1 Kings 11:7

1 Kings 11:7

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.

a. ASV:  Then did Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the mount that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.

b. YLT: Then doth Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is on the front of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the sons of Ammon;

c. Amplified Bible Classic: Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abominable idol of Moab, on the hill opposite Jerusalem, and for Molech the abominable idol of the Ammonites.

d. Septuagint: Then Solomon built a high place to Chamos the idol of Moab, and to their king the idol of the children of Ammon,

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, on the Mount [of Olives] facing jerusalem; and for Molech, the abomination of the Children of Ammon.

1. “Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem...“

a. Then [Strong: 227 'az awz a demonstrative adverb; at that time or place; also as a conjunction, therefore:--beginning, for, from, hitherto, now, of old, once, since, then, at which time, yet.]

b. [did] Solomon [Strong: 8010 * Shlomoh shel-o-mo' from 7965; peaceful; Shelomah, David's successor:--Solomon.] [The KJV translates Strong's H8010 in the following manner: Solomon (293x).]

c. build [Strong: 1129 bânâh, baw-naw'; a primitive root; to build (literally and figuratively):—(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), × surely.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1129 in the following manner: build (340x), build up (14x), builder (10x), made (3x), built again (2x), repair (2x), set up (2x), have children (1x), obtain children (1x), surely 1 (inf. for emphasis).]

d. [an] high place [Strong: 1116 bâmâh, bam-maw'; from an unused root (meaning to be high); an elevation:—height, high place, wave.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1116 in the following manner: high place (100x), heights (1x), waves (1x).]

e. [for] Chemosh [Strong: 3645 Kᵉmôwsh, kem-oshe'; or (Jeremiah 48:7) כְּמִישׁ Kᵉmîysh; from an unused root meaning to subdue; the powerful; Kemosh, the god of the Moabites:—Chemosh.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3645 in the following manner: Chemosh (8x).]

1). Unger’s Bible Dictionary: Chemosh (ke-mosh). The national deity of the moabites, honored with horribly cruel rites like those of Molech, to whom childrn were sacrificed in the fire. It is interesting archaeologically to note that the anger of Chemosh is said in the famous Moabite Stone to be the reason for Israel’s subjugation of Moab (Judges 11:24). Solomon made a fatal mistake, whatever  his reason might have been, of rearing an altar to Chemoshin Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:7). This abomination was not destroyed until Josiah’s piurge almost three centuries later (2 Kings 23:13). So infatuated were the Moabites with Chemosh that they were known as the “people of Chemosh” (Numbers 21:29).

f. [the] abomination [Strong: 8251 shiqqûwts, shik-koots'; or שִׁקֻּץ shiqquts; from H8262; disgusting, i.e. filthy; especially idolatrous or (concretely) an idol:—abominable filth (idol, -ation), detestable (thing).] [The KJV translates Strong's H8251 in the following manner: abomination (20x), detestable things (5x), detestable (1x), abominable filth (1x), abominable idols (1x).]

g. [of] Moab [Strong: 4124 Môwʼâb, mo-awb; from a prolonged form of the prepositional prefix m- and H1; from (her [the mother's]) father; Moab, an incestuous son of Lot; also his territory and descendants:—Moab.] [The KJV translates Strong's H4124 in the following manner: Moab (166x), Moabites (15x).]

h. [in the] hill [Strong: 2022 har, har; a shortened form of H2042; a mountain or range of hills (sometimes used figuratively):—hill (country), mount(-ain), × promotion.] [The KJV translates Strong's H2022 in the following manner: mountain (261x), mount (224x), hill (59x), hill country (1x), promotion (1x).]

i. that [is] [Strong: 834 'aher ash-er' a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number); who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, + from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where (+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, + whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun expletively, used to show the connection.]

j. [Strong: 5921 `al al properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications (as follow):--above, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than, through(-out), to, touching, X with.]

k. before [Strong: 6440 pânîym, paw-neem'; plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה pâneh; from H6437); the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.):— accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, prospect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.] [The KJV translates Strong's H6440 in the following manner: before (1,137x), face (390x), presence (76x), because (67x), sight (40x), countenance (30x), from (27x), person (21x), upon (20x), of (20x), ...me (18x), against (17x), ...him (16x), open (13x), for (13x), toward (9x), miscellaneous (195x).]

l. Jerusalem [Strong: 3389 Yᵉrûwshâlaim, yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im; rarely יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yᵉrûwshâlayim; a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of H3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) H3384 and H7999; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine:—Jerusalem.] [The KJV translates Strong's H3389 in the following manner: Jerusalem (643x).]

