(10) Topheth.—Heb. the Topheth; i.e., the burning place, or hearth, if the word be rightly derived from the Persian tōften, “to burn.” The Hebrew word, however, has been so modified as to suggest a derivation from tōph, “to spit;” so that the epithet would mean “the abomination.” (Comp. 2Kings 23:13.) (Comp. also Job 17:6; Isaiah 30:33; and the Coptic tāf, “spittle.”)

The valley of the children of Hinnom.—Elsewhere called “the valley of the son of Hinnom,” and “the valley of Hinnom (Joshua 15:8; Jeremiah 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 2Kings 16:3.

To Moloch.—Heb., to the Molech (Molech is another form of melech, “king”). In 1Kings 11:7, the god of the Ammonites is called Molech, but elsewhere, as in 2Kings 23:13, Milcom, another variation of the same word. The feminine molecheth, “queen,” occurs as a proper name in 1Chronicles 7:18.

2 Kings 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 Leviticus 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, (2 Chronicles 28:3,) from the yelling of the sacrificed infants. Thus Milton calls Molech: —

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. Par. Lost, book 1. 50:392.

23:4-14 What abundance of wickedness in Judah and Jerusalem! One would not have believed it possible, that in Judah, where God was known, in Israel, where his name was great, in Salem, in Zion, where his dwelling-place was, such abominations should be found. Josiah had reigned eighteen years, and had himself set the people a good example, and kept up religion according to the Divine law; yet, when he came to search for idolatry, the depth and extent were very great. Both common history, and the records of God's word, teach, that all the real godliness or goodness ever found on earth, is derived from the new-creating Spirit of Jesus Christ.The word Topheth, or Topher - variously derived from toph, "a drum" or "tabour," because the cries of the sacrificed children were drowned by the noise of such instruments; or, from a root taph or toph, meaning "to burn" - was a spot in the valley of Hinnom (marginal reference note). The later Jewish kings, Manasseh and Amon (or, perhaps, Ahaz, 2 Chronicles 28:3), had given it over to the Moloch priests for their worship; and here, ever since, the Moloch service had maintained its ground and flourished (marginal references).10. Topheth—so called from Toph—a "drum." It is the prevailing opinion among Jewish writers that the cries of the terrified children made to pass through the fire in that place of idolatrous horror were drowned by the sound of that instrument. In the valley of the children of Hinnom; of which see Joshua 15:8 Nehemiah 11:30 Jeremiah 7:31 19:6,11.

To pass through the fire to Molech. See Poole "Leviticus 18:21"; See Poole "Deu 18:10".

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 Gill on Isaiah 30:33, Jeremiah 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 Joshua 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.

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, Le 18:21, after which Josiah commanded trash to be cast in contempt of it.