Moloch was one of the false gods that israel would worship during its periods of apostasy. Ashtoreth was the fertility goddess consort of molech. Holy is used 95 times in leviticus, and this is the second time weve seen the phrase ye shall be holy. The moabite god is mentioned in the following verses.
In his introduction, while day notes that explicit references to the molech cult are relatively rare in the old testament, he contends that the molech cult and performance of humanchild sacrifice was regarded as a. What was the nature and purpose of the idolatrous rite in question is, however, uncertain. Thats one way to treat what you dont like in gods word. Molech worship included sexual worship of ashtoreth, his. The third prohibition is, thou shall not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to molech. A reassessment, department of biblical studies, the university of sheffield, sheffield. The bible contains the heartbreaking tale of child sacrifice practiced in the name of molech also spelled moloch or molek, a god of the ammonites. No direct matches for your keyword exist in the king james bible. Moloch is the biblical name of a canaanite god associated with child sacrifice, through fire or. When ashtoreth is mentioned in scripture, she is linked to molech also called milcom in the bible. Molech, called also milcom, was the idol of the ammonites. Firegods appear to have been common to all the canaanite, syrian and arab tribes, who worshipped the destructive element under an. Moloch also molech, mollok, milcom, or malcam is the biblical name of a canaanite god associated with child sacrifice, through fire or war the name moloch results from a dysphemic vocalisation in the second temple period of a theonym based on the root mlk, king. Jan 02, 2020 the bible contains the heartbreaking tale of child sacrifice practiced in the name of molech also spelled moloch or molek, a god of the ammonites.
An alternate view contends that the expression passed through molech refers not to human sacrifices but that parents gave up their children to grow up as temple prostitutes. Moloch, also spelled molech, a canaanite deity associated in biblical sources with the practice of child sacrifice. In the pentateuch, the laws of the holiness code speak about giving or passing children to moloch lev. While much about molechs nature and origin are uncertain, the bible mentions molech on eight occasions, providing some context. For topheth a place of burning and abomination has already been laid out and long ago prepared. The spirit of molech behind christian rock christian. Scholars suggest that the term molek is a deliberate misvocalization of the hebrew. First, this article will attempt to connect the practice of child sacrifice at ancient carthage to the canaanite mainland, both culturally and geographically near and in israel. According to the bible molech was worshipped in the valley of hinnom, in a place called tophet see jeremiah. Literally, to let it pass to molech, that is, to put the child into the hands of the figure of molech, when it fell into the fire which was kindled in the hollow statue of this idol. When ashtoreth is mentioned in scripture, she is linked to molech, also called milcom in the bible. Basic english bible and thou shalt not give of thy seed to let them pass through the fire to molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy god.
Molechworship had evidently received a great impulse from ahaz, who, like ahab of israel, was a supporter of foreign religions 2 kings 16. A god of human sacrifice in the old testament by john day online at alibris. The bible mentions molech or at least references him about ten times. Each article has an accompanying pdf file to enable you to print readytouse lesson material.
Canaanite child sacrifice, abortion, and the bible associates for. Molech sometimes written moloch was an old canaanitish idol, into whose worship the israelites gradually became drawn. The canaanite god moloch was the recipient of child sacrifice according to the account of the hebrew bible, as well as grecoroman historiography on the god of carthage. I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from. Btw we read about molech yesterday in leviticus 18. Similar rites were performed among other nations, probably varying at different times and in different places. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in the scriptures 1st kings 11. Molech was an ancient god worshiped by the people neighboring israel during old testament times.
Understanding and applying the bible is difficult without some reading method. It is generally assumed that reference is made to the practice of offering. The present author has several purposes in mind in writing this article. Bible verses about molech listed in order of popularity. Other names for molech is milcom and moloch, which is the greek rendering of the hebrew term molech. Jul 14, 2014 molech is the name of a false god of the ammonites that required the sacrifice of children, mentioned in the bible a number of times, particularly in the books of leviticus, 1 and 2 kings, and.
The lord spoke to moses, saying, say to the people of israel, any one of the people of israel or of the strangers who sojourn in israel who gives any of his children to molech shall surely be put to death. Also molech is the biblical name of a canaanite god associated with child sacrifice. Also bind the spirit of molech that is operating in the united states. A god of human sacrifice in the old testament university of cambridge oriental publications day, john on. Molech worship was practiced by the ammonites and canaanites, who revered molech as a protecting father figure. Molech synonyms, molech pronunciation, molech translation, english dictionary definition of molech.
The fire god of the ammonites, to whom human baby sacrifices were offered. In his trial statement made before he became the first christian martyr, the deacon stephen cited a passage from amos 5. Pass through the fire to molech in the hebrew it is only pass through to molech. Molech is presented in the hebrew bible as the god of human sacrifice, a. Moloch god of the ammonites amazing bible timeline with. Septuagint as quoted in the new testament acts vii. Jeroboam set up idols, golden calves, in bethel and dan, in an attempt to replace the temple in jerusalem with more local centres of worship for the ten tribes 1 kings 12. Pdf ancient fictionality child sacrifice in the yhwh cult. The name derives from combining the consonants of the hebrew melech king with the vowels of boshet shame, the latter often being used in the old testament as a variant name for the popular god baal lord. Moloch is depicted in john milton s epic poem paradise lost as one of the greatest warriors of the rebel angels, vengeful and militant. Entry for molech cyclopedia of biblical, theological and ecclesiastical literature one of 8 bible encyclopedias freely available, this encyclopedia, with its nearly 50,000 entries and 17 millin words, dwarfs modern bible encyclopedias with the depth of knowledge. On the contrary the references to molech in all the biblical texts can be understood as a divine name.
