Jeremiah 7:31 - Exposition

The high places of Tophet ; rather, the high places of the Topheth—(on the "high places" (Hebrew bamoth ) — here probably artificial mounds to erect the altars upon, and on "the Topheth," see Commentary on 1 Kings). In the valley of the son of Hinnom . Hitzig and others would take Hinnom as a noun meaning "groaning" (Rashi, the great Jewish commentator. had already proposed this view), which is at first sight very plausible. But this name of the valley is already found in the description of the boundaries of Judah and Benjamin in Joshua 15:8 ; Joshua 18:16 . To burn their sons , etc. (On the worship of Moloch (Saturn), see on Le Joshua 18:21 , and comp. Ezekiel 16:20 , Ezekiel 16:21 , from which it appears that the children were first slain before being "caused to pass through the fire.")