מלך, 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, Lev. xviii, 21;
xx, 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 Amos, v, 26, and after him St. Stephen, reproach them with
having carried in the wilderness the tabernacle of their god Moloch,
Acts vii, 43. Solomon built a temple to Moloch upon the Mount of Olives,
1 Kings xi, 7; and Manasseh a long time after imitated his impiety,
making his son pass through the fire in honour of Moloch, 2 Kings xxi,
3–6. It was chiefly in the valley of Tophet and Hinnom, east of
Jerusalem, that this idolatrous worship was paid, Jer. xix, 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 העביר, to cause to pass
through,” and the phrase to cause to pass through the fire,” are used in
respect to human sacrifices in Deut. xii, 31; xviii, 10; 2 Kings xvi, 3;
xxi, 6; 2 Chron. xxviii, 3; xxxiii, 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 שרף, _to burn_, and זבח, _to
immolate_, with which they are interchanged, as may be seen by an
examination of Jer. vii, 31; xix, 5; Ezek. xvi, 20, 21; Psalm cvi, 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_, תפת, so named from the _drums_,
תפים תף, which were beaten to prevent the groans and cries of children
sacrificed from being heard, Jer. vii, 31, 32; xix, 6–14; Isaiah xxx,
33; 2 Kings xxiii, 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.
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, Lev. xviii, 21;
xx, 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 Amos, v, 26, and after him St. Stephen, reproach them with
having carried in the wilderness the tabernacle of their god Moloch,
Acts vii, 43. Solomon built a temple to Moloch upon the Mount of Olives,
1 Kings xi, 7; and Manasseh a long time after imitated his impiety,
making his son pass through the fire in honour of Moloch, 2 Kings xxi,
3–6. It was chiefly in the valley of Tophet and Hinnom, east of
Jerusalem, that this idolatrous worship was paid, Jer. xix, 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 העביר, to cause to pass
through,” and the phrase to cause to pass through the fire,” are used in
respect to human sacrifices in Deut. xii, 31; xviii, 10; 2 Kings xvi, 3;
xxi, 6; 2 Chron. xxviii, 3; xxxiii, 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 שרף, _to burn_, and זבח, _to
immolate_, with which they are interchanged, as may be seen by an
examination of Jer. vii, 31; xix, 5; Ezek. xvi, 20, 21; Psalm cvi, 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_, תפת, so named from the _drums_,
תפים תף, which were beaten to prevent the groans and cries of children
sacrificed from being heard, Jer. vii, 31, 32; xix, 6–14; Isaiah xxx,
33; 2 Kings xxiii, 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.