Topical Encyclopedia
Introduction:Topheth, also spelled "Tophet," is a term found in the Hebrew Bible, primarily associated with a location in the Valley of Hinnom, near Jerusalem. It is historically and theologically significant due to its association with idolatrous practices, particularly child sacrifice, which was condemned by the prophets of Israel.
Etymology and Location:The name "Topheth" is believed to derive from a root meaning "drum" or "fireplace," possibly referring to the drums used to drown out the cries of children being sacrificed or the fires used in the sacrificial rites. Topheth is located in the Valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, a site that later became synonymous with Gehenna, a term used in the New Testament to describe hell or a place of final judgment.
Biblical References:Topheth is mentioned in several passages in the Old Testament, highlighting its role in the idolatrous practices of the Israelites and the surrounding nations.
1.
2 Kings 23:10 : "He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech." This verse describes King Josiah's reforms, where he defiled Topheth to put an end to the practice of child sacrifice to the Ammonite god Molech.
2.
Jeremiah 7:31-32 : "They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter My mind. So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room." Here, the prophet Jeremiah condemns the practice and prophesies judgment upon the people for their abominations.
3.
Jeremiah 19:6 : "So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter." This reiterates the impending judgment and the transformation of the site from a place of idolatry to one of divine retribution.
Historical and Theological Significance:Topheth serves as a stark reminder of the apostasy and moral decline that occurred in Judah during certain periods of its history. The practice of child sacrifice was strictly forbidden in the Mosaic Law (
Leviticus 18:21, 20:2-5), and its occurrence in Israel was a grievous sin that provoked the wrath of God. The desecration of Topheth by King Josiah was a significant act of religious reform, aimed at purifying the worship of Yahweh and eradicating pagan influences.
Theologically, Topheth symbolizes the severe consequences of turning away from God's commandments and engaging in idolatry. It also prefigures the concept of divine judgment, as the Valley of Hinnom later becomes a metaphor for hell in the New Testament. The transformation of Topheth into the "Valley of Slaughter" underscores the seriousness with which God views the sanctity of life and the worship due to Him alone.
Conclusion:While Topheth is a historical location, its implications extend beyond its geographical and temporal boundaries. It serves as a powerful illustration of the dangers of idolatry and the importance of faithfulness to God's covenant. The biblical narrative surrounding Topheth calls believers to reflect on the holiness of God and the call to worship Him in spirit and truth.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Tophethand onceTophet (place of burning), was in the southeast extremity of the "valley of the son of Hinnom," (Jeremiah 7:31) which is "by the entry of the east gate." (Jeremiah 19:2) The locality of Hinnom is to have been elsewhere. [HINNOM] It seems also to have been part of the king's gardens, and watered by Siloam, perhaps a little to the south of the presentBirket el-Hamra . The name Tophet occurs only in the Old Testament. (2 Kings 23:10;Isaiah 30:33;Jeremiah 7:31,32;19:6,11,12,13,14) The New does not refer to it, nor the Apocrypha. Tophet has been variously translated. The most natural meaning seems that suggested by the occurrence of the word in two consecutive verses, in one of which it is a tabret and in the other Tophet. (Isaiah 30:32,37) The Hebrew words are nearly identical; and Tophet war probably the king's "music-grove" or garden, denoting originally nothing evil or hateful. Certainly there is no proof that it took its name from the beaten to drown the cries of the burning victims that passed through the fire to Molech. Afterward it was defiled by idols and polluted by the sacrifices of Baal and the fires of Molech. Then it became the place of abomination, the very gate or pit of hell. The pious kings defiled it and threw down its altars and high places, pouring into it all the filth of the city, till it became the "abhorrence" of Jerusalem.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
TOPHETHto'-feth (ha-topheth, etymology uncertain; the most probable is its connection with a root meaning "burning"-the "place of burning"; the King James Version, Tophet, except in2 Kings 23:10): The references are to such a place: "They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire" (Jeremiah 7:31). On account of this abomination Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom should be called "The valley of Slaughter: for they shall bury in Topheth, till there be no place to bury," the Revised Version margin "because there shall be no place else" (Jeremiah 7:32); see alsoJeremiah 19:6, 12, 13, 14. Josiah is said to have "defiled Topheth" as part of his great religious reforms (2 Kings 23:10). The site of this shameful place would seem to have been either at the lower end of the Valley of Hinnom (see HINNOM, VALLEY OF), near where Akeldama is now pointed out, or in the open ground where this valley joins the Kidron.
