2 Kings 23:10

“And he defiled Topheth, etc.] A place so called, as is generally thought, from the beating of drums or timbrels in it, that the shrieks of the infants sacrificed here to Molech might not be heard by their parents, and they repent of delivering them to him, and take them away. So the Indians in India now, at the burning of wives with their deceased husbands, attend them with drums and trumpets; and at such time as the fire is put to the wood, the drums and trumpets make a terrible noise for fear their cries should be heard f270; (see Gill on “<233033>Isaiah 30:33”) (see Gill on “<240731>Jeremiah 7:31”) this he defiled by casting any sort of filth or unclean thing into it, in contempt of the…”

“Topheth--so called from Toph--a "drum." It is the prevailing opinion among Jewish writers that the cries of the terrified children made to pass through the fire in that place of idolatrous horror were drowned by the sound of that instrument.”

“A parenthesis giving the earlier reforms of Josiah. 2 Kings 23:4 The priests of the second order - This is a new expression; and probably refers to the ordinary priests, called here “priests of the second order,” in contrast with the high priest, whose dignity was reviving (2 Kings 12:2 note). The vessels - This would include the whole apparatus of worship, altars, images, dresses, utensils, etc., for Baal, etc. (2 Kings 21:3-5 notes). The ashes of the idolatrous objects burned in the first instance in the “fields of Kidron” (i. e., in the part of the valley which lies northeast of the city, a part much broader than that between the Temple Hill and the Mount of Olives) were actually taken to…”

“Topheth - Very near Jerusalem, where was the image of Molech, to whom some sacrificed their children, burning them in the fire, others dedicated them, making them pass between two fires. It is supposed to be called Topheth, from toph, a drum; because they beat drums at the burning of the children, that their shrieks might not be heard. 4 Kings (2 Kings) 23:11”

“23:10 Topheth was a precinct in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, which lay southwest of the city of David and led into the Kidron Valley. The detestable rite of child sacrifice had occurred there. • Molech has been identified with a number of deities (see 1 Kgs 11:5, 7, 33) and with the name of a sacrifice offered to Baal (Jer 7:31-32; 19:5-6; 32:35).”

“Topheth: Isa 30:33; Jer 7:31, Jer 7:32, Jer 19:6, Jer 19:11-13, Tophet the valley: Jos 15:8; Ch2 28:3, Ch2 33:6; Jer 19:2, Jer 32:35; Mat 5:22 \*Gr. might make: Kg2 16:3, Kg2 17:17, Kg2 21:6; Lev 18:21; Deu 18:10; Jer 32:35; Eze 16:21, Eze 20:26, Eze 20:31; Eze 23:37-39 4 Kings (2 Kings) 23:11”