- even their sons:
- The unnatural and horrid practice of offering human sacrifices not only existed, but universally prevailed among ancient nations. We have already (See note on "Again, thou shalt sayª° to¹ the childrenª of Israel,ª Whosoeverª [he be] of the childrenª¹ of Israel,ª or of¹ the strangersª that sojournª° in Israel,ª that¹ givethª° [any] of his seedª¹ unto Molech;ª he shall surely²° be put to death:ª° the peopleª of the landª shall stoneª° him with stones.ª" {Lev 20:2}) referred to the custom among the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, descendants from the Canaanitish nations, of sacrificing their children to Moloch, or Saturn; and we will now cite a passage from Diodorus Siculus (lib. xx.) which immediately precedes that already produced relative to this barbarous custom. He states that the Carthaginians imputed their being besieged by Agathocles to the anger of Saturn, because, instead of sacrificing the best of their own children, as formerly, they had sacrificed children bought for that purpose. "In haste, therefore, to rectify their errors, they chose 200 of the noblest children, and publicly sacrificed them! Others, accused of irreligion, voluntarily gave themselves up, to the number of no less than 300!" "There shall not¹ be foundª° among you [any one] that maketh his sonª or his daughterª to pass²° through¹ the fire,ª [or] that usethª° divination,ª [or] an observer of times,ª° or an enchanter,ª° or a witch,ª°" {Deu 18:10} + "And thou shalt not²°¹ let¹ any of thy seedª¹ pass²° through¹ [the fire] to Molech,ª neither¹ shalt thou profaneª°¹ the nameª of thy God:ª I¹ [am] the LORD.ª" {Lev 18:21} + "Again, thou shalt sayª° to¹ the childrenª of Israel,ª Whosoeverª [he be] of the childrenª¹ of Israel,ª or of¹ the strangersª that sojournª° in Israel,ª that¹ givethª° [any] of his seedª¹ unto Molech;ª he shall surely²° be put to death:ª° the peopleª of the landª shall stoneª° him with stones.ª" {Lev 20:2} + "And they have builtª° the high placesª of Tophet,ª which¹ [is] in the valleyª of the sonª of Hinnom,ª to burnª°¹ their sonsª and their daughtersª in the fire;ª which¹ I commandedª° [them] not,¹ neither¹ cameª° it into¹ my heart.ª" {Jer 7:31} + "And they builtª°¹ the high placesª of Baal,ª which¹ [are] in the valleyª of the sonª of Hinnom,ª to cause¹ their sonsª and their daughtersª to pass²° through¹ [the fire] unto Molech;ª which¹ I commandedª° them not,¹ neither¹ cameª° it into¹ my mind,ª that they should doª° this¹ abomination,ª to¹ cause¹ Judahª to sin.ª°" {Jer 32:35} + "For when ye offerª° your gifts,ª when ye make your sonsª to pass¹ through²° the fire,ª ye¹ pollute²° yourselves¹ with all¹ your idols,ª even unto¹ this day:ª and shall I¹ be enquired²° of¹ by you, O houseª of Israel?ª [As] I¹ live,ª saithª° the Lordª GOD,ª I will not¹ be enquired²° of¹ by you." {Ezk 20:31} + "Thus will I make thy lewdnessª to ceaseª° from¹ thee, and thy whoredomª [brought] from the landª¹ of Egypt:ª so that thou shalt not¹ lift upª° thine eyesª unto¹ them, nor¹ rememberª° Egyptª any more.¹" {Ezk 23:27} + "Will the LORDª be pleasedª° with thousandsª of rams,ª [or] with ten thousandsª of riversª of oil?ª shall I giveª° my firstbornª [for] my transgression,ª the fruitª of my bodyª [for] the sinª of my soul?ª" {Mic 6:7}
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