Jeremiah 32:35
in Jeremiah 32They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My mind, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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 unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
KJV
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 unto 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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This verse in Jeremiah 32
Commentary
8 notes on this verse(Verse 35.) And they built high places (or altars) to Baal, which are in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, to burn their sons and daughters as offerings to the idol Moloch. The word 'initiate' is written in Hebrew as 'Ebir', which Aquila and Symmachus translated as 'offer'. The Seventy and Theodotion interpreted it as 'sacrifice'.
This site's exposition
Then the word of the LORD
on Jeremiah 32:26-35
The LORD answers with His question, “Is anything too difficult for Me?” The indictment names the places “of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom,” built to “make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech.” This is the valley the closing verses of chapter 31 declare consecrated.
This site's exposition
the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom
Barnes notes these lines repeat Jeremiah 7:30-31, with Baal in place of Tophet and Molech named. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown explain Molech as meaning king, the god also called Milcom (1 Kings 11:33). The words never commanded remove any plea of good intention.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
The whole country was infected with the contagious idolatries and iniquities of Jerusalem. [2.] They brought ruin upon themselves. It was as if they had done it on purpose that God should remove them from before his face (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom,....
At the same time he must assure them that, though the destruction was total, it should not be final, but that at length their posterity should recover the peaceable possession of their own land,
Thus because they liked not to retain God in their knowledge, but changed his glory into shame, they were justly given up to vile affections and stripped of natural ones, and their glory was turned into shame. And, (8.) What was the consequence of all this? [1.] They caused Judah to sin,
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Molech--meaning "king"; the same as Milcom (1Ki 11:33). I commanded . . . not--This cuts off from the superstitious the plea of a good intention. All "will-worship" exposes to God's wrath (Col 2:18, 23).
The words behind it
28 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּבְנוּ֩ | vaiyivnu | and they built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בָּמ֨וֹת | bamot | [the] high places of | H1116 → | 102 times |
| הַבַּ֜עַל | habaal | <the> Baal | H1168 → | 82 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בְּגֵ֣יא | begei' | [are] in [the] valley of | H1516 → | 59 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | Ben | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הִנֹּ֗ם | hinom | Hinnom | H2011 → | 13 times |
| לְ֠הַעֲבִיר | lehaavir | to make pass through | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנֵיהֶ֣ם | beneihem | sons their | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם֮ | benoteihem | daughters their | H1323 → | 588 times |
| לַמֹּלֶךְ֒ | lamolekh | to <the> Molech | H4432 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| צִוִּיתִ֗ים | tzivitim | I had commanded them | H6680 → | 494 times |
| וְלֹ֤א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| עָֽלְתָה֙ | ʾaltah | it had come up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לִבִּ֔י | libi | heart my | H3820 → | 595 times |
| לַעֲשׂ֖וֹת | laasot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַתּוֹעֵבָ֣ה | hatoevah | the abomination | H8441 → | 117 times |
| הַזֹּ֑את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| לְמַ֖עַן | lemaan | so as | H4616 → | 272 times |
| הַחֲטִ֥יא | hachati' | to cause to sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוּדָֽה׃ ס | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
וַיִּבְנוּ֩and they built
vaiyivnuH1129 →376 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בָּמ֨וֹת[the] high places of
bamotH1116 →102 times
הַבַּ֜עַל<the> Baal
habaalH1168 →82 times
אֲשֶׁ֣ר׀which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בְּגֵ֣יא[are] in [the] valley of
begei'H1516 →59 times
בֶן־Ben
ven-H1121 →4930 times
הִנֹּ֗םHinnom
hinomH2011 →13 times
לְ֠הַעֲבִירto make pass through
lehaavirH5674 →556 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנֵיהֶ֣םsons their
beneihemH1121 →4930 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם֮daughters their
benoteihemH1323 →588 times
לַמֹּלֶךְ֒to <the> Molech
lamolekhH4432 →
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
צִוִּיתִ֗יםI had commanded them
tzivitimH6680 →494 times
וְלֹ֤אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
עָֽלְתָה֙it had come up
ʾaltahH5927 →890 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
לִבִּ֔יheart my
libiH3820 →595 times
לַעֲשׂ֖וֹתto do
laasotH6213 →2628 times
הַתּוֹעֵבָ֣הthe abomination
hatoevahH8441 →117 times
הַזֹּ֑את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
לְמַ֖עַןso as
lemaanH4616 →272 times
הַחֲטִ֥יאto cause to sin
hachati'H2398 →238 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוּדָֽה׃ סJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 7:31They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.
it leads to
- Leviticus 18:21
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.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Kings 23:10
He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.
- 2 Kings 17:17
They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire and practiced divination and soothsaying. They devoted themselves to doing evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
- Ezekiel 16:20
You even took the sons and daughters you bore to Me and sacrificed them as food to idols. Was your prostitution not enough?
- Leviticus 18:21
Through
Leviticus 18:21You 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.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as…
- Leviticus 20:2–5
“Tell the Israelites, ‘Any Israelite or foreigner living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the land are to stone him.
- Deuteronomy 18:10
Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
- Leviticus 19:12
You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 12:31
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies5
About Jeremiah
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Carl Friedrich Keil, The Prophecies of Jeremiah; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Jeremiah; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.