E. W. G. Masterman
Strong's Hebrew
8612.Topheth -- a place South of Jer.... 8611, 8612.
Topheth. 8613 . a place South of Jer. Transliteration:
Topheth Phonetic Spelling: (to'-feth) Short Definition:
Topheth.
...8611.topheth -- (act of) spitting
... 8610, 8611.topheth. 8612 . (act of) spitting. Transliteration:topheth Phonetic
Spelling: (to'-feth) Short Definition: spit.... 8610, 8611.topheth. 8612 >...
8613. Tophteh -- a place of burning, probably the same asTopheth
... 8612, 8613. Tophteh. 8614 . a place of burning, probably the same asTopheth.
Transliteration: Tophteh Phonetic Spelling: (tof-teh') Short Definition:Topheth...
Library
Oracles on the Edge of Doom. (vii. 16-xviii Passim, xxii, Xlv. )
... onwards, or if suppressed by Josiah in obedience to Deuteronomy,(366) had been revived
under Jehoiakim; (2) VII.30-34, the high-places inTopheth, upon which...
Index of Names and Subjects.
... Hebrew poetry, 33. Heine, 36, 40. Herder, 34. Herodotus, 73, 206, 382. Hilkiah,
66. Hinnom, 185, 191, 195 (Topheth). Hosea, 4, 44, etc. Hugo, Victor, 167, 230....
The Young Josiah and the Book of the Law
... He also destroyedTopheth, which is in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, so that no man
could ever make his son or his daughter pass through the fire to Molech....
Thesaurus
Topheth (9 Occurrences)... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia
TOPHETH. to'-feth (ha-
topheth, etymology
uncertain; the most probable is its connection with a root
...Tophet (8 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary =Topheth, from Hebrews toph "a drum," because the cries
of children here sacrificed by the priests of Moloch were drowned by the...
Hinnom (11 Occurrences)
... children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom" (2 Chronicles
33:6), but Josiah in the course of his reforms "defiledTopheth, which is...
Moloch (2 Occurrences)
... made his son to pass through the fire (2 Kings 21:6). The chief site of this worship,
of which Ahaz and Manasseh were the promoters, wasTopheth in the Valley...
Ben (40 Occurrences)
... 2 Kings 23:10 He defiledTopheth, 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 (16 Occurrences)
... made his son to pass through the fire (2 Kings 21:6). The chief site of this worship,
of which Ahaz and Manasseh were the promoters, wasTopheth in the Valley...
To'pheth (1 Occurrence)
To'pheth.Topheth, To'pheth. Topmost . Multi-Version Concordance To'pheth
(1 Occurrence).... (See RSV).Topheth, To'pheth. Topmost . Reference Bible.
Elsewhere (14 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 7:32 For this cause, the days are coming, says the Lord, when it will no
longer be namedTopheth, or, The valley of the son of Hinnom, but, The valley...
Slaughter (121 Occurrences)
... See HINNOM, VALLEY OF; JERUSALEM, III, 2. VALLEY OF SLAUGHTER. See HINNOM, VALLEY
OF; SLAUGHTER, VALLEY OF;TOPHETH. SLAUGHTER, OF THE INNOCENTS. slo'-ter....
Bury (78 Occurrences)
... Jeremiah 7:32 Therefore, behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that it shall no more
be calledTopheth, nor The valley of the son of Hinnom, but The valley of...
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