I. Name

The deity of the Ammonites, Milcom, occurs three times in the MT: 1 Kgs. 11.5, 1 Kgs. 33; 2 Kgs. 23.13. The Greek translators of the Septuagint or/and other Greek recensions and versions (Syrian, Latin) have read Milcom (Μελχομ, Μελχολ, Μολχομ, Μολχολ, possible confusion of Μ and Λ in uncial writing) in seven other instances: 2 Sam. 12.30; 1 Chr. 20.2; Amos 1.15; Jer. 49(=30).1, Jer. 3; Zeph. 1.5; 1 Kgs. 11.7. In a number of cases, the Greek translations show how difficult the reading of the Hebrew prototype mlk…