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Scarlet_Teardrops Captain
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 Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 9:20 am
It might surprise you to know that there are scholars who argue that God - yes, our LORD - commanded child sacrifice, and that the Bible proves it. I have read more than one book that has painted God as nothing less than a bloodthirsty, malevolent tyrant - on a good day.
I don't recommend that you subject yourself to that.
But we should give critics of Christianity a fair hearing, and that's what I intend to do here. I am going to present you with key passages, from weakest to strongest, and then give you the rebuttal, and make a case for why God did not command child sacrifice.
Now, we know from Scripture and from archaeology that some Israelites practiced child sacrifice. We know this. We also know that some Israelites even performed child sacrifice in their worship of Him. If this is a shock to you, I'm sorry. But take heart, because we must distinguish practice from command. Just because some Israelites performed child sacrifice to God does not mean that God commanded it.
Let's examine the key passages, from weakest to strongest (in my evaluation):
The Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22)
This is one passage that scholars will point to, though it is usually as part of a cumulative case. The argument is that this passage demonstrates that the Israelite audience anticipated and expected child sacrifice to God, especially in light of other passages (which we will get to). In Genesis 22, the text says that God tested Abraham (v. 1). Abraham did as commanded, without question. Of course he did - God commanded child sacrifice. Even though Isaac was not ultimately sacrificed, the Israelite audience would have fully expected and understood this command as a natural part of God's character, and as part of worshipping Him.
Jephthah's Daughter (Judges 11:29-40)
You are likely familiar with the story of Jephthah's tragic vow and the sacrifice of his daughter. The text reads in v. 29 that the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah and that he made a vow to God, that if he received victory over his enemies he would make as a burnt offering whatever first came out of the doors of his house to meet him. Well, God granted him victory and when he returned home, v. 34 reads that his daughter was the first one to come out and greet him.
Guess who he sacrifices as a burnt offering? And she agrees to it, tearfully. He gives her two months to mourn about it, and he also mourns about it, but he goes through with it. The argument is that the spirit of the LORD was upon him, he made the vow, God granted him the victory, and he went through with his offering. Therefore, God must approve of human (child) sacrifice. The Israelite audience would have understood this.
The Offerings (Exodus 22:29-30)
God commands offerings. The harvest and the wine. The firstborn of the sons. Oxen. Sheep. All lumped in together. The oxen and the sheep are obviously going to be sacrificed. Same with the grain, and the wine, too. What about the firstborn of the sons? Why are they lumped in with the rest of the burnt offerings? Well, obviously because God is intending on them being sacrificed, too. And this becomes clearer in light of Ezekiel.
Firstborn Pass Through the Fire (Ezekiel 20:25-26)
God says to Ezekiel in this passage, "I also gave them statutes that were not good, and ordinances by which they could not live; and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they made all their firstborn pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the Lord."
God gave them statutes that were not good. Now, that's problematic for a whole bunch of reasons. But...what statutes? Well, for one thing, He commanded that they make all their firstborn pass through the fire. Why? So that He might make them desolate, in order that they might know that He is the Lord. Hmm...what does that harken back to? Exodus 22:29-30. Jephthah's daughter, even. And the binding of Isaac, of course. We know that Israelites practiced child sacrifice, and that they even practiced child sacrifice to God. The picture, then, becomes clearer. God did command child sacrifice, by His own admission to Ezekiel. And even if you don't take Ezekiel as a true prophet hearing the voice of God, even if you don't believe in God - they practiced it. And why wouldn't they? They expected it. It was a common practice in that time, in that region.
So, there's the case that God commanded child sacrifice, as I can best present it. My next post will be a rebuttal.
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Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2026 1:05 pm
Now then, it's important to distinguish between practice and command. Just because some Israelites practiced child sacrifice does not mean that God commanded it. In fact, if there is any textual evidence demonstrating God's condemnation of the practice, that will be incredibly helpful.
And there is, in fact, a lot of that. Let's just get the most direct ones out of the way right now.
Deuteronomy 12:29-31 reads (NASB), "When the Lord your God cuts off from you the nations which you are going in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and live in their land, be careful that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from your presence, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How do these nations serve their gods, that I also may do likewise?’ You shall not behave this way toward the Lord your God, because every abominable act which the Lord hates, they have done for their gods; for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire for their gods."
That last part is the most important. God explicitly tells the people of Israel not to burn their sons and daughters in the fire for Him. He is saying, "Do not practice child sacrifice in my name." That's an explicit command. He does the same thing again less explicitly but still directly in Deuteronomy 18:10.
