H8612 H8612
Topheth: a site in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom south of Jerusalem, associated with child sacrifice and divine judgment.
A place name identifying a notorious cultic site in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom (Gehenna), just south of Jerusalem, where children were passed through fire in sacrifice to Molech. King Josiah defiled it during his reforms (2 Kgs 23:10), and Jeremiah pronounced devastating oracles transforming its name into a byword for slaughter and unburied dead (Jer 7:31-32; 19:6-14). Isaiah 30:33 envisions a Topheth-like pyre prepared for the Assyrian king. The etymology remains debated, though some connect it to an Aramaic word for 'firepit.' The site became a powerful prophetic symbol of judgment reversal — the place of abomination becoming the place of reckoning.
Senses
1. Topheth (place name) — The proper noun Topheth (or Topheth with the article ha-Topheth), designating the specific cultic site in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom where child sacrifice was practiced (Jer 7:31; 2 Kgs 23:10). Jeremiah prophesied it would be renamed 'Valley of Slaughter' and become a mass burial ground (Jer 7:32; 19:6, 11). Isaiah 30:33 extends the image metaphorically to a divine pyre prepared for Assyria. All multilingual renderings (Spanish 'Tofet,' French 'Topheth,' German 'Tofet') treat it as a transliterated proper noun, confirming its single referent. 9×
AR["الـ-تُّوفَتُ","الـ-تُّوفَتِ","تُوفَةَ","فِي-الـ-تُّوفَتِ","كَتُوفَةَ","مِنْ-تُوفَةَ","وَ-فِي-تُوفَةَ"]·ben["-তোফেত","-তোফেত-থেকে","-তোফেতের","ও-তোফেতে","তোফেত","তোফেতে","তোফেতের","তোফেতের-মতো।","তোফেৎকে"]·DE["das-Tofet","der-Tofet","in-Tofet","und-in-Tofet","von-das-Tofet","wie-Tofet"]·EN["Topheth","and-in-Topheth","from-the-Topheth","in-Topheth","like-Topheth","the-Tofet","the-Topheth"]·FR["comme-Topheth","dans-Topheth","de-le-Topheth","et-dans-Topheth","le-Tofet","le-Topheth"]·heb["ב-תופת","ה-תופת","ו-ב-תופת","כ-תופת","מ-ה-תופת"]·HI["और-में-तोपेत","जैसे-तोपेत","तोपेत","तोपेत-का","तोपेत-के","में-तोपेत","से-तोपेत","ह-तोफ़ेत-को"]·ID["Tofet","dan-di-Tofet","dari-Tofet","di-Tofet","seperti-Tofet"]·IT["Tofet","come-Tofet","e-in-Tofet","il-Tofet","in-Tofet"]·jav["Tofèt","Tofèt,","Topèt","amargi-mboten-wonten","saking-Tofèt,","wonten-ing-Topèt"]·KO["그-도벳","그-도벳의","그-도뻗의","그리고-에-도뻗에서","도벇을","도뻗이라고","에-도벳","에서-그-도뻗에서","처럼-도뻗처럼"]·PT["como-Tofet.","do-Tofet,","e-em-Tofet","em-Tofet","o-Tofet","o-Tofet,"]·RU["Тофет","Тофета","в-Тофете","и-в-Тофете","из-Тофета","как-Тофет"]·ES["Tofet","como-Tofet","de-el-Tofet","el-Tofet","por-falta-de","y-en-Tofet"]·SW["Tofethi","kama-Tofethi","kutoka-Tofethi","na-Tofethi","pa-Tofethi"]·TR["Tofet","Tofet'i-","Tofet'in","Tofet'te-","Tofet'ten","Tofet-gibi","ve-Tofet'te"]·urd["اور-توفت-میں","توفت","توفت-سے","توفت-میں","توفت-کی","توفت-کی-طرح"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. תֹּ֫פֶת n.pr.loc. in valley of בֶּן־חִנֹּם, S. of Jerusalem (etym. doubtful, v. GFMEncy. Bib. Molech; RSSem. i. 357, 2nd ed. 372, 377 al. think Aramaic, = 9, cf. שׁפת);—c. art. הַתּ׳ 2 K 23:10 + 5 times, art. om. Je 7:32; 19:11, 12;—place of sacrificing children Je 7:31, cf. v 32a; 19:6 (cf. v 5), 2 K 23:10; to become burial place Je 7:32b; 19:11; in sim. of desecrated city v 12, 13 (מְקוֹם…