Leviticus 18:21
New International Version
“’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.

New Living Translation
“Do not permit any of your children to be offered as a sacrifice to Molech, for you must not bring shame on the name of your God. I am the LORD.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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 King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

NASB 1995
‘You shall not give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

NASB 1977
‘Neither shall you give any of your offspring to offer them to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

Legacy Standard Bible
And you shall not give any of your seed to pass them over to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God; I am Yahweh.

Amplified Bible
You shall not give any of your children to offer them [by fire as a sacrifice] to Molech [the god of the Ammonites], nor shall you profane the name of your God [by honoring idols as gods]. I am the LORD.

Christian Standard Bible
“You are not to sacrifice any of your children in the fire to Molech. Do not profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You are not to make any of your children pass through the fire to Molech. Do not profane the name of your God; I am Yahweh.

American Standard Version
And thou shalt not give any of thy seed to make them pass through the fire to Molech; neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am Jehovah.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And do not expel from your seed to impregnate a female stranger and do not pollute the name of your God; I AM LORD JEHOVAH.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And thou shalt not give of thy seed to serve a ruler; and thou shalt not profane my holy name; I am the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
Don't sacrifice your children on the altar fires to the god Molech. I am the LORD your God, and that would disgrace me.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not give any of thy seed to be consecrated to the idol Moloch, nor defile the name of thy God : I am the Lord.

English Revised Version
And thou shalt not give any of thy seed to make them pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
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.

Good News Translation
Do not hand over any of your children to be used in the worship of the god Molech, because that would bring disgrace on the name of God, the LORD.

International Standard Version
"You are not to present any of your children to Molech as a sacrifice. That way, you won't defile the name of your God." "I am the LORD.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Literal Standard Version
And you do not give from your seed to pass over to the Molech, nor do you defile the Name of your God; I [am] YHWH.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
You shall not offer any of your offspring for immolation to Molech, thus profaning the name of your God. I am the LORD.

NET Bible
You must not give any of your children as an offering to Molech, so that you do not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD!

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not give any of your offspring to sacrifice them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

New Heart English Bible
"'You shall not give any of your children to sacrifice to Moloch; neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

World English Bible
“‘You shall not give any of your children as a sacrifice to Molech. You shall not profane the name of your God. I am Yahweh.

Young's Literal Translation
And of thy seed thou dost not give to pass over to the Molech; nor dost thou pollute the name of thy God; I am Jehovah.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Unlawful Sexual Relations
20You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her. 21You 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.…

Cross References
Leviticus 19:12
You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

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.

Leviticus 20:3
And I will set My face against that man and cut him off from his people, because by giving his offspring to Molech, he has defiled My sanctuary and profaned My holy name.

Leviticus 21:6
They must be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. Because they present to the LORD the offerings made by fire, the food of their God, they must be holy.

Deuteronomy 12:31
You 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.

2 Kings 16:3
Instead, 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 21:6
He 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.


Treasury of Scripture

And you shall not let any of your seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 20:2
Again, 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 12:31
Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, 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 18:10
There 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,

to Molech

1 Kings 11:7,33
Then 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 5:26
But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

Acts 7:43
Yea, 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.

Moloch

Leviticus 19:12
And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 20:2-5
Again, 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…

Leviticus 21:6
They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.

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Apart Children Devote Fire Molech Offer Offering Offspring Pollute Profane Sacrifice Sacrificed Seed Shame
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Apart Children Devote Fire Molech Offer Offering Offspring Pollute Profane Sacrifice Sacrificed Seed Shame
Leviticus 18
1. Unlawful marriages and unlawful lusts














(21) And thou shalt not let any of thy seed.--Literally, And thou shalt not give any of thy seed. Those who violate the sanctity of the marriage ties will readily sacrifice their children. Hence the prohibition to offer up their children to idols follows the law about unchastity.