In Jeremiah 7:30-31, God specifically talks about Israelites practicing child sacrifice while claiming to worship Him earlier in the passage, and then absolutely and unequivocally condemns it, saying that it defiles His house, that He did not command it, and that it did not even come into His mind.
He does it again with Baal (Jeremiah 19:4-5) and also in reference to Molech (Jeremiah 32:35) - though we should have a discussion about what Molech even means. And again and again, God condemns it. He says, "No." No. No. NO.. He also forbids child sacrifice to Molech in two different places in Leviticus (18:21; 20:2-5). Again, we can have a discussion about exactly what Molech means.
Now, the rebuttal is often, "But God is simply condemning child sacrifice to other gods, not to Himself."
Ignoring Deuteronomy (for reasons I will address momentarily)- this is a fair rebuttal, but it's also problematic. Because if that were the case, why doesn't God explicitly correct Israel about this? We should expect Him to say, "Do not offer your firstborn to Baal - offer them to me and to me alone! I am the LORD." But He doesn't. He repeatedly calls child sacrifice detestable. He says the practice is defiling. It's just abominable. Over and over again.
Another rebuttal is that the passages condemning child sacrifice are evidence of religious development in Israel. For example, Deuteronomy was developed later than other Old Testament passages, which is why it explicitly condemns child sacrifice. It is evidence of religious development. Now, assuming that this is true about texts such as Deuteronomy...
This is a possible interpretation of the passages, but it is neither inevitable nor required, either for Christians or non-Christians, for understanding the history of Israel and the text. The ancient Israelites were not monolithic, and archaeological evidence devoid of the textual evidence suggests that only some Israelites performed child sacrifice. More than a handful, but not absolutely every single Israelite everywhere. And the fact that Yahwist groups spoke out against the practices (hence the existence of the texts we have) provides concrete evidence of this.
Now, let's get into the aforementioned four texts, starting with the strongest and moving to the weakest.
Statutes That Were Not Good (Ezekiel 20:25-26)
Putting aside what God may have meant by "I also gave them statutes that were not good", a careful reading can reveal what God is saying to Ezekiel about child sacrifice. And it is not that God gave Israel the statute of child sacrifice at all. Here's the breakdown of the grammar of the passage:
-and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts
What gifts?
-in that they made all their firstborn pass through the fire
Oh.
-so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the Lord
So, God declared them unclean because of their bad gifts (sacrificing their firstborn to Him), and He made them desolate (disciplined them) so that they might know that He is the Lord (with His ultimate goal being restoration). The child sacrifice is unrelated to the statutes that were not good or the ordinances that they could not live by. We can talk about what God means by the statutes and ordinances another time, but it doesn't have to do with child sacrifice when you look carefully at the passage.
The Offerings (Exodus 22:29-30)
Context is necessary for understanding the offerings passage in Exodus 22:29-30. Fortunately, we have context prior to Exodus 22 that helps us understand the passage.
Exodus 13:1-2 talks of sanctifying the firstborn sons of people and animals alike.
Exodus 13:15 talks of firstborn sons being redeemed, and indeed v. 14 speaks of the son asking the father about it, which would be hard for the son to do if he was sacrificed to God as a burnt offering.
In Numbers, the firstborn sons of the Tribe of Levi are repeatedly redeemed (3:11-13, 40-51; 8:14-18; 18:15-17), not sacrificed.
Even if Deuteronomy is a later addition to the Torah, the case for God commanding child sacrifice is beginning to look...thinner.
At this point, let's go ahead and shift things a little. Instead of dealing with Jephthah's Daughter next, let's get The Binding of Isaac out of the way.
The Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22)
If anyone has heard an argument about God commanding child sacrifice, it has almost certainly been in reference to this. But this is one of the weakest arguments someone can make. The text explicitly calls it a test. The sacrifice of Isaac does not actually even take place - God gives Abraham a ram to offer in Isaac's place.
Literarily, this is actually doing a massive amount of work. Remember what I said over in the Starlight Arcade? You may have missed it, so here it is now:Scarlet_Teardrops
∘₊✧ 𝗔𝘀 𝗡𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝘆 ✧₊∘
Speaking of covenants, here's a fun factoid you may not have known about.
So, in Genesis 15 God makes a covenant with Abraham. God tells him to bring a three-year old heifer, a three-year old female goat, a three-year old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. Then Abraham took the animals and cut them in half and laid the halves on opposite sides of each other. But he didn't kill the birds. Later, God appeared as a smoking oven and a torch (this is called a theophany), and passed between the carcasses. And that was the end of it.
