Bible Person

Chemosh

Meaning: handling; stroking; taking away · Male · 8 cross references

Chemosh is the god of Moab, remembered in Israel's Scriptures as a rival deity tied to foreign worship and abomination. This entry is not a historical person but a named divine figure in the biblical portrayal of surrounding nations. First appears in Num 21:29.1

AI summary: Chemosh matters because the cross references present him as a focal point of Moabite identity and of Israel's temptation toward syncretism. Solomon builds for Chemosh, judges and prophets denounce the worship attached to him, and the Moabite world uses his name to frame victory and loyalty. His presence in Scripture therefore helps define what covenant faithfulness must reject. Taken together, the material presents Chemosh as a rival cult figure whose name marks the spiritual and political pull of Moab against Israel's exclusive allegiance to the Lord.1

Central Figure

Chemosh

Meaning: handling; stroking; taking away

The destroyer, subduer, or fish-god, the god of the Moabites (Num.