Moloch
Canaanite idol
Also known as: Molek, Molech, Milcom
Moloch (also spelled Molek) was a Canaanite and Ammonite idol who was worshipped through child sacrifice. The worship of Moloch is repeatedly condemned in the Bible as an abominable practice. Several Israelite kings fell into sin by allowing or promoting Moloch worship, especially in the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem.
Key events
Prohibition against Moloch Worship in the Mosaic Law
God strictly forbids the Israelites from sacrificing their children to Moloch, and the penalty for this is death.
21You shall not give any of your children to be passed through the fire to Molech, and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
וּמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֥ לֹא־תִתֵּ֖ן לְהַעֲבִ֣יר לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ וְלֹ֧א תְחַלֵּ֛ל אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
2Say to the Israelites: Any Israelite, or any foreigner residing in Israel, who gives one of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.
וְאֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֘ תֹּאמַר֒ אִ֣ישׁ אִישׁ֩ מִבְּנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל וּמִן־הַגֵּ֣ר ׀ הַגָּ֣ר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֧ן מִזַּרְע֛וֹ לַמֹּ֖לֶךְ מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑ת עַ֥ם הָאָ֖רֶץ יִרְגְּמֻ֥הוּ בָאָֽבֶן׃
3I myself will set my face against that man and cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, defiling my sanctuary and profaning my holy name.
וַאֲנִ֞י אֶתֵּ֤ן אֶת־פָּנַי֙ בָּאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י אֹת֖וֹ מִקֶּ֣רֶב עַמּ֑וֹ כִּ֤י מִזַּרְעוֹ֙ נָתַ֣ן לַמֹּ֔לֶךְ לְמַ֗עַן טַמֵּא֙ אֶת־מִקְדָּשִׁ֔י וּלְחַלֵּ֖ל אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם קָדְשִֽׁי׃
4If the people of the land close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and fail to put him to death,
וְאִ֡ם הַעְלֵ֣ם יַעְלִימֽוּ֩ עַ֨ם הָאָ֜רֶץ אֶת־עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ מִן־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא בְּתִתּ֥וֹ מִזַּרְע֖וֹ לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ לְבִלְתִּ֖י הָמִ֥ית אֹתֽוֹ׃
5then I myself will set my face against that man and his family, and I will cut off from among their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.
וְשַׂמְתִּ֨י אֲנִ֧י אֶת־פָּנַ֛י בָּאִ֥ישׁ הַה֖וּא וּבְמִשְׁפַּחְתּ֑וֹ וְהִכְרַתִּ֨י אֹת֜וֹ וְאֵ֣ת ׀ כָּל־הַזֹּנִ֣ים אַחֲרָ֗יו לִזְנ֛וֹת אַחֲרֵ֥י הַמֹּ֖לֶךְ מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽם׃
Warning against Moloch Worship upon Entering Canaan
Moses warns the Israelites not to imitate the abominable customs of the nations in Canaan, including making their children pass through the fire.
9When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable practices of the nations there.
כִּ֤י אַתָּה֙ בָּ֣א אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹֽא־תִלְמַ֣ד לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּתוֹעֲבֹ֖ת הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הָהֵֽם׃
10Let no one among you be found who makes his son or daughter pass through the fire, who practices divination or interprets omens, who reads signs or works sorcery,
לֹֽא־יִמָּצֵ֣א בְךָ֔ מַעֲבִ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ־וּבִתּ֖וֹ בָּאֵ֑שׁ קֹסֵ֣ם קְסָמִ֔ים מְעוֹנֵ֥ן וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁ וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף׃
11who casts spells, or who consults ghosts or spirits, or seeks answers from the dead.
וְחֹבֵ֖ר חָ֑בֶר וְשֹׁאֵ֥ל אוֹב֙ וְיִדְּעֹנִ֔י וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים׃
12Anyone who does such things is detestable to the LORD, and it is because of these detestable practices that the LORD your God is driving out these nations before you.