Molech, also called milcom, which denotes king, is described as the hideous idol, or the abomination of the ammonites 1kings 11. But god turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets. Molech molech is the pagan god of the ammonites whose worship involved child sacrifice lev 18. Another is the recent publication of the queen james bible, where the. Confronting the spirit of molech canada free press.
Scholars suggest that the term molek is a deliberate misvocalization of the hebrew term for king or ruler. A god of human sacrifice in the old testament by john day. Moloch sometimes spelled molech was the chief god of moab, mentioned in this months article. A god of human sacrifice in the old testament university of cambridge oriental publications.
Images of molech were made of bronze, and their outstretched arms were heated redhot. Jewish children passed through the fire to the god molech in 2 kings 23. In the other instances of masoretic molek, lxx has basileus king. According to the bible molech was worshipped in the valley of hinnom, in a place called tophet see jeremiah 7. Molech definition and meaning collins english dictionary. The most famous bible example of adultery is found in the relationship between israels king david and the wife of uriah the hittite, bathsheba 2 sam.
In this area, moloch was honoured with human sacrifices. The name signifies king, or regal dominion, and is thought to denote the sun, the. Any israelite or any foreigner residing in israel who sacrifices any of his children to molech is to be put to death. Evidence concerning moloch worship in ancient israel is found in the legal, as well as in the historical and prophetic literature of the bible. Queen james bible thomas jefferson created his own version of the new testament by literally cutting and pasting everything he agreed with, and leaving out anything supernatural. Having his notes available at the touch of a button is so much easier than flipping through the pages of his bible. Miriam grabbed her four children and fled into the night with about 300 families as the rebel militia fired bullets over their heads.
Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the old testament. He also made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations, whom yahweh cast out. The dakes study notes are a great addition to the esword library. You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage the firstborn of your sons you shall give to me. The major objection to this view is the statement in leviticus 20. The usual description given of this god is that of a hollow image made of brass, and having a human body with the head of an ox. The god moloch was a semitic deity of perverted cruelty. Lxx moloch, molech the septuagint uses three times, rendered by kjv as moloch or molech, in 2 kings 23. While much about molech s nature and origin are uncertain, the bible mentions molech on eight occasions, providing some context regarding the problems associated with this ancient god.
Abortion and the ancient practice of child sacrifice citeseerx. The term moloch is believed to have originated with the phoenician mlk, which referred to a type of sacrifice made to confirm or acquit a vow. The bohemian grove worshipping molech child sacrifice. Old testament passages referring to child sacrifice are both numerous. I can put sermon notes, write study note and even journal using dakes study notes. In the bible evidence of sacrifice can be found in jeremiah 19.
Introduction i t was late in the evening when the gunmen came to terrorize the residents of a small settlement north of gereida in darfur, sudan some on horseback, others on foot. Dr days fresh and thorough study discusses and brings decisive answers to this debate. There are a number of canaanite gods with names based on this root, which became summarily associated with moloch, including. Molech is the pagan god of the ammonites whose worship involved child sacrifice lev 18. Yet we read in scriptures that israel turned from the true worship of god and began to worship molech. Firegods appear to have been common to all the canaanite, syrian and arab tribes, who worshipped the destructive element under an outward symbol, with the most inhuman rites. Binding the spirit of molech and breaking the curse of molech are helpful in dealing with spirits of abortion. And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy god. The firegod molech was the tutelary deity of the children of ammon, and essentially identical with the moabitish chemosh. He was worshipped in tophet, a city nearby jerusalem. Pdf canaanite child sacrifice, abortion, and the bible. This misunderstanding likely arises from 1 kings 11. As with many details in ancient history, the exact origin of molochmolech worship is unclear.
Here molech must be a divinity and not a sacrifice. Moloch is mentioned in the bible as one of the many common pagan gods worshiped. The words the fire are properly inserted, though not expressed in the original cf. It was common for the israelites to combine the name of pagan gods with. Moloch in literature and popular culture wikipedia. But though the word fire be not in the original, it is reasonably supplied from other places, where it is expressed, as deuteronomy 18. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, o house of israel. David had unlawful intercourse with that mans wife and was punished by god. Molechworship had evidently received a great impulse from ahaz, who, like ahab of israel, was a supporter of foreign religions ii kings 16.
Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 kings 11. This book explores who molech was in the old testament. Nov 15, 2019 and the bible expressly and explicitly addresses moloch and his worship by child sacrifice. Abortion and the god molech jesus is not fake news. The people would burn their children in fire as a form of sacrifice while others would let their infants pass through the fire as.
Furthermore, it should be noted that molech, was a primarily caananite god, not ammonite. Click the search button below to search the entire website including all scripture translations, comments, commentary, bible dictionary, articles, and other pages. This demon god drove the ammonites in gilead to rip open women bearing children amos 1. Darby bible and thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy god. This false deity is associated with ammon in 1 kings 11. You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to molech, nor shall you profane the name of your god. Spiritual sense of molech new christian bible study.
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