2. Old-Testament Mention
and (2) that the article is attached in
Testament every case where "Moloch" is read
except one
(
I Kings xi. 7),
where it is
practically certain that the reading
should be
Milkom,
"Mileom," and not
Molek,
"Moloch" (Septuagint, A,
Melcho;
Lucian,
Mel
chom).
The only textual differentiation between
the Hebrew word for " king " and " Moloch " is
the pronunciation, concerning which it is to
be re
membered that the punctuation of the Hebrew text
is at best as late as the sixth Christian century (see
Bible Text, I., 2, $ 2).
In the following passages
the reading in the Hebrew is
molek
with the article:
Lev. xviii. 21, xx. 2, 3, 4, 5
(Gk.
archon,
"ruler,"
"king ");
I Kings xi. 7
(see above);
II Kings xxiii. 10
(Lucian,
Melchom);
Jer. xxxii. 35 (Septua
gint conflate reading
tai Moloch bas" " to
Moloch
king "). In these passages the characteristic prac
tise associated with the name which is
forbidden
or denounced is the " giving of one's seed to Mo
lech (Moloch) " or " making one's son or daughter
to pass through the fire (i.e., offering by fire) to
Molech." With the preceding eight passages are
to be taken the numerous places which refer to
offering son or daughter by fire without stating spe
cifically to which deity the offering is made. The
representative passages are
Deut. xii. 31, xviii. 10;
Ps. exxgvi. 37; Is&. lvii. 5;
Jer. vii. 31,
nix. 4-6;
Ezek. xvi. 21, xx. 26, 31;
cf.
II Kings xvii. 31.
In many of
these the rites are localized in " the valley of Ben
hinnom," or at " Tophet (Topheth) in the valley
of the son (sons) of Hinnom." In all probability
the early name of this place was
Tapheth,
the vo
calization coming from the Jewish practise of reading
bosheth, " shame,"
wherever the word occurs.
The meaning of Tophet is uncertain, but the ren
dering "fireplace" is provisionally proposed (cf.
Isa. xxx. 33).
It is conjectured that the name Ben
hinnom is connected with the rites performed there,
and that
the element
hinnom is
derived from the
root
naham, "
to
groan." The later name of the
locality was
Gehenna (q.v.), distinctively a " place
of burning," which with Tophet came to be applied
figuratively to the place of eternal
punishment.
Certain passages other than those quoted are
read
in the light of these as referring to the same cult.
Thus,
Isa. xxx. 33,
where Tophet is mentioned, is
regarded as referring to the cult elsewhere associated with Moloch, but the word is
pointed so as to
read "the king." There is some question as to
Isa. lvii. 9.
The chapter is one in which various forms
of idolatry are mentioned, and "the king" probably refers to the deity
with whom the sacrifice of
children is associated (cf. verse 5).
Amos v. 26
is
difficult; the Hebrew reads
malkekem, "your
king,"
Septuagint
Moloch
(the first appearance of this
form, quoted by Stephen in
Acts vii. 43);
A. V.,
"ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch,"
margin and R. V., "Siecuth your king." Another
verse concerning which two opinions are possible
is
Zeph. i. 5,
where the Hebrew text reads
malkam
(Septuagint
Moloch, Metchom,
thus showing a
wavering
between Moloch and Milcom; A. V.,
R. V., "Malcham," R. V. margin
" their king ").
The Hebrew here is susceptible of the pointing
which makes of it the name of the Ammonite deity
Milcom (q.v.)-not an impossibility, but it is better, considering the date of
Zephaniah (q.v.), viz.,
in the period when this form of sacrifice was prominent (see below),
to render the last part of the
verse " which swear to Yahweh and swear by their
(divine) king," or, still better, to read " which
swear (we are) Yahweh's (people), and swear by
their (divine) king." In this case, the reference
would be to the practise under consideration in
combination with the worship of Yahweh.
According to the above, in eight passages the
Hebrew is vocalized
Modek.
Outside of the Hebrew
Old Testament, the versions, the quotation in
Acts vii. 43
