H3645 H3645
Chemosh, the national deity of Moab, associated with idolatrous worship and divine judgment against pagan gods.
Chemosh was the chief god of the Moabites, whose people are called 'the people of Chemosh' in the ancient ode of Numbers 21:29. Solomon notoriously built a high place for Chemosh on the hill east of Jerusalem (1 Kgs 11:7), which Josiah later defiled during his reforms (2 Kgs 23:13). The name appears in the Moabite Stone (Mesha Inscription) as the deity to whom Moab's king attributed military victories, paralleling how Israel credited Yahweh. Jeremiah 48:13 prophesies that Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh just as Israel was ashamed of Bethel's golden calf.
Senses
1. Chemosh — The proper name of the chief deity worshipped by the Moabites, appearing in contexts of idolatrous cult sites and prophetic judgment. Spanish renders it 'Quemos/Kemosh' while English and French retain 'Chemosh,' reflecting the LXX Chamos. Numbers 21:29 identifies Moab as 'the people of Chemosh,' and Judges 11:24 may extend his worship to the Ammonites, though this is likely a textual confusion. All nine occurrences tie Chemosh to the theological theme of Yahweh's supremacy over foreign gods. 9×
AR["[كَمُوشُ]", "كَموشُ", "كَمُوشَ", "كَمُوشُ", "لِ-كَمُوشَ", "مِنْ-كَمُوشَ", "وَلِكَمُوشَ"]·ben["এবং-কমোশের-জন্য", "কমোশ", "কমোশকে", "কমোশের", "কমোশের-কারণে", "কমোশের-জন্য"]·DE["Chemosh", "[(כמוש)]", "[[כמיש]]", "[כמוש]", "[מכמוש]", "fuer-Kemosh", "und-zu-Kemosh", "zu-Kemosh"]·EN["(Kemosh)", "Chemosh", "Kemosh", "[ketiv:Kemosh]", "and-to-Kemosh", "for-Kemosh", "of-Kemosh", "to-Kemosh"]·FR["Chemosh", "[(כמוש)]", "[[כמיש]]", "[כמוש]", "[מכמוש]", "et-à-Kemosh", "pour-Kemosh", "à-Kemosh"]·heb["ו-ל-כמוש", "כמוש", "ל-כמוש", "מ-כמוש"]·HI["कमोश", "कमोश-के", "कमोश-के-लिए", "कमोश-को", "वे-ले-कमोश", "से-कमोश"]·ID["Kamos", "[Kamos]", "dan-untuk-Kamos", "karena-Kamos", "kepada Kamos", "untuk Kamos"]·IT["Chemos", "Chemosh", "a-Kemosh", "e-a-Kemosh", "per-Kemosh"]·jav["Kamos", "Kémos", "[k]", "dhateng-Kémos", "kanggé-Kémos", "lan-kangge-Kemos", "margi-Kémos"]·KO["(게모시가)", "-에게-그모시", "-을-위하여-그모시", "[가미스가]", "게모시에-대하여", "게모시의", "그리고-그모실-위하여", "그모스가", "그모시"]·PT["(Chemosh)", "Chemosh", "Kemosh", "[Chemosh]", "a-Kemosh", "de-Chemosh", "e-para-Kemosh", "para-Kemosh"]·RU["[Кемош]", "Кемош", "Кемоша", "Кемошу", "для-Кемоша", "и-для-Кемоша", "из-за-Кемоша"]·ES["Kemosh", "Quemos", "Quemós", "[kethiv]", "a-Quemos", "de-Kemosh", "para-Quemos", "y-para-Quemos"]·SW["Kemoshi", "[Kemoshi]", "kwa-Kemoshi", "kwa-sababu-ya-Kemoshi", "na-kwa-Kemoshi", "wa-Kemoshi"]·TR["-den-Kemoş'tan", "Kemoş", "Kemoş'a", "Kemoş'un", "[kmys]", "ve-Kemoş-için"]·urd["[کموش]", "اور-کے-لیے-کموش", "کموش", "کموش-سے", "کموش-کو", "کموش-کی", "کموش-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
G2316 1. God, the true God (1315×)H6635b 1. hosts, armies (of YHWH) (286×)H0410 1. God, the true God (223×)G0032 1. heavenly angel (170×)H4397 2. messenger, envoy, ambassador (102×)H3742 1. cherub, angelic guardian being (91×)H0430 2. gods (pagan deities) (81×)H0426 1. God, the true God (76×)G1140 1. demon, evil spirit (62×)H0433 1. God, the true God (54×)H5945b 1. Most High (30×)G4152 1. spiritual (21×)H0426 2. god(s), pagan deities (20×)H5943 1. [ketiv:Most High] (18×)G1139 1. be demon-possessed (13×)H1712 1. Dagon (13×)G2316 2. god, pagan deity (12×)G5310 1. Most High (9×)H0410 3. a god, deity (generic) (9×)H0842 2. Asherah (goddess) (8×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† כְּמוֹשׁ n.pr.div. Chemosh (כמש MI3, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 32, 33 also עשתר כמש l 17 and n.pr.m. כמשמלך l 1; Assyrian Kammusunadbi, a king of Moab Schr.COT i, 281; = KAT2, 288; cf. further BaeRel. 13 f. 238, 256 NöZMG 1888, 471; 𝔊 Χαμώς);—god of the Moabites to whom Solomon erected a high place 1 K 11:7, 33; 2 K 23:13; Je 48:7 (Kt כמישׁ), v 13. Moab is עַם־כ׳ Nu 21:29 (ode) people of…