Chemosh
Summary
The national deity of the Moabites, whose worship was also adopted by some Israelites during periods of apostasy.
☩National God of Moab
Chemosh was the national deity of the Moabites, whose relationship to their god paralleled Israel's relationship to Yahweh. The Moabites are apostrophized in an ancient Hebrew song as 'the people of Chemosh.' Jeremiah's prophecy against Moab depicts the god as impotent to save his people, going into captivity with them along with his priests and princes. The god may also have been worshipped by the Ammonites, as suggested by Judges 11:24, though this passage may reflect the close kinship between Moab and Ammon as descendants of Lot.
☩Chemosh Worship in Israel
Solomon, under the influence of his foreign wives, built a high place for Chemosh, 'the abomination of Moab,' on the hill east of Jerusalem. This idolatrous shrine remained until Josiah, moved by the prohibitions of the Book of the Law, pulled down the high places and defiled the altars, breaking the pillars and cutting down the Asherim. The worship of Chemosh apparently included human sacrifice, as demonstrated by King Mesha's sacrifice of his eldest son during the Israelite siege.
☩The Moabite Stone
The discovery of the Moabite Stone in 1868 at Dibon provides extensive testimony to Chemosh worship. King Mesha's inscription mentions Chemosh twelve times, crediting the god with military victories and territorial restoration. The phrases and expressions applied to Chemosh closely parallel those used of Yahweh in the Old Testament, showing remarkable similarities in the religious conceptions of Moab and Israel. The compound 'Ashtar-Chemosh' on the stone may indicate that a female deity was associated with Chemosh.
Related Verses8 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Chemosh," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. II (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Chemosh," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Chemosh," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Chemosh," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).