Leviticus 18:21

Leviticus 18:21 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)“ ‘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.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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 King James Version (NKJV)And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

Context of Leviticus 18:21

19You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period. 20You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her. 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. 22You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination. 23You must not lie carnally with any animal, thus defiling yourself with it; a woman must not stand before an animal to mate with it; that is a perversion.

Leviticus 18:21 word by word

וּמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֥ לֹא־תִתֵּ֖ן לְהַעֲבִ֣יר לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ וְלֹ֧א תְחַלֵּ֛ל אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• You must notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• any of your childrenזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
• to be sacrificedעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• to Molechמֹ֫לֶךְmôlek · MolechH4432
• profaneחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• of your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• Iאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
• am the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Leviticus 18:21

• Leviticus 20:2“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 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 sacrifices to their gods.
• 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,
• 2 Kings 16:3Instead, he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, according to the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
• 2 Kings 21:6He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced sorcery and divination, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did great evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger.
• 2 Kings 23:10He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.
• Psalms 106:37They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
• Jeremiah 7:31They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.
• Jeremiah 19:5They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.
• Ezekiel 20:31When you offer your gifts, sacrificing your sons in the fire, you continue to defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. So should I be consulted by you, O house of Israel? As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not be consulted by you!
• Ezekiel 23:37For they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols. They have even sacrificed their children, whom they bore to Me, in the fire as food for their idols.
• 1 Kings 11:7At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites.
• Amos 5:26You have taken along Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god, the idols you made for yourselves.
• Acts 7:43You have taken along the tabernacle of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.’
• Leviticus 19:12You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
• Leviticus 21:6They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the food offerings, the food of their God, they must be holy.

Commentaries on Leviticus 18:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Pass 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. Some think that the semen humanum was offered on the fire to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Molech - See the note at Leviticus 20:2-5.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21Molech was the national god of the Ammonites (1 Kings 11:7). Later, Israel worshiped this god during times of turning away from their faith (2 Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 32:35). Molech worship probably appears here because it related to sexual sins and possibly included child sacrifice. profane (or blaspheme) the name of your God: This meant using the name of the Lord as if it were unholy, such as in a false oath or in the worship of a false god (Leviticus…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. 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. His head, resembling that of a calf, was adorned with a crown, and his arms were extended in the attitude of embracing those who approached him. His devotees dedicated their children to him; and when this was to be done, they…Read the comment

Topics related to Leviticus 18:21

• Abomination
• God
• Idolatry
• Molech
• Offerings

In the dictionaries

• God
• Molech; Moloch
• Molech
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Approach
• Live
• Mankind
• Moloch
• Near
• Atonement, Day of

Commentaries on Leviticus 18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings