Leviticus 18:21
in Leviticus 18You 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Leviticus 18
Commentary
6 notes on this versePass through the fire to Molech - The name of this idol is mentioned for the first time in this place. As the word מלח molech or melech signifies king or governor, it is very likely that this idol represented the sun; and more particularly as the fire appears to have been so much employed in his worship. There are several opinions concerning the meaning of passing through the fire to Molech. 1. Some think that the semen humanum was offered on the fire to this idol. 2. Others think that the children were actually made a burnt-offering to him.
This site's exposition
give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech
Molech occurs here for the first time in Scripture, set in the middle of the sexual law. The offence named is against the name of God.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Pass through fire - This was done, either by burning them in the fire, or by making them pass between two great fires, which was a kind of consecration of them to that God. Moloch - Called also Milcom, was an idol chiefly of the Ammonites. He seems to be the Saturn of the heathens, to whom especially children and men were sacrificed.
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech,....
Did idolaters thus give their own children to false gods, and shall we think any thing too dear to be dedicated to, or to be parted with for, the true God? See how this sin of Israel (which they were afterwards guilty of, notwithstanding this law) is aggravated by the relation which they and their children stood in to God.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, &c.--Molech, or Moloch, which signifies "king," was the idol of the Ammonites. His statue was of brass, and rested on a pedestal or throne of the same metal.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֥ | umizarakha | and any of offspring your | H2233 → | 229 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִתֵּ֖ן | titen | you will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְהַעֲבִ֣יר | lehaavir | to make pass | H5674 → | 556 times |
| לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ | lamolekh | to <the> Molech | H4432 → | 8 times |
| וְלֹ֧א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תְחַלֵּ֛ל | techalel | you will profane | H2490 → | 143 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שֵׁ֥ם | shem | [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲנִ֥י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | [am] Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וּמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֥and any of offspring your
umizarakhaH2233 →229 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִתֵּ֖ןyou will give
titenH5414 →2011 times
לְהַעֲבִ֣ירto make pass
lehaavirH5674 →556 times
לַמֹּ֑לֶךְto <the> Molech
lamolekhH4432 →8 times
וְלֹ֧אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תְחַלֵּ֛לyou will profane
techalelH2490 →143 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שֵׁ֥ם[the] name of
shemH8034 →864 times
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָGod your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֲנִ֥יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
יְהוָֽה׃[am] Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Leviticus 19:12You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
it leads to
- Exodus 20:7
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
- Deuteronomy 5:11
You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.
- Exodus 20:7
Through
Deuteronomy 18:10Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, practices divination or conjury, interprets omens, practices sorcery,
it leads to
- Leviticus 19:31
You must not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out, or you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
- Exodus 22:18
You must not allow a sorceress to live.
- Leviticus 19:26
You must not eat anything with blood still in it. You must not practice divination or sorcery.
- 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 19:31
Through
Deuteronomy 12:31You 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…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 32:35
They 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…
- Jeremiah 32:35
Through
Leviticus 22:32You must not profane My holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy among the Israelites. I am the LORD who sanctifies you,
it leads to
- Luke 11:2
So Jesus told them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
- Luke 11:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Leviticus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.