Pass through the fire to Molech.--Literally, to let it pass to Molech, that is, to put the child into the hands of the figure of Molech, when it fell into the fire which was kindled in the hollow statue of this idol. Molech, also called Milcom, which denotes king, is described as the hideous idol, or "the abomination of the Ammonites" (1Kings 11:5; 1Kings 11:11). The following graphic description has been handed down traditionally of this idol and its worship :--"Our sages of blessed memory say that whilst all other idols had temples in Jerusalem, Molech had his temple outside Jerusalem, in a place by itself. It was a brass and hollow image, bull-headed, with arms stretched out like a human being who opens his hands to receive something from his neighbour. Its temple had seven compartments, into which the offerers went according to their respective gifts. If one offered a fowl, he went into the first compartment; if a sheep, into the second; if a lamb, into the third; if a ram, into the fourth; if a bullock, into the fifth; if an ox, into the sixth; and if he offered his son, he was conducted into the seventh compartment. He first kissed the image, as it is written, 'let the sacrificers of men kiss the calf' (Hosea 13:2), whereupon a fire was kindled in Molech till its arms became red hot; the child was then put into its hands, and drums were beaten to produce tremendous noises so as to prevent the shrieks of the child reaching the father's ears, lest he should be moved with pity towards his offspring." It was to this idol that Solomon erected a temple on the southern side of Mount Olivet (2Kings 23:13). This idolatrous worship was punished with death by stoning. (See Leviticus 20:2.) . . .

Verse 21. - The third prohibition is, Thou shall not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech. The words the fire are properly inserted, though not expressed in the original (cf. Deuteronomy 18:10; 2 Kings 22:10). What was the nature and purpose of the idolatrous rite in question is, however, uncertain. It is generally assumed that reference is made to the practice of offering children in sacrifice to Molech, Deuteronomy 12:31, Ezekiel 16:20, and Psalm 106:37 being quoted in support of that view. But it is by no means certain that this was the case. It might have been a rite by which children were dedicated to Molech - a baptism by fire, not resulting in the death of the child. Its mention here, in close connection with carnal sins, has led some to regard it as an impure rite; but this is a mistaken inference, for the prohibition of adultery naturally suggests the prohibition of a spiritual unfaithfulness. That it was some kind of idolatrous ceremony is shown by the addition of the words, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God. But if the children were burnt to death in honour of the idol, from the beginning, we should expect to find a notice of the fact in less ambiguous language than the expression, pass through the fire, conveys, earlier than the days of Ahaz. It is easy to imagine that what began as a dedication ceremony may have become converted into an absolute sacrifice, retaining still its original designation. Molech was a Canaanitish and Phoenician deity, the name meaning King, just as Baal means Lord (see Selden, 'De Diis Syris,' 1:6). Jarchi, quoted by Wordsworth, describes the idol as "made of brass, having the face of an ox, with arms stretched out, in which the child was placed and burnt with fire, while the priests were beating drums, in order to drown the noise of its shrieks, lest the fathers might be moved with pity thereby." The place where the children were offered, in the later period of the Jewish history, was the valley of Hinnom (Jeremiah 7:31; Jeremiah 32:35; 2 Kings 23:10).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You must not
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

give
תִתֵּ֖ן (ṯit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

any of your children
וּמִֽזַּרְעֲךָ֥ (ū·miz·zar·‘ă·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2233: Seed, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity

to be sacrificed
לְהַעֲבִ֣יר (lə·ha·‘ă·ḇîr)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

to Molech,
לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ (lam·mō·leḵ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4432: Molech -- a heathen god to whom Israelites sacrificed children

for you must not
וְלֹ֧א (wə·lō)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

profane
תְחַלֵּ֛ל (ṯə·ḥal·lêl)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

the name
שֵׁ֥ם (šêm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8034: A name

of your God.
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

I
אֲנִ֥י (’ă·nî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 589: I

am the LORD.
יְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Law: Leviticus 18:21 You shall not give any of your (Le Lv Lev.)
Leviticus 18:20
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