And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

JEREMIAH 32:35KJV
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Jeremiah 32:35 (KJV)

What does Jeremiah 32:35 mean?

Jeremiah 32:35 describes how the people of Judah built places of worship for Baal in the Valley of Hinnom and sacrificed their children by fire to Molech, something God never commanded and never even imagined they would do. The verse calls these actions an abomination and says they led Judah into sin.

In this verse, God is speaking through the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Judah, pointing out their extreme disobedience and the seriousness of their idolatry. The historical setting is a time when Judah had turned away from God and adopted the worship practices of surrounding nations, including child sacrifice. God emphasizes that such practices were never part of His instructions and are utterly detestable to Him.

The Hebrew behind Jeremiah 32:35

  • "built" (בָּנָה, banah): This word means to construct or establish. Here, it highlights that the people actively set up these forbidden places of worship, not just participated in existing ones.
  • "places" (בָּמָה, bamah): This term refers to high places, which were often elevated sites used for worship outside of the temple, usually associated with idol worship.
  • "pass" (עָבַר, avar): This word means to cause to pass through, referring specifically to the act of making children pass through fire, a ritual linked to Molech worship.
  • "abomination" (תּוֹעֵבָה, to'evah): This word means something detestable or loathsome, especially in a religious sense. It stresses how deeply offensive these actions were to God.

Why Jeremiah 32:35 matters

  • Jeremiah 32:35 clarifies that God never commanded or even considered the practice of child sacrifice, directly rejecting any idea that such acts could be part of true worship.
  • The verse emphasizes the seriousness of idolatry and how it leads people far from God’s intentions, showing the depth of Judah’s rebellion.
  • By naming the specific practices and places, Jeremiah 32:35 connects Judah’s sin to concrete actions and locations, making the accusation clear and undeniable to its original audience.

Where else these words appear

“Molech” Hebrew H4432 · used in 8 verses

  • Leviticus 18:21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
  • Leviticus 20:3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
  • Leviticus 20:5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

“Hinnom” Hebrew H2011 · used in 11 verses

  • Joshua 15:8 And the border went up by the valley of the son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite; the same is Jerusalem: and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the valley of the giants northward:
  • 2 Chronicles 28:3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
  • Jeremiah 7:31 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.

“valley” Hebrew H1516 · used in 54 verses

  • Numbers 21:20 And from Bamoth in the valley, that is in the country of Moab, to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.
  • 1 Chronicles 4:39 And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.
  • Isaiah 40:4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

“Baal” Hebrew H1168 · used in 68 verses

  • Judges 2:11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim:
  • 1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
  • 2 Chronicles 17:3 And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;