The Abomination of Moab
Chemosh was the national god of the ancient kingdom of Moab (and also, at times, associated with the Ammonites). He was a severe, often bloodthirsty deity whose worship demanded the most horrific act of human devotion: child sacrifice. To the Israelites, Chemosh was not just an idol, but the very definition of a spiritual “abomination,” symbolizing the radical apostasy and moral depravity of the surrounding nations.
Chemosh in Scripture: The God of Moab
Chemosh is frequently referenced in the Old Testament, particularly in books that deal with the conflicts and spiritual failings of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
- Idolatrous Identity: The Book of Judges establishes Chemosh as the recognized deity of the Moabites:“Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.” (Judges 11:24, KJV)
- The Sin of Child Sacrifice: While the Bible does not explicitly detail the rituals of Chemosh worship, it records a chilling historical account that reveals the extremes to which his followers would go. During a siege by the kings of Israel and Judah, the King of Moab performed the ultimate act to appease his god:“Then the king of Moab took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel: and they departed from him, and returned to their own land.” (2 Kings 3:27, KJV) This desperate, appalling act highlights Chemosh’s fierce, demanding nature and the dark power this pagan idol held over its worshipers.
The Apostasy of Solomon
The most tragic chapter involving Chemosh occurs not in Moab, but in Jerusalem, the very capital of the promised land. In a clear act of apostasy, King Solomon, in his later years, compromised his faith by allowing the construction of high places (places of worship) for his foreign wives’ detestable gods, including Chemosh:
“For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites, and after Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and after Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.” (1 Kings 11:5, KJV)
“Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.” (1 Kings 11:7, KJV)
Solomon’s sin, building a temple for Chemosh on the Mount of Olives (often referred to as the “Mount of Corruption”), was an act of profound spiritual compromise. This was a precursor to the systemic idolatry that eventually led to the division and downfall of the kingdom.
Prophetic and Historical Resolution
The altars to Chemosh remained in use for centuries until the godly King Josiah, during his sweeping reforms, physically destroyed the places of corruption:
“And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Chemosh, the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom, the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.” (2 Kings 23:13, KJV)
Ultimately, the Lord pronounced judgment not only on the land of Moab but upon the false god himself, demonstrating God’s final sovereignty:
“Woe to thee, O Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives from the land of Sihon king of the Amorites.” (Jeremiah 48:46, KJV)
Chemosh remains a stark biblical warning that apostasy is often accompanied by moral decay and the adoption of demonic practices (like child sacrifice), and that even the greatest of men (like Solomon) can be deceived into erecting idols to the very abominations God commands them to destroy.