מֹ֫לֶךְ (mo.lekh)

The noun melekh literally means "king," but in the Hebrew Bible it functions as a proper name for a specific deity, often referred to as Molech. This god was associated with the Ammonites and Phoenicians, and the texts link him to the horrific practice of child sacrifice. The word appears eight times in Scripture, primarily in Leviticus, Jeremiah, and 2 Kings, where it stands as a symbol of extreme idolatry.

Its presence in Leviticus 18:21 and 20:2-5 highlights the severity with which ancient Israel viewed this worship. The prohibition was not merely about ritual purity but about protecting the vulnerable from being offered to foreign gods. Jeremiah later uses the term in Jerusalem, condemning the people for building high places to Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom, where they burned their sons and daughters as offerings to this king-god.

While some scholars debate whether melekh is a title meaning "king" applied to another deity or a distinct name, the biblical authors treat it as a specific entity demanding the ultimate sacrifice. The consistent association with the Valley of Hinnom (Gehenna) underscores its reputation for abomination. Translators typically capitalize it as Molech to distinguish this foreign god from the Hebrew word for human king, preserving the theological distinction between Yahweh and these rival powers.