Who was Nibhaz in the Bible?

A male deity at the time of the Old Testament

Nibhaz is mentioned in 2 Kings 17:31 as a male deity worshipped at the time of the Old Testament. The verse reads: the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

From a biblical point of view, Nibhaz is considered to be one of the false gods or idols that the people of Sepharvaim worshipped alongside their worship of the Lord. The Bible condemns the worship of false gods and idols throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing the exclusive worship of the one true God, Yahweh.

In the context of 2 Kings 17:31, Nibhaz is mentioned in connection with Adrammelek and Anammelek, who were also false deities worshipped by the people of Sepharvaim. These gods represented the pagan practices and idolatry that the Israelites were warned against engaging in.

As believers in the Bible, we are called to worship and serve the one true God revealed in Scripture, and to reject all forms of idolatry and false worship. The worship of Nibhaz and other false gods is seen as a violation of the first commandment which states, You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3).

Therefore, Nibhaz represents a pagan deity that was worshipped by the people in disobedience to God’s commandments. As Christians, we are called to remain faithful to the Lord and to worship Him alone, for He is the only true and living God (Deuteronomy 6:4).