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.
burnt incense.
2 Kings 23:10 And he defiled 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.
Jeremiah 7:31,32 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…
Jeremiah 19:2-6,13 And go forth unto the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the east gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee, …
burnt
2 Chronicles 33:6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
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.
2 Kings 16:3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.
after the abominations
2 Chronicles 33:2 But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
and sacrificed his sons in the fire
This horrific act of child sacrifice was a practice associated with the worship of the Canaanite god Molech. Such practices were explicitly condemned in Leviticus 18:21 and Deuteronomy 18:10. The sacrifice of children was seen as the ultimate abomination, demonstrating the depth of Ahaz's apostasy and the influence of surrounding pagan cultures on Israel. This act was a direct violation of God's commandments and a rejection of the sanctity of life.
according to the abominations of the nations
The term "abominations" refers to practices that are detestable and repugnant to God. The nations mentioned here are the Canaanite peoples whom God had driven out before the Israelites due to their wickedness. These abominations included idolatry, child sacrifice, and other morally corrupt practices. The Israelites were warned repeatedly not to adopt these customs (Deuteronomy 12:31).
that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites
This phrase recalls the conquest of Canaan, where God commanded the Israelites to dispossess the land's inhabitants due to their sinful practices (Deuteronomy 9:4-5). The driving out of these nations was both a judgment on their sin and a means to protect Israel from their corrupting influence. Ahaz's actions represented a tragic return to the very sins that led to the Canaanites' expulsion, highlighting the cyclical nature of sin and the need for repentance and faithfulness to God.
• Burning incense was an act of worship. In Ahaz’s case, it was directed toward false gods (2 Kings 16:3–4).
• The Valley of Ben-hinnom (later called Gehenna) had become a center of idolatrous rituals (Jeremiah 7:31). By choosing this location, Ahaz openly rejected the ordained worship God had set in Jerusalem (2 Chron 6:6).
• The king’s behavior signaled more than personal rebellion; it led the nation astray (2 Chron 28:19), showing how leadership can influence a people either toward or away from God (Proverbs 29:2).
• This setting foreshadows judgment imagery; Jesus later alludes to Gehenna when describing eternal punishment (Matthew 10:28), underscoring how detestable these practices were to the Lord.
• The phrase is literal: Ahaz burned his own children as offerings (2 Kings 17:17).
• God had explicitly forbidden this horror:
– “You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech” (Leviticus 18:21).
– “Do not imitate their detestable ways… even their sons and daughters they burn in the fire” (Deuteronomy 12:30-31).
• Child sacrifice epitomized the depth of Judah’s apostasy. It inverted God’s design for family—parents should protect life, not destroy it (Genesis 9:6; Psalm 127:3-5).
• By violating the most basic moral law, Ahaz invited divine discipline. The chapter records immediate consequences: defeats by Aram and Israel (2 Chron 28:5-6) and later Assyrian domination (2 Chron 28:20).
• The New Testament reaffirms the sanctity of life and the seriousness of causing “little ones” to stumble (Matthew 18:6), highlighting the timelessness of God’s moral standards.
• God had expelled the Canaanite nations because of these very practices (Leviticus 18:24-25; Deuteronomy 18:9-12). Ahaz repeated what had once brought judgment upon them, proving that privilege does not exempt anyone from accountability.
• The term “abominations” underscores actions utterly repugnant to God (Proverbs 6:16-19). They defile both land and people (Numbers 35:33-34).
• By copying pagan customs, Judah forfeited covenant blessings (Deuteronomy 28:15-68). The pattern is clear:
– Imitation of the world leads to spiritual blindness (Romans 1:21-25).
– Spiritual compromise invites divine discipline (Hebrews 12:5-11).
• God’s prior warning—“Do not follow their statutes” (Leviticus 20:23)—shows His desire to protect His people from destructive sin. Ahaz’s choice displays the tragic outcome when leaders ignore that warning.
2 Chronicles 28:3 records King Ahaz’s open embrace of pagan worship: offering incense in a notoriously idolatrous valley and literally burning his sons alive. Each act violated God’s clear commands and mirrored the vile customs that had led to the Canaanites’ expulsion. Ahaz’s behavior illustrates how quickly a nation can descend when it rejects God’s word, reminding us that idolatry, the devaluation of life, and conformity to a godless culture always invite God’s righteous judgment.
(3) Moreover he.--"And he (emphatic) burnt incense" to Moloch, the god of Ammon, for whom Solomon had built a high place (1Kings 11:5-8), which was still in existence.In the valley of the son of Hinnom.--Also called simply the valley of Hinnom (Joshua 15:8), on the west and south of Jerusalem (Joshua 18:16), the scene of the cruel rites in honour of
"Moloch, horrid king, besmeared with blood."
MILTON.
(Jeremiah 7:31-32; Jeremiah 19:2-6, where "the Baal" is named as the object of this worship, Moloch being a Baal.) In later times, the term "valley of Hinnom," spelt as one word, and with modified vowels, G?hinn?m, became the appellation of hell, "the house of woe and pain." It is so used in the Targums, and later in the Talmud, and appears in the New Testament under the Graecised form ??????, whence the Latin Gehenna. . . .
Verse 3. - Burnt incense... Hinnom. The sin of Solomon (1 Kings 11:7, 8) is reproduced. For the valley of the son of Hinnom, which curved round the south-west and west of Jerusalem (Ge Ben-Hinnom), see Conder's 'Handbook,' ch. 7. pp. 330-332. Burnt his children (see Leviticus 18:21); but there cannot be any doubt that Ahaz's practice here stated was an incident of the Moloch-superstition and horrible cruelty (see the parallel in its vers. 3, 4).