2. “...and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.”

a. [and for] Molech [Strong: 4432 Môlek, mo'-lek; from H4427; Molek (i.e. king), the chief deity of the Ammonites:—Molech.] [The KJV translates Strong's H4432 in the following manner: Molech (8x).]

1). Unger’s Bible Dictionary: (mo’ lek; Heb. melek “king”). A Semitic deity honored by the sacrifice of children, in which they were caused to pass through or into the fire. Palestinian excavations have uncovered evidences of infant skeletons in burial places around heathen shrines. Ammonites revered Molech as a protective father. Worship of Molech was stringently prohibited by Hebrew law (Leviticus 18:21; 20:1-5). Solomon built an altar to Molechat Topheth in the valley of Hinnom. Manasseh (c. 696-642 B.C.), in his idolatrous orgy, also honored this deity. Josiah desecrated the Hinnom valley altar, but Jehoiakim revived the cult. The prophets sternly denounced this form of heathen worship (Jeremiah 7:29-34; Ezekiel 16:20-22; 23:37-39; Amos 5:26, margin). No form of ancient Semitic idolatry was more abhorrent than Molech worship.

2). There is a school of thought that believes at this time Molech worship in Israel did not involve child sacrifice but only the burning of incense. I personally believe at this time in Israel’s history it did not involve child sacrifice, and in later generations developed into full blown Molech worship. The first king mentioned either of Israel or Judah associated with child sacrifice, is Ahaz, in 2 Kings 16:3, approximately 200 years later, somewhere in his reign, from 735 -715 B.C.

a). 2 Kings 16:1-3 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

16:2 Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.

16:3 But 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 the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

3). If the Israelites had really sacrificed their children to Moloch, i.e. had slain and burned them, before the time of Ahaz, the burning would certainly have been mentioned before; for Solomon had built a high place upon the mountain to the east of Jerusalem for Moloch, the abomination of the children of Ammon, to please his foreign wives. (Keil-Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, vol 1, the Pentateuch (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1980), page 416-417)

b. [the] abomination [Strong: 8251 shiqqûwts, shik-koots'; or שִׁקֻּץ shiqquts; from H8262; disgusting, i.e. filthy; especially idolatrous or (concretely) an idol:—abominable filth (idol, -ation), detestable (thing).] [The KJV translates Strong's H8251 in the following manner: abomination (20x), detestable things (5x), detestable (1x), abominable filth (1x), abominable idols (1x).]

c. [the] children [Strong: 1121 bên, bane; from H1129; a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or condition, etc., (like father or brother), etc.):—afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, (+) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, + (young) bullock, + (young) calf, × came up in, child, colt, × common, × corn, daughter, × of first, firstborn, foal, + very fruitful, + postage, × in, + kid, + lamb, (+) man, meet, +mighty, + nephew, old, (+) people, rebel, + robber, × servant born, × soldier, son, +spark, steward, + stranger, × surely, them of, + tumultuous one, valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth.] [The KJV translates Strong's H1121 in the following manner: son (2,978x), children (1,568x), old (135x), first (51x), man (20x), young (18x), young (with H1241) (17x), child (10x), stranger (10x), people (5x), miscellaneous (92x).]

d. [of] Ammon [Strong: 5983 ʻAmmôwn, am-mone'; from H5971; tribal, i.e. inbred; Ammon, a son of Lot; also his posterity and their country:—Ammon, Ammonites.] [The KJV translates Strong's H5983 in the following manner: Ammon (90x), Ammonites (with H1121) (13x), Ammonites (2x).]