Reference: Moloch
Easton
king, the name of the national god of the Ammonites, to whom children were sacrificed by fire. He was the consuming and destroying and also at the same time the purifying fire. In Am 5:26, "your Moloch" of the Authorized Version is "your king" in the Revised Version (comp. Ac 7:43). Solomon (1Ki 11:7) erected a high place for this idol on the Mount of Olives, and from that time till the days of Josiah his worship continued (2Ki 23:10,13). In the days of Jehoahaz it was partially restored, but after the Captivity wholly disappeared. He is also called Molech (Le 18:21; 20:2-5, etc.), Milcom (1Ki 11:5,33, etc.), and Malcham (Zep 1:5). This god became Chemosh among the Moabites.
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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; I, also, will set my face against that man, and will cut him off out of the midst of his people, - because of his seed, hath he given unto Molech, seeing that he hath made unclean my sanctuary, even to the extent of profaning my holy name. read more. But, if the people of the land, do even hide, their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, - so as not to put him to death, then will I myself, set my face against that man, and against his family, - and will cut him off, and all that follow unchastely after him - in going unchastely after Molech - out of the midst of their people.
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;
Because they have forsaken me, and bowed themselves down to Ashtoreth, goddess of the Zidonians, to Chemosh, god of the Moabites, and to Milcom, god of the sons of Ammon, - and have not walked in my ways, by doing what is right in mine eyes, even my statutes and my regulations, like David his father.
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;
and, the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of destruction, which Solomon king of Israel had built unto Ashtoreth - the abomination of the Zidonians, and unto Chemosh - the abomination of the Moabites, and unto Milcom - the disgusting thing of the sons of Ammon, did the king defile;
But ye carried the tent of your king-idol, and your Saturn-images, - the star of your gods, which ye made for yourselves:
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.
Fausets
(Jer 49:1 MOLOCH or melech, "king" of the people. Malcham, Am 5:26, Milcom, 1Ki 11:5,7, though originally the same as Moloch, assumed a modified character in time.) (See MALCHAM; MILCOM.) Ammon's god, related to Moab's god Chemosh. The "fire god", worshipped with human sacrifices, purifications, and ordeals by fire, habitually, as other idols were occasionally; also with mutilation, vows of celibacy and virginity, and devotion of the firstborn. The old Canaanite "Moloch" is always written with the article the Moloch; to him children were sacrificed in Topher in the valley of the children of Hinnom. But Milcom's high place was on the Mount of Olives, and human sacrifices were not offered as they were to Moloch (2Ki 23:10,13.) Josiah defiled the sanctuaries of both. Milcom was related to Chemosh, which is called the god of Ammon in Jg 11:24, though elsewhere the god of Moab (Nu 21:29).
Tophet appears again in Zedekiah's reign as the scene of child immolation to Moloch (Jer 32:35.) God sternly forbade any letting their seed pass through the fire to Moloch (Le 18:21; 20:2-5) on pain of death, which the people should execute; otherwise God Himself would. The passing through the fire may have been sometimes only a fire baptism for purification of the dross of the body; but Ps 106:37-38, shows that often expiatory human sacrifice was perpetrated, "they sacrificed their sons and daughters to "devils" (shedim, "destroyers", as Moloch was), and shed innocent blood ... unto the idols of Canaan" (compare 2Ch 28:3; Jer 19:5). In this respect Moloch answered to Baal the Phoenician sun god, to whom also human burnt offerings were sacrificed; also to Chemosh, to whom Mesha sacrificed his son (2Ki 3:27; Mic 6:7; Eze 16:20; 23:39). Kimchi (on 2Ki 23:10) represents Moloch as a hollow brass humanlike body, with ox's head, and hands stretched forth to receive.
When it was thoroughly heated the priests put the babe into its hands, while "drums" (tophim from whence came Tophet) were beat to drown the infant cries, lest the parent should relent. The image was set within seven chapels: the first was opened to any one offering fine flour; the second to one offering turtle doves or young pigeons; the third to one offering a lamb; the fourth to one offering a ram; the fifth to one offering a calf; the sixth to one offering an ox; the seventh to one offering his son. Compare Am 5:26 margin, sikut of Moloch, "the covert god." Ac 7:43, "the tabernacle of Moloch" (like the sacred tent of the Carthaginians: Diodorus 20:65), the shrine in which the image was concealed; containing also possibly the bones of sacrificed children used for magic. The portable model "tabernacle" (compare Demetrius' silver shrines of Diana, Ac 19:24) was small enough to escape Moses' notice. Amos calls Moloch "your Moloch" I am not your king but he, though ye go through the form of presenting Me offerings.
