Mazmur 106:37-38

106:37 They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. ¹ 

106:38 They shed innocent blood –

the blood of their sons and daughters,

whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan.

The land was polluted by bloodshed. ² 

Yesaya 57:5

57:5 you who practice ritual sex ³  under the oaks and every green tree,

who slaughter children near the streams under the rocky overhangs. ⁴ 

Yehezkiel 23:37

23:37 For they have committed adultery and blood is on their hands. They have committed adultery with their idols, and their sons, whom they bore to me, ⁵  they have passed through the fire as food to their idols. ⁶ 

[106:37]  ¹ tn The Hebrew term שֵׁדִים (shedim, “demons”) occurs only here and in Deut 32:17. Some type of lesser deity is probably in view.

[106:38]  ² sn Num 35:33-34 explains that bloodshed defiles a land.

[57:5]  ³ tn Heb “inflame yourselves”; NRSV “burn with lust.” This verse alludes to the practice of ritual sex that accompanied pagan fertility rites.

[57:5]  ⁴ sn This apparently alludes to the practice of child sacrifice (cf. TEV, CEV, NLT).

[23:37]  ⁵ sn The Lord speaks here in the role of the husband of the sisters.

[23:37]  ⁶ tn Heb “they have passed to them for food.” The verb is commonly taken to refer to passing children through fire, especially as an offering to the pagan god Molech. See Jer 32:35.