Now, here's where the fun factoid comes in. This was a common ANE (Ancient Near Eastern) covenant ritual. An animal would be cut in half, and both parties would go between the two parts of the animal, basically saying, "Let this happen to me if I break the covenant."
What God is doing here is significant. He is saying, "Let this happen to me if I break the covenant." And notice that Abraham does not walk through the two halves of the animal. God is making Himself responsible for the entirety of the covenant! This is an astoundingly generous act on the part of God, and ancient readers would have understood this intimately.
Aren't Bible facts fun? heart
Anyway, let's see if I win a million platinum.
And here we are again, talking about Ancient Near Eastern context. You see, child sacrifice was a common practice in ANE cultures. God even said so in the Deuteronomy passage I quoted earlier. So, when the ancient Israelites read this part of the story of their history, something big was going on. Was God being like the gods of the surrounding nations? Was He really going to make Abraham sacrifice the covenant promise, the son? But then, how did they get here? Were they really from a different son?
Of course, we know the answer. But this story didn't just serve as a tale of Abraham's faith in God or God's faithfulness to Abraham. It was also, as I understand it, a theological polemic - it demonstrated that God was (and is) truly different from the other gods that the peoples from the nations around Israel worshipped. The passage that people point to as proof that God commanded child sacrifice is, ironically, a great passage demonstrating that He didn't.
And at the end of the day - God didn't let Isaac get sacrificed. The text said it was a test, and God didn't let it actually happen. That's the opposite of God likes child sacrifice. We have multiple passages saying He hates it. In light of all of this, the case that He commanded it is now even thinner...
But there's one remaining passage, a difficult one not so much because God explicitly commanded child sacrifice but because it is ambiguous and leaves us with a lot of questions...
Jephthath's Daughter (Judges 11:29-40)
Be careful with the vows you make. Or, better yet, follow Jesus. Jesus said not to make a vow (Matthew 5:33-37). I wonder if He had Jephthah in mind when He taught that. Regardless, Jephthah made that fateful vow, and he carried it out.
There's no way around it. You can't reinterpret it. He said he'd make a burnt offering. His daughter came out. She was the burnt offering. Full stop.
Did God command Jephthah to do that? No.
Now, the passage does say that the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jepthah.
But does that mean that he was incapable of making mistakes? No.
Could he have made that vow independent of the LORD's influence? Yes.
God did grant him victory over his enemies after he made that vow, but does that mean that God only gave him victory over his enemies because he made that vow? Not necessarily. The text doesn't say. But given what we know of God and His disdain for human/child sacrifice, my answer would be no.
Did God accept the burnt offering of Jephthah's daughter? Based on what we know of God and His disdain for human/child sacrifice, my answer would be no.
Why didn't God stop the sacrifice, like He did with Isaac?
Well...God doesn't stop a lot of different horrible things, for various reasons that we cannot know and cannot fathom. That's a different topic.
So, in short, I understand this passage not as God condoning child sacrifice, based on everything else that has already been established, and more as a tragic tale of a man who made a vow in haste and then foolishly kept it, rather than repenting. I suppose a critic could make the case that the Israelites during the time of the Judges practiced child sacrifice and so this would have been completely acceptable to them, and not shocking at all, but...that's not how I understand the passage, and I don't think the textual evidence supports that. It's a tragic lesson - be careful of the kind of vow you make, especially when making a vow to God.
Or, you know, just listen to Jesus and don't make a vow at all. Simply say yes or no. And mean it.
So, that's my rebuttal. To answer the topic question - no, God did not command child sacrifice.
Of course, ultimately, we understand Jesus as the full revelation of the one, true, living God. We know Jesus from His life, His teachings, His sacrifice, and His resurrection. Does He seem like one who would command child sacrifice?
You already know the answer to that.
In Christ - love you lots! heart
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Scarlet_Teardrops Captain
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 2:19 pm
My Bible version says this
New International Version 1984 Ezekiel 20:25-26 I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by; I let them become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’
It has the same standard as this
New International Version 1984 Deuteronomy 13:1-3 Worshiping Other Gods If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 5:02 pm
Servant Of Yashua My Bible version says this New International Version 1984 Ezekiel 20:25-26 I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by; I let them become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’ It has the same standard as this New International Version 1984 Deuteronomy 13:1-3 Worshiping Other Gods If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Ah! Excellent addition to the conversation!