God similarly complains of their mocking Him with worship, while worshipping idols, Eze 20:49. Moses was aware of their clandestine unfaithfulness in general, while not knowing the particulars (De 31:21-27). The Latin Saturn corresponds; to the Phoenician Saturn relatives were offered in an emergency (Sanchoniathon). So the Carthaginians, when besieged by Agathoeles, sacrificed to him 200 noble children (Diod. Siculus, 20:14) by placing them one by one in his hands in such a manner that each fell into a pit of fire. Moloch's priests took precedence of the princes, "Chemarim" (Jer 49:3; 2Ki 23:5; Ho 10:5; Zep 1:4).(See CHEMARIM.) Hercules' priest, like Moloch himself, was called Melchart, "king of the city." Adrammelech, the Sepharvaite fire god, is related to Moloch. In 2Sa 12:31 for the Hebrew margin reading malbeen, "brick-kiln," the Hebrew text has Malkeen, "David led through Malkan," i.e. through the place where the Ammonites had burned their children to Moloch. He made their sin their mode of punishment; as they had done to the children, so he did to them.
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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; I, also, will set my face against that man, and will cut him off out of the midst of his people, - because of his seed, hath he given unto Molech, seeing that he hath made unclean my sanctuary, even to the extent of profaning my holy name. read more. But, if the people of the land, do even hide, their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, - so as not to put him to death, then will I myself, set my face against that man, and against his family, - and will cut him off, and all that follow unchastely after him - in going unchastely after Molech - out of the midst of their people.
Woe to thee, Moab, Thou art lost, O people of Chemosh, - He hath given up his sons as fugitives, And his daughters into captivity, Unto the king of the Amorites, Sihon.
And it shall come to pass, when many calamities and misfortunes shall find them out, then shall this Song respond to their face, as a witness, for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouth of their seed, for I know their imagination, which they are forming to-day, ere yet I bring them into the land of which I sware unto their fathers. Moses therefore wrote this Song on that day, - and taught it unto the sons of Israel. read more. And he commanded Joshua, son of Nun, and said - Be firm and bold, for, thou shalt bring the sons of Israel into the land which I have sworn to them, - and, I, will be with thee. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law, upon a scroll, - until he had finished them, then Moses commanded the Levites, who were bearing the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, saying: Take this scroll of the law, and put it at the side of the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God, - so shall it be there in thy midst as a witness. For, I, know thy perverseness, and thy stiff neck, - lo! while I am yet alive with you to-day, ye are, quarrelling, with Yahweh, and how much more after my death?
What Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess, that, wilt thou not possess? and, whatsoever Yahweh our God hath set before us to possess, that, shall we not possess?
the people also that were therein, brought he forth, and put them to the saw, and to threshing sledges of iron, and to axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln, and thus used he to do unto all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
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;
So he took his firstborn son who was to have reigned in his stead, and offered him up as an ascending-sacrifice upon the wall. And so it came to pass that there was great indignation against Israel. And they brake up from against him, and returned to their own land.
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;
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;
and, the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of destruction, which Solomon king of Israel had built unto Ashtoreth - the abomination of the Zidonians, and unto Chemosh - the abomination of the Moabites, and unto Milcom - the disgusting thing of the sons of Ammon, did the king defile;
and, he, burned incense, in the valley of the son of Hinnom,-and burnt his sons, in the fire, according to the abominable ways of the nations, whom Yahweh dispossessed from before the sons of Israel.
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 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,
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?
Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is spoiled Make outcry, ye daughters of Rabbah, Gird you with sackcloth, Lament ye and run to and fro among the fences, - For, Malkam, into captivity, shall go, His priests and his princes, together.
And thou didst take thy sons and thy daughters, Whom thou hadst borne unto me, And didst sacrifice them unto them to be devoured,- Is this of thine unchastity. a light thing?
Then said I, Ah! My Lord Yahweh: They are saying of me, Is not he a putter forth of parables?
Yea when they had slaughtered their children to their manufactured gods, then entered they into my sanctuary, on the same day, to profane it,- And lo! thus have they done in the midst of mine own house.
About the calves of Beth-aven, will the inhabitant of Samaria be concerned, - for the people thereof, have mourned over it, and, the ascetics thereof, who, over it, used to exult, shall mourn for the glory thereof, because it hath departed therefrom.
But ye carried the tent of your king-idol, and your Saturn-images, - the star of your gods, which ye made for yourselves:
But ye carried the tent of your king-idol, and your Saturn-images, - the star of your gods, which ye made for yourselves:
Will Yahweh, be pleased, with thousands of rams? with myriads of torrents of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
And I will stretch out my hand - over Judah, and over all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, - and will cut off out of this place, the name of Baal, the name of the priestlings, with the priests;
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.
For, one Demetrius by name, a silversmith, making silvershrines, of Diana, used to bring unto the craftsmen no little business;
Hastings
Morish
Mo'loch
See MOLECH
Smith
Mo'loch.
