Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 23:10
And 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.
10. Topheth ] See note on 2Ki 21:6, and on ‘passing through the fire to Molech’ see note on 2Ki 16:3.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 10. He defiled Topheth] St. Jerome says that Topheth was a fine and pleasant place, well watered with fountains, and adorned with gardens. The valley of the son of Hinnom, or Gehenna, was in one part; here it appears the sacred rites of Molech were performed, and to this all the filth of the city was carried, and perpetual fires were kept up in order to consume it. Hence it has been considered a type of hell; and in this sense it is used in the New Testament.
It is here said that Josiah defiled this place that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire. He destroyed the image of Molech, and so polluted the place where he stood, or his temple, that it was rendered in every way abominable. The rabbins say that Topheth had its name from toph, a drum, because instruments of this kind were used to drown the cries of the children that were put into the burning arms of Molech, to be scorched to death. This may be as true as the following definition: “Topheth, or the valley of the son of Hinnom, was a place near Jerusalem, where the filth and offal of the city were thrown, and where a constant fire was kept up to consume the wretched remains of executed criminals. It was a human shambles, a public chopping-block, where the arms and legs of men and women were quartered off by thousands.” Query, On what authority do such descriptions rest?
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
In the valley of the children of Hinnom; of which see Jos 15:8; Neh 11:30; Jer 7:31; 19:6,11.
To pass through the fire to Molech. See Poole “Lev 18:21“; See Poole “Deu 18:10“.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
10. Tophethso called fromTopha “drum.” It is the prevailing opinion amongJewish writers that the cries of the terrified children made to passthrough the fire in that place of idolatrous horror were drowned bythe sound of that instrument.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he defiled Topheth,…. A place so called, as is generally thought, from the beating of drums or timbrels in it, that the shrieks of the infants sacrificed here to Molech might not be heard by their parents, and they repent of delivering them to him, and take them away. So the Indians in India now, at the burning of wives with their deceased husbands, attend them with drums and trumpets; and at such time as the fire is put to the wood, the drums and trumpets make a terrible noise for fear their cries should be heard b;
[See comments on Isa 30:33] [See comments on Jer 7:31] this he defiled by casting any sort of filth or unclean thing into it, in contempt of the idolatry there committed, and to alienate the minds of men from it:
which is the valley of the children of Hinnom; a valley that belonged to the posterity of a man of this name, near to Jerusalem, see
Jos 15:8, hence the Greek word “geenna” for hell, in the New Testament:
that no man might make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech; which piece of idolatry used to be committed in this place.
b Agreement of Customs between the East Indians and Jews, art. 25. p. 85, 86.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(10) Topheth.Heb. the Topheth; i.e., the burning place, or hearth, if the word be rightly derived from the Persian tften, to burn. The Hebrew word, however, has been so modified as to suggest a derivation from tph, to spit; so that the epithet would mean the abomination. (Comp. 2Ki. 23:13.) (Comp. also Job. 17:6; Isa. 30:33; and the Coptic tf, spittle.)
The valley of the children of Hinnom.Elsewhere called the valley of the son of Hinnom, and the valley of Hinnom (Jos. 15:8; Jer. 7:31-32). Simonis plausibly explained the word Hinnom as meaning shrieking or moaning (from the Arabic hanna, arguta voce gemuit, flevit). The valley of the sons of shrieking would be a good name for the accursed spot. (Thenius suggests Wimmer-Kinds-Thal.)
That no man . . .See Note on 2Ki. 16:3.
To Moloch.Heb., to the Molech (Molech is another form of melech, king). In 1Ki. 11:7, the god of the Ammonites is called Molech, but elsewhere, as in 2Ki. 23:13, Milcom, another variation of the same word. The feminine molecheth, queen, occurs as a proper name in 1Ch. 7:18.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
10. Defiled Topheth Probably by burning the bones of the priests who had offered human sacrifices there. Compare 2Ch 34:5. The word Topheth (usually with the article ,) occurs only in the Old Testament at the passages named in the margin, and designates the place in the valley of Hinnom, where human sacrifices were offered to Molech. Its derivation is uncertain. The rabbies say it is the same as toph, ( ) a drum, and is applied to the place where human sacrifices were offered, because drums were beaten there to drown the cries of the victims. Furst and others derive it from a root, , to burn, and understand it as an altar-place for the burning of dead bodies. It is translated tabret in Job 17:7, but most interpreters agree that it there means spittle, or abhorrence, and is also, as a proper name, to be explained in a similar sense, and applied to the spot where human sacrifices were offered, because it was a place of abhorrence a thing to be spit at.
