Editing Moloch (section)

==Biblical attestations==
===Masoretic text===
{{See also|Textual variants in the Book of Leviticus#Leviticus 18}}
The word ''Moloch'' (מלך) occurs eight times in the [[Masoretic text]], [[Hebrew Bible|the standard Hebrew text of the Bible]]. Five of these are in [[Leviticus]], with one in [[1 Kings]], one in [[2 Kings]] and another in [[The Book of Jeremiah]]. Seven instances include the Hebrew [[definite article]] {{lang|he|ha-}} ('the') or have a prepositional form indicating the presence of the definite article.{{sfn|Schmidt|2021}} All of these texts condemn Israelites who engage in practices associated with Moloch, and most associate Moloch with the use of children as offerings.{{sfn|Stavrakopoulou|2013|pp=143–144}}

Leviticus repeatedly forbids the practice of offering children to Moloch:

{{blockquote|And thou shalt not give any of thy seed to set them apart to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the {{LORD}}.|{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|18:21|he}}}}

The majority of the Leviticus references come from a single passage of four lines:{{sfn|Heider|1999|p=583}}

{{blockquote|Moreover, thou shalt say to the children of Israel: Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall [[stoning|stone him with stones]]. I also will set My face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people, because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile My sanctuary, and to profane My holy name. And if the people of the land do at all hide their eyes from that man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and put him not to death; then I will set My face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go astray after him, to go astray after Molech, from among their people.|{{Bibleverse|Leviticus|20:2-5|he}}}}

In 1 Kings, Solomon is portrayed as introducing the cult of Moloch to Jerusalem:
{{blockquote|Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the detestation of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the detestation of the children of Ammon.|{{Bibleverse|1 Kings|11:7}}}}
This is the sole instance of the name Moloch occurring without the definite article in the Masoretic text: it may offer a historical origin of the Moloch cult in the Bible,{{sfn|Schmidt|2021}} or it may be a mistake for [[Milcom]], the [[Ammon]]ite god (thus the reading in some manuscripts of the [[#Septugaint and New Testament|Septuagint]]).{{sfn|Heider|1999|p=581}}{{sfn|Schmidt|2021}}

In 2 Kings, Moloch is associated with the [[tophet]] in the valley of [[Gehenna]] when it is destroyed by king [[Josiah]]:

{{blockquote|And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.|{{Bibleverse|2 Kings|23:10|he}}}}

The same activity of causing children "to pass over the fire" is mentioned, without reference to Moloch, in numerous other verses of the Bible, such as in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 12:31, 18:10), 2 Kings (2 Kings 16:3; 17:17; 17:31; 21:6), 2 Chronicles (2 Chronicles 28:3; 33:6), the Book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:31, 19:5) and the Book of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 16:21; 20:26, 31; 23:37).{{sfn|Stavrakopoulou|2013|p=140}}

Lastly, the prophet [[Jeremiah]] condemns practices associated with Moloch as showing infidelity to [[Yahweh]]:{{sfn|Stavrakopoulou|2013|p=143}}

{{blockquote|And they built the [[high place]]s of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to set apart their sons and their daughters unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into My mind, that they should do this abomination; to cause Judah to sin.|{{Bibleverse|Jeremiah|32:35}}}}

Given the name's similarity to the Hebrew word {{Transliteration|hbo|melek}} "king", scholars have also searched the Masoretic text to find instances of {{Transliteration|hbo|melek}} that may be mistakes for Moloch. Most scholars consider only one instance as likely a mistake, in Isaiah:{{sfn|Heider|1999|p=585}}
{{blockquote|For a hearth is ordered of old; yea, for the king [{{Transliteration|hbo|melek}}] it is prepared, deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the {{LORD}}, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.|{{Bibleverse|Isaiah|30:33|he}}}}

===Septuagint and New Testament===
The standard text of the [[Septuagint]], the Greek version of the Old Testament, contains the name "Moloch" (Μολόχ) at 2 Kings 23:10 and Jeremiah 30:35, as in the Masoretic text, but without an article.{{sfn|Schmidt|2021}} Moreover, the Septuagint uses the name Moloch in [[Book of Amos|Amos]] where it is not found in the Masoretic text:
{{blockquote|You even took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Raiphan, models of them which you made for yourselves.|Amos 5:26,{{sfn|Pietersma|Wright|2014|p=793}} cf. Masoretic {{Bibleverse|Amos|5:26|he}}}}
Additionally, some Greek manuscripts of [[Book of Zephaniah|Zephaniah]] 1:5 contain the name "Moloch" or "Milcom" rather than the Masoretic text's "their king," the reading also found in the standard Septuagint. Many English translations follow one or the other of these variants, reading either "Moloch" or "Milcom".{{sfn|Werse|2018|p=505}} However, instead of "Moloch", the [[Septuagint]] translates the instances of Moloch in Leviticus as "ruler" ({{lang|grc|[[wikt:ἄρχων|ἄρχων]]}}), and as "king" ({{lang|grc|[[wikt:βασιλεύς|βασιλεύς]]}}) at 1 Kings 11:7.{{sfn|Heider|1999|p=581}}{{efn|The [[Lucian of Antioch|Lucian recension]] of the Septuagint contains the name "Milcom" at 1 Kings 11:7.{{sfn|Schmidt|2021}}}}

The Greek version of Amos with Moloch is quoted in the [[New Testament]] and accounts for the one occurrence of Moloch there ([[Book of Acts|Acts]] 7:43).{{sfn|Heider|1999|p=581}}