The same as Molech. MOLECH
See Molech
Watsons
MOLOCH, ????, signifies king. Moloch, Molech, Milcom, or Melchom, was a god of the Ammonites. The word Moloch signifies "king," and Melchom signifies "their king." Moses in several places forbids the Israelites, under the penalty of death, to dedicate their children to Moloch, by making them pass through the fire in honour of that god, Le 18:21; 20:2-5. God himself threatens to pour out his wrath against such offenders. There is great probability that the Hebrews were addicted to the worship of this deity, even before their coming out of Egypt; since the Prophet Am 5:26, and after him St. Stephen, reproach them with having carried in the wilderness the tabernacle of their god Moloch, Ac 7:43. Solomon built a temple to Moloch upon the Mount of Olives, 1Ki 11:7; and Manasseh a long time after imitated his impiety, making his son pass through the fire in honour of Moloch, 2Ki 21:3-6. It was chiefly in the valley of Tophet and Hinnom, east of Jerusalem, that this idolatrous worship was paid, Jer 19:5-6, &c. Some are of opinion that they contented themselves with making their children leap over a fire sacred to Moloch, by which they consecrated them to some false deity: and by this lustration purified them; this being a usual ceremony among the Heathens on other occasions. Some believe that they made them pass through two fires opposite to each other, for the same purpose. But the word ?????, "to cause to pass through," and the, phrase "to cause to pass through the fire," are used in respect to human sacrifices in De 12:31; 18:10; 2Ki 16:3; 21:6; 2Ch 28:3; 33:6. These words are not to be considered as meaning in these instances literally to pass through, and that alone. They are rather synonymous with ????, to burn, and ???, to immolate, with which they are interchanged, as may be seen by an examination of Jer 7:31; 19:5; Eze 16:20-21; Ps 106:38. In the later periods of the Jewish kingdom, this idol was erected in the valley south of Jerusalem, namely, in the valley of Hinnom, and in the part of that valley called Tophet, ???, so named from the drums ???? ???, which were beaten to prevent the groans and cries of children sacrificed from being heard, Jer 7:31-32; 19:6-14; Isa 30:33; 2Ki 23:10. The place was so abhorrent to the minds of the more recent Jews, that they applied the name ge hinnom or gehenna to the place of torments in a future life. The word gehenna is used in this way, namely, for the place of punishment beyond the grave, very frequently in oriental writers, as far as India. There are various sentiments about the relation that Moloch had to the other Pagan divinities. Some believe that Moloch was the same as Saturn, to whom it is well known that human sacrifices were offered; others think it was the same with Mercury; others, Venus; others, Mars, or Mithra. Calmet has endeavoured to prove that Moloch signified the sun, or the king of heaven.
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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; I, also, will set my face against that man, and will cut him off out of the midst of his people, - because of his seed, hath he given unto Molech, seeing that he hath made unclean my sanctuary, even to the extent of profaning my holy name. read more. But, if the people of the land, do even hide, their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, - so as not to put him to death, then will I myself, set my face against that man, and against his family, - and will cut him off, and all that follow unchastely after him - in going unchastely after Molech - out of the midst of their people.
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.
There shall not be found in thy midst - One who causeth his son or his daughter to pass through fire, - Or who useth divination, hidden arts or enchantments Or who muttereth incantations;
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;
He again built the high places, which Hezekiah his father had destroyed, - and reared altars to Baal, and made a Sacred Stem, as did Ahab, king of Israel, and bowed down to all the army of the heavens, and served them. And he used to build altars in the house of Yahweh, - concerning which Yahweh had said, - In Jerusalem, will I put my Name. read more. And he built altars to all the army of the heavens, - in the two courts of the house of Yahweh; and caused his son to pass through the fire, and practiced hidden arts and used divination, and dealt with a familiar spirit and wizards, - he exceeded in doing the thing that was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh, provoking him to anger;
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;
For there hath been set in order, beforehand a Topheth, Yea, the same, for the king, hath been prepared He hath made it deep - made it large, - The circumference thereof is for fire and wood in abundance, the breath of Yahweh, like a torrent of brimstone, is ready to kindle it.
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,
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, Therefore, lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh, When it shall not be called any more - The Topheth, nor The valley of Ben-hinnom, but The valley of Slaughter, - And they shall bury in Topheth, for want of place;
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,
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;
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 I will pour out the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, And I will cause them to fall by the sword, before their enemies, and by the hand of them who seek their life, - read more. And I will give their dead bodies for food, to the bird of the heavens and to the beast of the earth; And I will make this city a desolation and a hissing, - every one that passeth by it, shall be astonished and hiss over all her wounds; And I will suffer them to eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters, yea every one - the flesh of his friend, will they eat, - in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith, their enemies, and they who seek their lives, will straiten them. Then shalt thou break the bottle, before the eyes of the men who are walking with thee; and shalt say unto them - Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts - Thus and thus, will I break this people, and this city, As one breaketh the vessel of a potter, which cannot be made whole any more, - And in Topheth, shall they bury, for want of place to bury. Thus, will I do to this place Declareth Yahweh, And to the inhabitants thereof, - Even making this city like Topheth: Yea, the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah, shall like the place of Topheth, be places defiled, - even all the houses upon whose roofs they burned incense to all the host of the heavens, and poured out drink-offerings to other gods. Then entered Jeremiah out of Topheth, whither Yahweh had sent him to prophesy, - and stood in the court of the house of Yahweh, and said unto all the people:
And thou didst take thy sons and thy daughters, Whom thou hadst borne unto me, And didst sacrifice them unto them to be devoured,- Is this of thine unchastity. a light thing? Yea thou didst slay my children, - And didst deliver them up. that they should be caused to pass through the fire unto them.
But ye carried the tent of your king-idol, and your Saturn-images, - the star of your gods, which ye made for yourselves:
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.