The valley of the children of Hinnom This has been usually identified with the valley on the west and south sides of Jerusalem; but Jeremiah says (Jer 19:2) it was “by the entry of the east gate, (Hebrews potter’s gate;) and Dr. Bonar ( Smith’s Bib. Dict.) says, “Hinnom, by old writers, western and eastern, is always placed east of the city, and corresponds to what we call the mouth of the Tyropoeon, along the southern bed and banks of the Kedron, and was reckoned to be somewhere between the potter’s field and the fuller’s pool.” And Captain Wilson and M. Ganneau have concluded, from minute examinations, that the Kedron and Hinnom valleys are identical. But see note on Jos 15:8.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 23:10. And he defiled Topheth Topheth comes from top, a musical instrument, a drum or tabor; and the place was so called, according to the general opinion of the Jews, because drums or tabors in this horrid valley were used to be beaten, in order to drown the cries and shrieks of the hapless little innocents who were burned alive to the idol Molech. Hence Milton, speaking of Moloch, calls him,
Horrid king, besmear’d with blood Of human sacrifice, and parents’ tears, Though for the noise of drums and timbrels loud Their children’s cries unheard, that pass’d through fire To his grim idol. MILTON’S Par. Lost, book 1: line 392.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
2Ki 23:10 And 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.
Ver. 10. And he defiled Tophet. ] A pleasant valley near to Jerusalem, but, for the abominable abuse of it, taken afterwards for hell, Isa 30:33 Mat 5:22 a place of torments, without end, and past imagination.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Topheth = the Topheth. First occurrence. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), put for anything abhorrent.
valley, &c. The junction of the three valleys uniting south of Jerusalem. The continual fires burning there gave the Greek name Gehenna (from the Hebrew Ge Hinnom = valley of Hinnom).
Molech. Compare Jer 7:31, Jer 7:32; Jer 19:2-6. Prohibited Deu 18:10. Compare 1Ki 11:7.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Topheth: Isa 30:33, Jer 7:31, Jer 7:32, Jer 19:6, Jer 19:11-13, Tophet
the valley: Jos 15:8, 2Ch 28:3, 2Ch 33:6, Jer 19:2, Jer 32:35, Mat 5:22,*Gr.
might make: 2Ki 16:3, 2Ki 17:17, 2Ki 21:6, Lev 18:21, Deu 18:10, Jer 32:35, Eze 16:21, Eze 20:26, Eze 20:31, Eze 23:37-39
Reciprocal: Lev 20:2 – giveth Jos 18:16 – the valley of the son 2Ki 11:18 – went Neh 11:30 – the valley Isa 57:5 – slaying Jer 19:13 – defiled Mic 6:7 – shall
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 23:10. He defiled Topheth By throwing different kinds of filth and dead carcasses into it, and making it the burying-place of the city. Topheth was a place very near Jerusalem, where was the image of Molech, to whom some sacrificed their children, burning them in the fire, as the reader may see in the note on Lev 18:21; and to whom others, as many able interpreters think, only dedicated them, by making them pass between two fires, or by waving them, or making them jump over a fire. It is supposed to be called Topheth, from toph, a drum; because they beat drums at the burning of their children, that their shricks might not be heard. This place, near Jerusalem, was also called the valley of the sons of Hinnom, (2Ch 28:3,) from the yelling of the sacrificed infants. Thus Milton calls Molech:
Horrid king, besmeard with blood
Of human sacrifice, and parents tears,
Though for the noise of drums, and timbrels loud,
Their childrens cries unheard, that passd through fire
To his grim idol. Par. Lost, book 1. 50:392.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
23:10 And he defiled {k} 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.
(k) Which was a valley near to Jerusalem, and signifies a tabret because they smote on the tabret while their children were burning, that their cry should not be heard, Lev 18:21 , after which Josiah commanded trash to be cast in contempt of it.