God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 18:21
21Never give your children as sacrifices to the god Molech ⌞by burning them alive⌟. If you do, you are dishonoring the name of your God. I am the Lord.
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
19“Never have sexual intercourse with a woman while she is unclean during her monthly period. 20Never have sexual intercourse with your neighbor’s wife and become unclean with her. Never give your children as sacrifices to the god Molech ⌞by burning them alive⌟. If you do, you are dishonoring the name of your God. I am the Lord. 22Never have sexual intercourse with a man as with a woman. It is disgusting. 23Never have sexual intercourse with any animal and become unclean with it. A woman must never offer herself to an animal for sexual intercourse. It is unnatural.
Read all of Leviticus 18Leviticus 18:21 word by word
וּמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֥ לֹא־תִתֵּ֖ן לְהַעֲבִ֣יר לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ וְלֹ֧א תְחַלֵּ֛ל אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And thou shalt notנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- let any of thy seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- passעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- to Molechמֹ֫לֶךְmôlek · MolechH4432
- neither shalt thou profaneחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490
- the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- of thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
Cross-references for Leviticus 18:21
- Leviticus 20:2“Tell the Israelites: If Israelites or foreigners living among you give one of their children as a sacrifice to ⌞the god⌟ Molech, they must be put to death. The common people must stone them to death.
- Deuteronomy 12:31Never worship the Lord your God in the way they worship their gods, because everything they do for their gods is disgusting to the Lord. He hates it! They even burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods.
- Deuteronomy 18:10You must never sacrifice your sons or daughters by burning them alive, practice black magic, be a fortuneteller, witch, or sorcerer,
- 2 Kings 16:3He followed the example of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son by burning him alive. Sacrificing ⌞children⌟ was one of the disgusting things done by the nations that the Lord had forced out of the Israelites’ way.
- 2 Kings 21:6He burned his son as a sacrifice, consulted fortunetellers, cast evil spells, and appointed ⌞royal⌟ mediums and psychics. He did many things that made the Lord furious.
- 2 Kings 23:10Josiah also made Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom unclean so that people would never again sacrifice their sons or daughters by burning them to the god Molech.
- Psalms 106:37They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
- Jeremiah 7:31They have built worship sites at Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom in order to burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices. I did not ask for this. It never entered my mind.
- Jeremiah 19:5They have built worship sites to burn their children as sacrifices to Baal. I didn’t ask them or command them to do this. It never entered my mind.
- Ezekiel 20:31You offer your children as sacrifices by burning them alive. You dishonor yourselves with all your disgusting idols to this day. Should you be allowed to ask me for help, nation of Israel? “ ‘As I live, declares the Almighty Lord, you won’t be allowed to ask me for help.
- Ezekiel 23:37They have committed adultery. Their hands are covered with blood. They commit adultery with their idols. They have sacrificed the children they gave birth to for me as burnt offerings to idols.
- 1 Kings 11:7Then Solomon built an illegal worship site on the hill east of Jerusalem for Chemosh (the disgusting idol of Moab) and for Molech (the disgusting idol of the Ammonites).
- Amos 5:26You carried along the statues of ⌞the god⌟ Sikkuth as your king and the star Kiyyun, the gods you made for yourselves.
- Acts 7:43You carried along the shrine of Moloch, the star of the god Rephan, and the statues you made for yourselves to worship. I will send you into exile beyond the city of Babylon.’
- Leviticus 19:12“Never swear by my name in order to deceive anyone. This dishonors the name of your God. I am the Lord.
- Leviticus 21:6“Be God’s holy men, and don’t dishonor the name of your God. Be holy because you bring sacrifices by fire to the Lord. It is the food of your God.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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