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.
Tell the people of Israel: Anyone among the Israelites or foreigners living in Israel who sacrifices any of their children to the god Molech must be put to death. The people of the community must stone them to death.
God is commanding that anyone who sacrifices their children to the false god Molech must face the death penalty, showing how seriously He takes the protection of innocent life.
📚 Historical Context
Molech was a Canaanite deity whose worship involved horrific child sacrifice, often by burning children alive. The surrounding pagan nations practiced this abomination as part of their religious rituals. God was establishing Israel as a holy nation completely separate from these barbaric practices that treated children as expendable offerings to false gods.
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