That's an interesting way that your version translates the passage. Let's look at some other versions!
KJV reads,Quote: Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.
NLT reads,Quote: I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life. I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.
ESV reads,Quote: Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.
NRSV reads,Quote: Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. I defiled them through their very gifts, in their offering up all their firstborn, in order that I might horrify them, so that they might know that I am the Lord.
The NLT (ah, my cherished translation growing up heart ) translates it similarly to yours, but the others do not. Hmm...I wonder why that is. Unfortunately, I don't know Hebrew, so I can't study the underlying grammar in detail. But the overall consensus seems to be the "I gave them statutes that were not good" translation.
Bummer. stressed
Do you know anyone who knows/reads the Old Testament in Hebrew? If so, how does he or she read it? Perhaps you could elucidate it for me, and for others. ^_^
Of course, a careful reading, as I pointed out, still makes it pretty clear that God did not command child sacrifice even within that passage.
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Scarlet_Teardrops Captain
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 6:46 pm
Scarlet_Teardrops Servant Of Yashua My Bible version says this New International Version 1984 Ezekiel 20:25-26 I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by; I let them become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’ It has the same standard as this New International Version 1984 Deuteronomy 13:1-3 Worshiping Other Gods If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Ah! Excellent addition to the conversation!
That's an interesting way that your version translates the passage. Let's look at some other versions!
KJV reads,Quote: Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.
NLT reads,Quote: I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life. I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.
ESV reads,Quote: Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.
NRSV reads,Quote: Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. I defiled them through their very gifts, in their offering up all their firstborn, in order that I might horrify them, so that they might know that I am the Lord.
The NLT (ah, my cherished translation growing up heart ) translates it similarly to yours, but the others do not. Hmm...I wonder why that is. Unfortunately, I don't know Hebrew, so I can't study the underlying grammar in detail. But the overall consensus seems to be the "I gave them statutes that were not good" translation.
Bummer. stressed
Do you know anyone who knows/reads the Old Testament in Hebrew? If so, how does he or she read it? Perhaps you could elucidate it for me, and for others. ^_^
Of course, a careful reading, as I pointed out, still makes it pretty clear that God did not command child sacrifice even within that passage.
I do not know anyone like that unfortunately.. but it would be cool if the guild had one! Maybe Yahweh could bless us with someone like that... I offer up a psalm!! New International Version 1984 Psalm 133 A song of ascents. Of David. How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there Yahweh bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. heart My the dew of heaven fall on us and water our flock. heart
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Posted: Mon Jun 08, 2026 7:25 pm
Servant Of Yashua Scarlet_Teardrops Servant Of Yashua My Bible version says this New International Version 1984 Ezekiel 20:25-26 I also gave them over to statutes that were not good and laws they could not live by; I let them become defiled through their gifts—the sacrifice of every firstborn—that I might fill them with horror so they would know that I am the Lord.’ It has the same standard as this New International Version 1984 Deuteronomy 13:1-3 Worshiping Other Gods If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Ah! Excellent addition to the conversation!
That's an interesting way that your version translates the passage. Let's look at some other versions!
KJV reads,Quote: Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live; And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the Lord.
NLT reads,Quote: I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life. I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them, and I allowed them to give their firstborn children as offerings to their gods—so I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the Lord.
ESV reads,Quote: Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and rules by which they could not have life, and I defiled them through their very gifts in their offering up all their firstborn, that I might devastate them. I did it that they might know that I am the Lord.
NRSV reads,Quote: Moreover, I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live. I defiled them through their very gifts, in their offering up all their firstborn, in order that I might horrify them, so that they might know that I am the Lord.
The NLT (ah, my cherished translation growing up heart ) translates it similarly to yours, but the others do not. Hmm...I wonder why that is. Unfortunately, I don't know Hebrew, so I can't study the underlying grammar in detail. But the overall consensus seems to be the "I gave them statutes that were not good" translation.
Bummer. stressed
Do you know anyone who knows/reads the Old Testament in Hebrew? If so, how does he or she read it? Perhaps you could elucidate it for me, and for others. ^_^
Of course, a careful reading, as I pointed out, still makes it pretty clear that God did not command child sacrifice even within that passage.
I do not know anyone like that unfortunately.. but it would be cool if the guild had one! Maybe Yahweh could bless us with someone like that... I offer up a psalm!! New International Version 1984 Psalm 133 A song of ascents. Of David. How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there Yahweh bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. heart My the dew of heaven fall on us and water our flock. heart
Amen!
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Scarlet_Teardrops Captain
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Reply
