Protos

Where is Topheth in the Bible?

Topheth was a place located in the Valley of Hinnom (also known as the Valley of Slaughter or Baca Valley), south of Jerusalem, where pagan child sacrifices were performed (2Ki.23.10; Jer.7.31-32; 19:2, 6, 11-14; 32:35; Isa.30.33). Topheth appears in 9 verses across 3 books of the Bible.

What happened at Topheth?

Topheth was a place located in the Valley of Hinnom (also known as the Valley of Slaughter or Baca Valley), south of Jerusalem, where pagan child sacrifices were performed (2Ki.23.10; Jer.7.31-32; 19:2, 6, 11-14; 32:35; Isa.30.33). The name "Topheth" is believed to derive from the Hebrew word for "fireplace" or "hearth," indicating its association with burning. The Valley of Hinnom was used as a burial ground (Jer.19.11) and a place of idolatrous worship, where people burned their children as offerings to the Canaanite god Molech (2Ch.28.3; 33:6). King Josiah defiled Topheth to put an end to these practices (2Ki.23.10). The valley became a symbol of divine judgment and a metaphor for hell (Isa.30.33). In the New Testament, the Greek word "Gehenna," derived from "Valley of Hinnom," is used to refer to the place of eternal punishment (Matt 5:22, 29, 30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15, 33; Mrk.9.43, 45, 47; Luke 12:5; Jas.3.6).

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Topheth appear in the Bible?

Topheth is referenced in 9 verses across 3 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

Jeremiah 72 Kings 1Isaiah 1

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Topheth.

DaughterMolechLORDJerusalemIncenseJeremiah

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Topheth?

Topheth appears in 9 verses across 3 books, most often in Jeremiah, which accounts for 7 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Topheth?

Jeremiah, 2 Kings, Isaiah.

Where can I read every verse about Topheth?

This page lists 9 of them. Protos carries all 9, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read Jeremiah with Topheth explained on the verse.

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