And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart.
They have built worship sites at Tophet in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, where they burn their sons and daughters alive as sacrifices. I never commanded them to do this—it never even entered my mind.
God is expressing horror and grief that his people are practicing child sacrifice, something he never asked for and finds completely contrary to his nature.
📚 Historical Context
This verse refers to the practice of child sacrifice that some Israelites adopted from surrounding pagan nations, particularly offering children to the god Molech. The Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) outside Jerusalem became associated with this horrific practice and later became a symbol of judgment and hell in Jewish thought.
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