Deuteronomy 18:10

10. There shall not be found among you That is, shall not exist among you, shall not be tolerated.

That maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire The sacrificing of children to Molech, or Moloch, is here again forbidden. Moloch seems to have been the fire-god of the eastern nations, whose worship was probably similar to that of Baal and Chemosh. In 1 Kings 11:7, Molech is called the abomination of the children of Ammon, Chemosh the abomination of Moab. It was Chemosh, we infer, to whom the king of Moab sacrificed his son. 2 Kings 3:27. According to a Jewish tradition Molech was worshipped under the form of a brazen statue which was hollow and capable of being heated. It had the head of a bull and the arms of a man, extended to receive the child that was to be sacrificed. Molech is first mentioned in Leviticus 18:21. See also Leviticus 20:2-5. These rigid prohibitions did not prevent Ahaz from making “his son to pass through the fire according to the abominations of the heathen.” 2 Kings 16:3. And it is said of Manasseh that “he made his son to pass through the fire.” 2 Kings 21:6. Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32:35) represents Jehovah as saying, “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.” Comp. Jeremiah 7:31. We find traces of this worship among the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Cretans.

That useth divination Diviner of divination is the literal rendering of the Hebrew. Baalam is called קסם , ( kosem,) diviner, in Joshua 13:22. It is doubtful if the term is ever applied to a true prophet.

In Ezekiel 21:21, several kinds of divination are mentioned.

An observer of times From the word here used (participle of ענן ) some have thought reference is made to one who draws omens from the movements of the clouds. It was probably one who used some kind of divination connected with idolatrous worship.

An enchanter This, from the connexion in which it occurs, can hardly be understood to refer to serpent charmers, as some have interpreted it: it rather means one who uses magical formulas.

A witch Rather, a magician, a sorcerer. The Hebrew word here used occurs first in Exodus 7:11, where it is translated sorcerers. The verb כשׁ Šmeans to offer prayers in worship, limited to idol-worship, and then to use incantations.