Reference: Molech, Moloch, Or Milcom
American
A king, 1Ki 11:5,7; Ac 7:43; supposed also to be intended by Malcham, or "their king," in Jer 49:1; Am 1:15; Zep 1:5, the name of a heathen deity, worshipped by the Ammonites. The Israelites also introduced the worship of this idol, both during their wanderings in the desert, and after their settlement in Palestine, 2Ki 23:10; Eze 20:26,31. The principal sacrifices to Moloch were human victims, namely, children who were cast alive into the red-hot arms of his statue. See HINNOM. Compare Le 18:21; 20:2; De 12:31; Ps 106:37-38; Jer 7:31; 19:2-6; 32:35. According to some of these passages, Moloch would seem to be another name for Baal; and we find that the Phoenicians, whose chief god was Baal, and the Carthaginians their colonists, worshipped his image with similar horrid sacrifices, as the Romans did their god Saturn.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And none of thy seed, shalt thou deliver up, to cause to pass through to Molech, - that thou profane not the name of thy God, I, am Yahweh.
Unto the sons of Israel, therefore shalt thou say, What man soever, there may be of the sons of Israel, or of the sojourners that sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech, he shall, surely be put to death, - the people of the land shall stone him with stones;
Thou shalt not do likewise unto Yahweh thy God, - for everything that is an abomination unto Yahweh which he doth hate, have they done unto their gods, for even their sons and their daughters, do they consume with fire unto their gods.
And Solomon went after Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.
Then, did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, - and for Molech, the abomination of the sons of Ammon;
and he defiled Topheth, which was in the valley of the son of Hinnom, - so that no man might cause his son or his daughter to pass through the fire unto Molech;
Yea they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to mischievous demons; And poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, And the land was polluted with blood-shed;
And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, To burn up their sons and their daughters in the fire, - Which I commanded not, Neither came it up on my heart,
Then shalt thou go forth into the valley of Ben-hinnom, which is at the opening of the gate of potsherds; and proclaim there the words which I shall speak unto thee; and shalt say, - Hear ye the word of Yahweh, O kings of Judah And inhabitants of Jerusalem, - Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts - God of Israel Behold me! bringing in calamity upon this place, which shall cause the ears of every one that heareth it, to tingle: read more. Because they have forsaken me, And have treated this as a foreign place, And have burned incense therein to other gods, which neither they, nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah, have known; And have filled this place with the blood of innocents; And have built the high places of Baal for burning up their sons in the fire as ascending-sacrifices to Baal, - Which I commanded not, Nor spake, Neither came it up on my heart, Therefore, lo! days coming, Declareth Yahweh, When this place shall be called no longer The Topheth, or The Valley of Ben-hinnom, - but - The Valley of Slaughter;
And have built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of Ben-hinnom, To cause their sons and their daughters to pass through unto Molech, Which I commanded them not Neither came it up on my heart, That they should do this horrible thing, - Causing, Judah, to sin!
Of the sons of Ammon-Thus saith Yahweh: Hath Israel no, sons? Hath he no, heir? Why hath, Malkam, taken possession of Gad, Or have, his people, in the cities thereof, made their dwelling?
Yea I let them defile themselves with their gifts, when they caused every firstborn to pass through the fire,-.that I might make them desolate. To the end they might know that, I, am Yahweh.
Yea when ye lift up your gifts When ye cause your children to pass through the fire, Ye are defiling yourselves unto all your manufactured gods unto this day, And shall be enquired of by you. house of Israel. As I live, Declareth My Lord Yahweh, Surely I will not be enquired of by you.
And them who bow down upon the housetops to the host of the heavens, - and them who bow down - who swear to Yahweh, and swear by Milcom;
Nay! but ye took with you the tent of Moloch, and the star of the god Rephan, - the forms which ye made to bow down unto them: therefore will I carry you away beyond Babylon.