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

19Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness. 20Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. 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 Yhwh. 22Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. 23Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

Leviticus 18:21 word by word

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

• 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
• Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Leviticus 18:21

• Leviticus 20:2Again, 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 any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.
• Deuteronomy 12:31Thou shalt not do so unto Yhwh thy God: for every abomination to Yhwh, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
• Deuteronomy 18:10There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
• 2 Kings 16:3But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom Yhwh cast out from before the children of Israel.
• 2 Kings 21:6And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of Yhwh, to provoke him to anger.
• 2 Kings 23:10And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.
• Psalms 106:37Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,
• Jeremiah 7:31And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
• Jeremiah 19:5They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind:
• Ezekiel 20:31For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons to pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day: and shall I be enquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord Yhwh, I will not be enquired of by you.
• Ezekiel 23:37That they have committed adultery, and blood is in their hands, and with their idols have they committed adultery, and have also caused their sons, whom they bare unto me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.
• 1 Kings 11:7Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
• Amos 5:26But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.
• Acts 7:43Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
• Leviticus 19:12And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am Yhwh.
• Leviticus 21:6They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of Yhwh made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall 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