Leviticus 18:21

21 “ ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

Leviticus 18:21 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
English Standard Version (ESV)
21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
New Living Translation (NLT)
21 “Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the LORD .
The Message Bible (MSG)
21 "Don't give any of your children to be burned in sacrifice to the god Molech - an act of sheer blasphemy of your God. I am God.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21 And thou shalt not give any of thy seed to make them pass through [the fire] to Molech; neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am Jehovah.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
21 Never give your children as sacrifices to the god Molech [by burning them alive]. If you do, you are dishonoring the name of your God. I am the LORD.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
21 "You are not to make any of your children pass through [the fire] to Molech. Do not profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
21 " 'Do not hand over any of your children to be sacrificed to the god Molech. That would be treating my name as if it were not holy. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 18:21 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 18:21

And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through [the fire]
to Molech
The name of an image or idol, according to Aben Ezra, who observes, that their wise men interpret it as a general name for everyone whom they made to reign over them; and it is right, he says, that it is the abomination of the children of Ammon, and so the same with Milcom, ( 1 Kings 11:5 ) ; and with Baal, as appears from ( Jeremiah 32:35 ) ; and they are both of much the same signification, the one signifies a king, the other a lord; and perhaps is the same with the Melicarthus of Sanchoniatho F25, who is also Hercules; to whom Pliny says F26 that the Phoenicians offered human sacrifices every year: of Molech, (See Gill on Jeremiah 7:31) (See Gill on Amos 1:13); by "seed" is meant children and offspring; and because the word "fire" is not in the original text, some, as Aben Ezra observes, explain the phrase, "let to pass through", of their causing them to pass from the law of God to the religion of Molech, or of devoting them to his service and worship; but the word "fire" is rightly supplied, as it may be from ( Deuteronomy 18:10 ) ; and the same writer says, the phrase to pass through is the same as to burn; but though this they sometimes did, even burn their infants, and sacrificed them to idols, ( 2 Chronicles 28:3 ) ( Psalms 106:37 Psalms 106:38 ) ( Ezekiel 16:20 Ezekiel 16:21 ) ; yet this seems to be something short of that, and to be done in the manner, as Jarchi and other Jewish writers F1 relate; who say, the father delivered his son to the priests (of Molech) and they made two great fires, and caused the son to pass on foot between the two fires, which was a kind of a lustration, and so of a dedication of them to the idol; though it must be owned that both were done; yea, that both the phrases of passing through the fire, and of burning, are used promiscuously of the same, see ( 2 Kings 16:3 ) ; compared with ( 2 Chronicles 28:3 ) and also ( Ezekiel 16:20 Ezekiel 16:21 ) ; and they might be both done at different times, or the one previous and in order to the other; and perhaps they might cause the child so often and so long to pass through the fire, as that at last it was burnt and destroyed: neither shall thou profane the name of thy God;
who had given them children, and to whom they ought to have devoted them, and in whose service they should have trained them up to the honour of his name; but instead of that profaned it, by the above idolatrous and cruel usages: I [am] the Lord;
who would avenge such a profanation of his name.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 Apud, Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 1. p. 38.
F26 Nat. Hist. l. 36. c. 5.
F1 Ben Melech in loc. Kimchii Sepher Shorash. rad. (Klm) .

Leviticus 18:21 In-Context

19 “ ‘Do not approach a woman to have sexual relations during the uncleanness of her monthly period.
20 “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her.
21 “ ‘Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molek, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
22 “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
23 “ ‘Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion.

Cross References 4

  • 1. Deuteronomy 12:31; Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Kings 16:3; 2 Kings 17:17; 2 Kings 21:6; 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:1-4; 2 Chronicles 33:6; Psalms 106:37,38; Isaiah 57:5; Jeremiah 7:30,31; Jeremiah 19:5; Jeremiah 32:35; Ezekiel 16:20; Micah 6:7
  • 2. Leviticus 20:2-5; Deuteronomy 9:4; 1Ki 11:5,7,33; Isaiah 57:9; Jeremiah 32:35; Jeremiah 49:1; Zephaniah 1:5
  • 3. Leviticus 19:12; Leviticus 21:6; Isaiah 48:11; Ezekiel 22:26; Ezekiel 36:20; Amos 2:7; Malachi 1:12
  • 4. S Exodus 6:2
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