H4445b H4445b
Milcom, god of the Ammonites
The national deity of Ammon, introduced to Israel through Solomon's foreign wives (1 Kings 11:5, 33). Called 'the abomination of the Ammonites,' Milcom had a high place built for him on the Mount of Olives, which Josiah later desecrated during his reforms (2 Kings 23:13). The name appears in prophetic texts condemning syncretistic worship (Zephaniah 1:5) and in oracles against Ammon (Jeremiah 49:1, 3). The deity's name may relate to the word for 'king' (melek), possibly meaning 'their king' or representing a divine king.
Senses
1. sense 1 — The proper name of the Ammonite national god, characterized as an abomination and associated with Solomon's apostasy. The multilingual glosses preserve the divine name (Milkom, Milcom, Malkam) with minor variations. Worship of this deity represented covenant unfaithfulness for Israel, particularly troubling when the wisest king built high places for foreign gods to please his wives. Josiah's later destruction of these cult sites sought to undo Solomon's spiritual compromise. 4×
AR["بِ-مَلِكِهِمْ", "مِلْكُومَ", "وَ-لِ-مِلْكُومَ", "وَلِمِلْكُومَ"]·ben["এবং-মিল্কমের-জন্য", "এবং-মিল্কোমকে", "মল্কমের-প্রতি", "মিল্কোম"]·DE["Milkom", "in-ihr-Koenig", "und-zu-Milkom"]·EN["Milkom", "and-to-Milkom", "by-Malkam"]·FR["Malkam", "Milkom", "et-à-Milkom"]·heb["ב-מלכם", "ו-ל-מלכום", "מלכום"]·HI["ऊ-ले-मिल्कोम", "और-मोलेक-को", "मल्काम-की", "मिल्कोम"]·ID["Milkom", "dan kepada Milkom", "dan-untuk-Milkom", "demi-Milkom"]·IT["Milkom", "[במלכם]", "e-a-Milkom"]·jav["Milkom", "demi-Milkom", "lan-dhateng-Milkom", "lan-kangge-Milkom"]·KO["그리고-밀겄을-위하여", "그리고-에게-몰렉", "밀곰을", "에게-밀곰"]·PT["Milkom", "e-a-Milkom", "e-para-Milkom", "por-Milkom"]·RU["Малькамом", "Милкома", "и-Милкому", "и-для-Милкома"]·ES["Milcom", "por-Milcom", "y-a-Milcom", "y-para-Milcom"]·SW["Milkomu", "kwa-Milkomu", "na-Milkomu", "na-kwa-Milkomu"]·TR["Malkam'a", "Milkom'un", "ve-Milkom'a", "ve-Milkom-için"]·urd["اور-ملکوم-کو", "اور-کے-لیے-ملکوم", "اپنے-بادشاہ-کی", "ملکوم"]
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×)H3645 1. Chemosh (9×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מִלְכֹּם n.pr.div. Milcom, god of Ammonites (cf. RSSem i. 67)—מ׳ שִׁקֻּץ עַמֹּנִים 1 K 11:5 (‖ עַשְׁתֹּרֶת); cf. מ׳ אֱלֹהֵי בְנֵי עַמּוֹן v 33 (‖ ע׳ + כְּמוֹשׁ), so read also (for MT מֹלָךְ v 7 (‖ כְּמוֹשׁ); מ׳ תּוֹעֲבַת בְּנֵי־עַמּוֹן 2 K 23:13 (‖ as 1 K 11:33); id. מִלְכֹּם also for מַלְכָּם Je 49:1, 3 (𝔊 Μελχολ, Μελχομ), cf. Gie, and Zp 1:5 (𝔖 𝔙, cf. Now), prob. 2 S 12:30 = 1 Ch 20:2 (v. מֶלֶךְ 5 d), and perhaps Am 1:15 (whence Je 49:3; cf. Dr Now;—not We GASm).