Molech, also spelled Moloch, is a deity associated with the ancient Near Eastern practice of child sacrifice. The worship of Molech is explicitly condemned in the Hebrew Bible, where it is depicted as a grave sin and an abomination in the sight of the LORD. The name "Molech" is often linked to the Hebrew word "melech," meaning "king," but the term is used in the biblical texts to denote a specific form of idolatrous worship involving the sacrifice of children.

Biblical References

The practice of sacrificing children to Molech is mentioned in several passages throughout the Old Testament. In Leviticus 18:21 , the Israelites are commanded: "You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD." This command is part of a broader set of laws given to the Israelites to distinguish them from the surrounding nations and their detestable practices.

Further, in Leviticus 20:2-5 , the LORD instructs Moses to tell the Israelites: "Say to the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or any foreigner residing in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him. I Myself will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because he has given his offspring to Molech, defiling My sanctuary and profaning My holy name. And if the people of the land ever hide their eyes from that man when he gives any of his children to Molech and fail to put him to death, then I will set My face against that man and his family and cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves with Molech.’"

The severity of the punishment underscores the seriousness with which God views this sin. The act of child sacrifice is not only a violation of the sanctity of life but also a direct affront to God's holiness and His covenant with Israel.

Historical Context

The worship of Molech is believed to have been practiced by several ancient Near Eastern cultures, including the Ammonites, who are often associated with this deity. The practice involved the ritualistic sacrifice of children, possibly by fire, as a means of appeasing the god or seeking favor. This form of worship was one of the many idolatrous practices that the Israelites were warned against as they entered the Promised Land.

Israel's Struggle with Idolatry

Despite the clear prohibitions, the Israelites struggled with idolatry throughout their history, and there are instances where they fell into the sin of sacrificing to Molech. In 2 Kings 23:10 , during the reign of King Josiah, it is recorded that he "desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech." This reform was part of Josiah's efforts to rid Judah of idolatrous practices and restore true worship of the LORD.

Similarly, in Jeremiah 32:35 , the prophet laments the actions of the people: "They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded—nor did it even enter My mind—that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin."

Theological Implications

The worship of Molech and the associated practice of child sacrifice are seen as extreme violations of the covenant relationship between God and His people. These acts are portrayed as not only morally reprehensible but also as a profound betrayal of the trust and faithfulness that God requires from His people. The biblical texts emphasize that such practices are incompatible with the worship of the one true God, who values life and demands justice and righteousness.

The condemnation of Molech worship serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of syncretism and the importance of maintaining purity in worship. The Israelites were called to be a holy nation, set apart for God's purposes, and the worship of Molech represented a direct challenge to that calling.2 Kings 23:10
And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
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Jeremiah 32:35
And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
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2 Kings 16:3
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yes, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
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2 Kings 21:6
And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he worked much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
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2 Chronicles 28:3
Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
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Isaiah 57:5
Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?
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Jeremiah 7:31
And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
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Ezekiel 16:20,21
Moreover you have taken your sons and your daughters, whom you have borne to me, and these have you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Is this of your prostitutions a small matter,
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Ezekiel 20:26,31
And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that opens the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.
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Ezekiel 23:37,39
That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bore to me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.
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4432. Molek -- a heathen god to whom Isr. sacrificed children
... Word Origin from the same as melek Definition a heathen god to whom Isr.
sacrificed children NASB Word Usage Molech (8). Molech. ...
/hebrew/4432.htm - 6k

The Unmistakable Honesty of the Writers of the Bible Attests to ...
... and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for
all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods" (I ...
/.../the divine inspiration of the bible/chapter three the unmistakable honesty.htm

The Fall of Solomon
... and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.8. And likewise did he
for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.9 ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the fall of solomon.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... He tells us that in his youth "God put it into my parents hearts to put me to school,
to learn to read and write as other poor men's children; though, to my ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... [Illustration: 226.jpg LOTANU WOMEN AND CHILDREN FROM THE TOMB ... in the Bible to the
national god of the Ammonites, under the forms Moloch, Molech, Mikom, Milkam ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

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