Creator (Psalm 121:1) or foster human self-exaltation (Obadiah 3-4). Ramah’s dual usage shows how the heart’s posture determines the height’s meaning.
2. Centralized Worship Safeguards Covenant Fidelity – By contrasting Saul’s permissible hilltop with Jerusalem’s forbidden mounds, Scripture reinforces the necessity of worship according to divine prescription rather than personal preference.
3. Judgment Leads to Restoration – Ezekiel’s prophecy does not end with ruin. Immediately after dismantling the mounds, God pledges an everlasting covenant (Ezekiel 16:60). The fall of the ramah prepares the way for grace.

Ministry Applications

• Evaluate Modern “High Places” – Platforms of influence (pulpits, media, digital spaces) can exalt Christ or self. Leaders must align public visibility with humble obedience.
• Guard Against Incremental Compromise – Jerusalem’s shrines multiplied “at every street corner”; sin rarely remains isolated. Regular repentance and accountability restrict expansion.
• Proclaim Both Judgment and Hope – Faithful ministry mirrors Ezekiel: expose idolatry, announce consequences, and herald the covenant mercy fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

Typological Glimpses

The dismantled ramah anticipates the greater elevation of Calvary, where the true High Priest offers a once-for-all sacrifice. As self-made heights fall, the cross—an executed criminal’s “high place”—stands as the only sanctioned elevation for worship (John 12:32).

Conclusion

רָמָה traces a cautionary arc: from strategic hill (1 Samuel) to seductive shrine (Ezekiel) to shattered ruin under divine judgment—and beyond, to restoration. Its account urges believers to dedicate every “height” of life to the Lord, resisting idolatry and exalting the One who alone is “high and lifted up” (Isaiah 6:1).

בָּֽרָמָה֙ ברמה וְרָמָתֵ֥ךְ ורמתך רָֽמָתֵ֔ךְ רָמָ֖ה רָמֹתַ֔יִךְ רמה רמתיך רמתך bā·rā·māh baraMah bārāmāh rā·mā·ṯêḵ rā·māh rā·mō·ṯa·yiḵ raMah rāmāh ramaTech rāmāṯêḵ ramoTayich rāmōṯayiḵ veramaTech wə·rā·mā·ṯêḵ wərāmāṯêḵInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts