Leviticus 18
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Leviticus 18:21:
"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". |
While this scripture refers to physical child sacrifice, it applies to any act of irresponsibility or negilgence by which Christian fathers would sacrifice their children covenentally to pagan gods. (i.e., the state?) While relatively little is known of the concept of divine kingship, the king as god, and the god as king, as the divine-human link between heaven and earth. It was the belief that all being was one being, and the god therefore was an ascended man on that scale of being. The power manifested in political order was thus a manifestation or apprehension and siezure of divine power. It represented the triumph of a man and his people. Molech worship was thus a political religion. Molech worship was thus state worship. The state was the true and ultimate order, and religion was a department of the state. The state claimed total jurisdiction over man; it was therefore entitled to total sacrifice.
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Pass 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.
1. Some think that the semen humanum was offered on the fire to this idol.
2. Others think that the children were actually made a burnt-offering to him.
3. But others suppose the children were not burnt, but only passed through the fire, or between two fires, by way of consecration to him.
That some were actually burnt alive to this idol several scriptures, according to the opinion of commentators, seem strongly to intimate; see among others, Psa 106:38; Jer 7:31, and Eze 23:37-39. That others were only consecrated to his service by passing between two fires the rabbins strongly assert; and if Ahaz had but one son, Hezekiah, (though it is probable he had others, see Ch2 28:3), he is said to have passed through the fire to Molech, Kg2 16:3, yet he succeeded his father in the kingdom, Kg2 18:1, therefore this could only be a consecration, his idolatrous father intending thereby to initiate him early into the service of this demon. --Adam Clarke 1831
1. Some think that the semen humanum was offered on the fire to this idol.
2. Others think that the children were actually made a burnt-offering to him.
3. But others suppose the children were not burnt, but only passed through the fire, or between two fires, by way of consecration to him.
That some were actually burnt alive to this idol several scriptures, according to the opinion of commentators, seem strongly to intimate; see among others, Psa 106:38; Jer 7:31, and Eze 23:37-39. That others were only consecrated to his service by passing between two fires the rabbins strongly assert; and if Ahaz had but one son, Hezekiah, (though it is probable he had others, see Ch2 28:3), he is said to have passed through the fire to Molech, Kg2 16:3, yet he succeeded his father in the kingdom, Kg2 18:1, therefore this could only be a consecration, his idolatrous father intending thereby to initiate him early into the service of this demon. --Adam Clarke 1831
