Bible Dictionary
Moloch
Moloch was the name of the Ammonite god associated with child sacrifice. His worship was condemned by God and was suppressed in Judah under reforming kings.
Definition
Moloch was the national god of the Ammonites and a deity associated with child sacrifice by fire. The name means “king,” and Moloch is identified with Molech, Milcom, and Malcham in the supplied accounts.
Biblical Usage
Solomon established a high place for this idol, and its worship continued until the reforms of Josiah, who suppressed it. The name also appears in passages concerning idolatry and the judgment of Israel.
Historical Background
Moloch was regarded as a fire-god, and the supplied account identifies him with the Moabite Chemosh. His worship was later said to have disappeared after the Captivity.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
King, the name of the national god of the Ammonites, to whom children were sacrificed by fire. He was the consuming and destroying and also at the same time the purifying fire. In Amos 5:26, “your Moloch” of the Authorized Version is “your king” in the Revised Version (comp. Acts 7:43). Solomon (1 Kings 11:7) erected a high place for this idol on the Mount of Olives, and from that time till the days of Josiah his worship continued (2 Kings 23:10, 13). In the days of Jehoahaz it was partially restored, but after the Captivity wholly disappeared. He is also called Molech (Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5, etc.), Milcom (1 Kings 11:5, 33, etc.), and Malcham (Zeph. 1:5). This god became Chemosh among the Moabites.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
The same as Molech. Molech
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>mo'-lok: A deity of the Ammonites, like the planet Saturn, a representative of the sun-god in the particular aspect of a god of time.</p><p>See ASTROLOGY, 8; MOLECH.</p>