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
Thou shalt not give of thy seed to offer it unto Moloch, that thou defile not the name of thy God, for I am the LORD.
"Tell the children of Israel, whosoever he be of the children of Israel or of the strangers that dwell in Israel that giveth of his seed unto Moloch, he shall die for it: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
Nay, thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for all abominations which the LORD hated did they unto their gods. For they burnt both their sons and their daughters with fire unto their gods.
And Solomon followed Ashtaroth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
After that, Solomon built an altar for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites in the hill that standeth before Jerusalem, and unto Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon.
And he defiled Tophet also, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, because no man should offer his son or his daughter in fire to Moloch.
Yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils, and shed the innocent blood of their sons and of their daughters; whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan, so that the land was defiled with blood.
They have also builded an altar at Tophet, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom: that they might burn their sons and daughters - which I never commanded them, neither came it ever in my thought.
into the valley of the children of Hinnom, which lieth before the port that is made of brick, and show them there the words, that I shall tell thee, and say thus unto them: 'Hear the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah, and ye citizens of Jerusalem! Thus sayeth the LORD of Hosts the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring such a plague upon this place, that the ears of all that hear it, shall glow. read more. And that because they have forsaken me, and unhallowed this place, and have offered in it unto strange gods: whom neither they, their fathers, nor the kings of Judah have known. They have filled this place also with the blood of innocents, for they have set up an altar unto Baal, to burn their children for a burnt offering unto Baal, which I neither commanded, nor charged them, neither thought once thereupon. Behold therefore, the time cometh, sayeth the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the children of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter.
They have builded high places for Baal in the valley of the children of Hinnom, to cause their sons and daughters to pass through fire in honor of Moloch: which I never commanded them, neither came it ever in my thought, to make Judah sin with such abomination.
As concerning the Ammonites, thus the LORD sayeth, "Hath Israel no children, or is he without a heir? Why hath your king then taken Gad in? Wherefore doth his people dwell in his cities?
and I unhallowed them in their own gifts when I appointed for myself all their firstborn, to make them desolate: that they might know, how that I am the LORD.'
In all your idols, whereunto ye bring your oblations, and to whose honour ye burn your children: ye defile yourselves, even unto this day. How dare ye then come, and ask any question at me? O ye household of Israel: As truly as I live, sayeth the LORD God, ye get no answer of me.
So that their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together,' sayeth the LORD."
yea, and such as upon their house-tops worship and bow themselves unto the host of heaven: which swear by the LORD, and by their Milcom also:
And ye took unto you the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Rephan, figures which ye made to worship them. And I will translate you beyond Babylon.'