2 Kings 23:10

10 And he hath defiled Topheth, that [is] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, so that no man doth cause his son and his daughter to pass over through fire to Molech.

2 Kings 23:10 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 23:10

And he defiled Topheth
A place so called, as is generally thought, from the beating of drums or timbrels in it, that the shrieks of the infants sacrificed here to Molech might not be heard by their parents, and they repent of delivering them to him, and take them away. So the Indians in India now, at the burning of wives with their deceased husbands, attend them with drums and trumpets; and at such time as the fire is put to the wood, the drums and trumpets make a terrible noise for fear their cries should be heard ^F2; (See Gill on Isaiah 30:33) (See Gill on Jeremiah 7:31) this he defiled by casting any sort of filth or unclean thing into it, in contempt of the idolatry there committed, and to alienate the minds of men from it:

which is the valley of the children of Hinnom;
a valley that belonged to the posterity of a man of this name, near to Jerusalem, see ( Joshua 15:8 ) , hence the Greek word "geenna" for hell, in the New Testament:

that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to
Molech;
which piece of idolatry used to be committed in this place.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Agreement of Customs between the East Indians and Jews, art. 25. p. 85, 86.

2 Kings 23:10 In-Context

8 And he bringeth in all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defileth the high places where the priests have made perfume, from Geba unto Beer-Sheba, and hath broken down the high places of the gates that [are] at the opening of the gate of Joshua, head of the city, that [is] on a man's left hand at the gate of the city;

9 only, the priests of the high places come not up unto the altar of Jehovah in Jerusalem, but they have eaten unleavened things in the midst of their brethren.

10 And he hath defiled Topheth, that [is] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, so that no man doth cause his son and his daughter to pass over through fire to Molech.

11 And he causeth to cease the horses that the kings of Judah have given to the sun from the entering in of the house of Jehovah, by the chamber of Nathan-Melech the eunuch, that [is] in the suburbs, and the chariots of the sun he hath burnt with fire.

12 And the altars that [are] on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, that the kings of Judah made, and the altars that Manasseh made in the two courts of the house of Jehovah, hath the king broken down, and removeth thence, and hath cast their dust unto the brook Kidron.