כִּֽי־תוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה כָּל־עֹ֣שֵׂה אֵ֑לֶּה וּבִגְלַל֙ הַתּוֹעֵבֹ֣ת הָאֵ֔לֶּה יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ מוֹרִ֥ישׁ אוֹתָ֖ם מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃
Solomon's Apostasy and Moloch Worship
King Solomon built a high place for Moloch on the mountain east of Jerusalem, influenced by his foreign wives.
7Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, on the hill facing Jerusalem, and one for Molech, the abomination of the Ammonites.
אָז֩ יִבְנֶ֨ה שְׁלֹמֹ֜ה בָּמָ֗ה לִכְמוֹשׁ֙ שִׁקֻּ֣ץ מוֹאָ֔ב בָּהָ֕ר אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־פְּנֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלָ֑͏ִם וּלְמֹ֕לֶךְ שִׁקֻּ֖ץ בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃
8He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.
וְכֵ֣ן עָשָׂ֔ה לְכָל־נָשָׁ֖יו הַנָּכְרִיּ֑וֹת מַקְטִיר֥וֹת וּֽמְזַבְּח֖וֹת לֵאלֹהֵיהֶֽן׃
King Ahaz Sacrifices His Son
King Ahaz of Judah made his son pass through the fire according to the abominable customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
3Instead he followed the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made his own son pass through the fire, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ בְּדֶ֖רֶךְ מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְגַ֤ם אֶת־בְּנוֹ֙ הֶעֱבִ֣יר בָּאֵ֔שׁ כְּתֹֽעֲבוֹת֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹרִ֤ישׁ יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔ם מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
King Manasseh's Idolatry
King Manasseh of Judah made his son pass through the fire and practiced extensive idolatry, which led to God's judgment on Judah.
6He made his own son pass through the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
וְהֶעֱבִ֤יר אֶת־בְּנוֹ֙ בָּאֵ֔שׁ וְעוֹנֵ֣ן וְנִחֵ֔שׁ וְעָ֥שָׂה א֖וֹב וְיִדְּעֹנִ֑ים הִרְבָּ֗ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִֽיס׃
6He made his own sons pass through the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying and divination and witchcraft, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did a great deal of evil in the eyes of the LORD, provoking him to anger.
וְהוּא֩ הֶעֱבִ֨יר אֶת־בָּנָ֤יו בָּאֵשׁ֙ בְּגֵ֣י בֶן־הִנֹּ֔ם וְעוֹנֵ֤ן וְנִחֵשׁ֙ וְֽכִשֵּׁ֔ף וְעָ֥שָׂה א֖וֹב וְיִדְּעוֹנִ֑י הִרְבָּ֗ה לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת הָרַ֛ע בְּעֵינֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃
Josiah's Reforms Remove Molech Worship
King Josiah destroyed Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so that no one could any longer make their son or daughter pass through the fire for Molech, as part of his great religious reform.
10He defiled Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so that no one could make his son or daughter pass through the fire to Molech.
וְטִמֵּ֣א אֶת־הַתֹּ֔פֶת אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּגֵ֣י *בני־**בֶן־הִנֹּ֑ם לְבִלְתִּ֗י לְהַעֲבִ֨יר אִ֜ישׁ אֶת־בְּנ֧וֹ וְאֶת־בִּתּ֛וֹ בָּאֵ֖שׁ לַמֹּֽלֶךְ׃
35They built high places to Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech—something I never commanded, something that never entered my mind—committing this abomination and leading Judah into sin.
וַיִּבְנוּ֩ אֶת־בָּמ֨וֹת הַבַּ֜עַל אֲשֶׁ֣ר ׀ בְּגֵ֣יא בֶן־הִנֹּ֗ם לְ֠הַעֲבִיר אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶ֣ם וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם֮ לַמֹּלֶךְ֒ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־צִוִּיתִ֗ים וְלֹ֤א עָֽלְתָה֙ עַל־לִבִּ֔י לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת הַתּוֹעֵבָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את לְמַ֖עַן *החטי **הַחֲטִ֥יא אֶת־יְהוּדָֽה׃ ס